~~~~~The Official 2007 Regular Season Tampa Bay Rays Discussion Thread~~~~

Hey, don't hate on Chris Singleton / Alex Sanchez

And you're right think about it this way
Starting OF : CC / Delli / Del
Backup OF : Dukes / BJ / Gomes

'Sighs' that's some depth.

Hey, don't hate on Chris Singleton / Alex Sanchez

YIKES!

[MrFreakinMiyagi]

I'll be rooting the boys on this year. I won't claim to be optimistic.

I'll try to pay better attention to the game this year as well. Thus making it possible for me to be able to participate in Rays/baseball discussion without sounding like a dimwit
Go Rays!!

[MrFreakinMiyagi]

I was at the game in Clearwater today against the Phillies. And after seeing Kazmir healthy and pitching great again, I can't wait for the opener.

This is going to be a fun year. By the way, has anyone seen the latest edition of Sports Illustrated? It has Elijah Dukes and Delmon Young on the cover and says the Rays will be the best team in baseball by 2010. I can't wait to pick up my copy tomorrow.

Link to a pic of that cover??

Umm....wtf is going on here, Rays have outscored their opponent's 16-1 since installing the new lineup.

[joedav01]

I was at the game in Clearwater today against the Phillies. And after seeing Kazmir healthy and pitching great again, I can't wait for the opener.

This is going to be a fun year. By the way, has anyone seen the latest edition of Sports Illustrated? It has Elijah Dukes and Delmon Young on the cover and says the Rays will be the best team in baseball by 2010. I can't wait to pick up my copy tomorrow.

Link to a pic of that cover??

Still looking.  It was in the St. Pete Times on Sunday, but I can't find it on the web.

[joedav01]

Another night using our regular players and another blowout victory.  The Rays beat the Astros 9-2 tonight.  Again, our pitching staff continues to dominate.  RJ's boy James Shields gets the win and had 6K's in 5 2/3 innings.

A sign of the depth this team has.  Rocco gets hurt yesterday after going 3-3.  His replacement tonight was Elijah Dukes who also went 3-3 and pushed his average this spring to .313.   Elijah Dukes will be the best 4th OF in baseball this year.

Man I can't wait for opening day.

Another night using our regular players and another blowout victory. The Rays beat the Astros 9-2 tonight. Again, our pitching staff continues to dominate. RJ's boy James Shields gets the win and had 6K's in 5 2/3 innings.

A sign of the depth this team has. Rocco gets hurt yesterday after going 3-3. His replacement tonight was Elijah Dukes who also went 3-3 and pushed his average this spring to .313. Elijah Dukes will be the best 4th OF in baseball this year.

Man I can't wait for opening day.

Less than two weeks, I'm very impressed with Shields' performance tonight, great way to start the second to last week of spring, also glad that nothing came out of that Dukes - Delmon collision early on.

Oh and did you recieve my email?

[joedav01]

Yes. I did. Thank you very much.

I have a lot on my plate right now, so it might be a while before I read it.  But, I will.

Yes. I did. Thank you very much.

I have a lot on my plate right now, so it might be a while before I read it.  But, I will.

Not a problem man, as I explained I'm doing two processes at once to shorten the timetable rather than doing one than the other. I must warn that I found the first two chapters (well prologue and the birth chapter) quite boring to write, afterwards I think (hope) I provided some interesting items, like Kevin Stocker v. Omar Vizquel defensivley, that really sparked me to finish the thing rather than put it aside.

I might be called a traitor here, buut I think Melky Cabrera is a better 4th OF right now than Elijah Dukes. Dont get me wrong, without a doubt Dukes has more talent. But Cabrera was a good hitter last year, and Dukes needs to prove himself

Im with you though, Dukes should be a monster (praying he doenst get arrested before opening day). On another note, for as much as I take shots at Elijah Dukes' character, I have to say something good. A buddy of mine who went to Hillsborough with Elijah, and played JV while Dukes was on varsity said that his dad pulled up beside Dukes after a ST game and I think he said Dukes was in a white Escalade. My friends dad was an assistant coach on the JV team when Dukes was at HIllsborough, so he shouted to him from his car and Dukes remembered my friends dad and was really friendly asking him how he was doing and everything. Got to give him props there. Ive never met the guy, but I bash his character for all the stories Ive heard. He no doubt has mental issues, but he is supposed to be a decent person behind all that thug

Dukes hasn't played a game in the MLB...yet, so statiscally sure you're right Major League wise, for now.

Yea I just wont go as far to say he will be the best. Id say there is a good chance he will be the best 4th OF. But I think Melky Cabrera is a solid ball player

I'm not hating on Melky, just saying Dukes if he jumps that hurdle (and so far he's been Delmon Jr.) he's easily better than Melky.

ELIJAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Three straight wins for the Rays, perhaps Maddon saying "time to get serious" was the wakeup call?