Don’t Count Out the Rays, MRI, Cervelli, Raissman
By Mike Silva ~ June 16th, 2009. Filed under: Morning Digest.
- Peter Gammons believes the Rays “will definitely make the playoffs”. As I said on Sunday, with Jim Baumbach of Newsday, I just don’t see it. Gammons can make the point about the hot bats, Kazmir working with Rick Peterson, and David Price improving as the season moves along. What he failed to mention is that Tampa’s bullpen is terrible. Troy Percival was never a championship closer, Izzy is done for the year, and the Balfour/Howell tandem has struggled. Where are the late game outs coming from? Randy Choate as the closer? Please. No chance these guys can stay with Yankees/Red Sox.
- I normally would be right there criticizing the Mets medical staff, but Sheffield always was the one that wanted to go for the MRI. We discussed this injury Sunday night on WGBB. Jim Baumbach had some interesting thoughts on it.
- Do you think that Francisco Cervelli should be Joba Chamberlain’s pitcher? Raismann writes about the SNY commentary during Joba’s painful start on Friday.
- Glad that Raissman took Tony Paige to task for demanding Castillo to be bought out and released. As I said with Howard on the Sunday Weekly Digest, go to work, ask your boss to eat about 15 million dollars in his budget, and hand it over to the competition for nothing. See if you are employed past lunch. I realize talk radio hosts are entitled to being emotional fans, but you have to add common sense to your analysis.
- Paul Catalano of Dugout Central thinks Cervelli should catch. Not a terrible idea. Posada could DH, Matsui to the bench, and you improve your defense and pitching. The numbers for Cervelli are slightly better but, as was the case with Omir Santos, there is something to be said for a catcher would can call a game and handle pitchers.
- Ridiculous item of the day: Mets exhale when going for the bandbox of Yankee Stadium to Camden Yards. Who would have ever thought you would hear that?
- I have a feeling that Yankee Stadium + Nats Pitching = very ugly three game series. Poor Manny Acta will finally meet the managerial grim reaper in the house that Lonn Trost built.
June 16th, 2009 at 9:03 am
Didn’t Percival win a World Series with the Angels? And have a dominating season that same year? He’s done now, but it’s pretty unfair to say he was never a championship closer, when in fact he was exactly that.
Tampa Bay has been unlucky this year – they are better than their record.
June 16th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
James, I did mean the current Percival isn’t a championship closer. Percival of 2002 was for sure a top level fireman.
I agree Tampa has been unlucky, but I just don’t see them navigating the AL East. The bullpen, which I thought was going to be good, is just not good enough to beat the upper echelon teams.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:54 am
6/30/09 – Still think they don’t have a chance?