Rays (5-11) at Pirates (7-10)
1:05 PM EST–McKechnie Field, Bradenton
Radio: 93.7 The Fan
Here is the MLB.com Gameday
The Bucs are home again today, hosting the Rays.
We recorded Episode 8 of the podcast last night - check it out here if you missed it.
The pitching matchup is Jeff Karstens against James Shields.
©2012 Raise the Jolly Roger. All Rights Reserved..
Via The "Mc" Effect
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March 23, 2012
The Pirates hit 107 home runs last year. That was good for 27th in the league, worse than everybody except the Twins, Astros, and Padres. Pedro Alvarez didn't have the season anybody was expecting him to, Ryan Doumit played just 77 games, and Garrett Jones went weeks at a time without showing any sign of competence at the plate.This offseason the team brought in Rod Barajas...
Via The Outside Corner
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March 23, 2012
For a brief time this past July, the Pirates were in first place in the NL Central. The Pittsburgh Pirates, in first place, after the All-Star Break, in 2012. This is real life. Then, they summarily collapsed and finished in fourth place with 90 losses. This offseason, they took a huge step towards building a solid future by giving Andrew McCutchen a nice contract extension. But...
Via Fox Sports
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March 23, 2012
Tampa Bay Rays minor league pitcher Matt Bush was arrested Thursday and will face charges of leaving the scene of a traffic accident and driving under the influence after a near-fatal incident in Charlotte County, Florida, The Tampa Tribune reported.
The overall top pick in the 2004 MLB draft was driving in his SUV on US 41 around 5 p.m. when he hit a motorcyclist from behind, according...
Via The "Mc" Effect
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March 21, 2012
Let's go back to 2009. The Pirates starting infield was Adam LaRoche - Freddy Sanchez - Jack Wilson - Andy LaRoche. Sanchez and Wilson would be traded in the middle of that season, which then left Ronny Cedeno and some combination of Ramon Vazquez, Delwyn Young, and Luis Cruz to handle the second base position. While Cedeno seemed to be a guy that could be competent at...
Via Fox Sports Florida
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March 22, 2012
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) -- James Shields had his toughest outing of the spring Thursday in the Tampa Bay Rays' 8-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Tampa Bay's Opening Day starter gave up five runs, three earned, in 5 23 innings, but received a standing ovation when he was lifted with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.
Shields allowed 10 hits, including homers to Rod Barajas...
Via AP on Fox
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March 21, 2012
Go ahead, pencil the Tampa Bay Rays into the playoffs again. You certainly won't upset Joe Maddon's confident bunch.
There may be teams with more star power and money, but none enters 2012 with loftier expectations than the Rays, who have earned postseason berths three of the past four seasons despite one of the major leagues' lowest payrolls.
Maddon and his players...
Via The Sports Jags
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March 23, 2012
After the Pirates lost 8-6 to the Rays yesterday, Clint Hurdle answered the question that every yinzer has been asking since Day 1 of Spring Training. No, not if this is Pedro Alvarez’s last chance. And no, not if Derek Lee has checked his voicemail. He revealed that Erik Bedard will be the Buccos’ Opening Day starter.
That’s right, Bedard is the man that’ll take the...
Via Fangraphs
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March 23, 2012
Matt Bush screwed up. Again. According to Roger Mooney, the former first overall draft pick was arrested Thursday night for DUI. As if that weren’t bad enough, Bush is also responsible for a hit and run in which he seriously injured a 72-year-old motorist and fled the scene before he was picked up by law enforcement.
Bush had already been trying to rehabilitate his image following...
Via WHYGAVS?
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March 22, 2012
I really like Charlie's piece today on Matt Hague and Josh Harrison being bit players no matter what they do in camp this spring. I joked yesterday that I wanted to make a Venn Diagram of people that love Matt Hague and people that hated Steve Pearce, because I suspect that they're many of the same people even though Hague and Pearce seem, to me, to be very similar players...
Via AP on Fox
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March 23, 2012
David Price pitched into the sixth inning during the Tampa Bay Rays' 7-5 exhibition loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.
Price allowed two runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings, reaching 96 mph several times in the sixth. The left-hander issued two walks, both to Edwin Encarnacion after the third baseman homered in the second.
Rays outfielder Sam Fuld left after striking...
Via Cub Reporter
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March 22, 2012
The Cubs have sent RHP Andy Sonnanstine outright to AAA Iowa. THe 29-year old right-hander a really bad Spring Training, allowing 13 hits in 5.0 IP, with a 14.40 ERA and a 3.20 WHIP in Cactus League play.
He was signed by the Cubs as a free-agent this past off-season after he was non-tendered by the Tampa Bay Rays in December. He reportedly signed a non-guaranteed major league contract...
Via Raise the Jolly Roger!
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March 22, 2012
Here’s the seventh episode of the Roundtable Podcast with me, Jon from McEffect, Jim from North Side Notch, and Cory from Three Rivers Burgh Blog.
This week we discussed:
March Madness brackets
Thoughts on the last two bench spots
Evan Meek‘s struggles
Stat of the week: FIP
Predictions and projections for the position players
Click here to listen now or download
©2012...
Via The "Mc" Effect
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March 21, 2012
The Pirates got beaten pretty badly last night by the Yankees. Erik Bedard made the starter, Andrew McCutchen homered, but the team lost 10-3 when all was said and done. Here's the recap. I wrote this piece on Garrett Jones late last night, so you probably missed it. If you haven't read the post I wrote the other day on Pedro Alvarez yet, you should check it out now.The Pirates...
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