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Finally: Desmond Jennings Arrives!

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Sep 012010

By Jesse west

September 1st is here! All the Major League teams are calling up players to either help them with their playoff drives or to see who can help them next year.

In Tampa Bay, the big news is the arrival of outfielder Desmond Jennings.

Jennings made a big splash in spring training this year only to get injured and being sent back to AAA. With the Rays having problems with hitting all season, the fans have been hoping for the arrival of Jennings, Well, he’s here!

Desmond is a big time talent, a contact hitter with amazing speed, ala Carl Crawford. Jennings is also a defensive whiz. He can play all 3 outfield positions and throws out runners. A strong arm, an accurate arm!

How much playing time he gets is the big question. With Rocco Baldelli and Brad Hawpe added to the mix, Jennings may be used mostly as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. But he’s going to get a taste of the Major Leagues in the midst of a playoff run by the Rays. How he reacts will go a long way for next season.

Pitcher Jeremy Hellickson is also back. He will be used as a reliever and spot starter if needed. He is here to stay. Expect him on the playoff roster if the Rays go that far.

It’s that time of year when new players arrive and get a chance to show their stuff. It’s exciting and a time to keep your eyes open to who will be wanted in next years’ fantasy draft.

Jennings and Hellickson will be drafted high, you can count on that.

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The “baseball gods” flew into Tampa Bay

Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes, Fantasy Baseball Strategy, Fantasy Baseball Updates, Jesse 1 Response »

Aug 292010

By Jesse West

The term “baseball gods” has been around my entire life. It simply is an expression to try and explain odd occurences on the playing field. Things that defy meaning. Plays that are made that shouldn’t happen. The unknown in baseball. It had to be the work of the “baseball gods”.

Last night in St. Petersburg, the Rays won a game because they were favored by the “baseball gods”. There is no other way to explain it.

Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz was cruising with a 1-0 lead into the 7th inning when Evan Longoria led off with a single. A fielders choice put Carlos Pena on first with 1 out.

Now Pena has a bad foot and isn’t runing well. With only two feet away from 1st base with a lead, Buchholz kept throwing over to keep him close. How much closer could he get without standing on the base and having no lead?

And yet, something told Buchholz to throw over there again and the ball ended up in the Rays bullpen in right field while Pena took 3rd base.

So now Matt Joyce hits a fly ball foul to right. J.D. Drew chases it but at the last moment decides he doesn’t want to catch it. Yet he jumps over the bullpen pitching mound, into the chairs, sticks out his glove and the ball ends up caught for an out. Pena had no problem scoring the tying run.

How did that happened? Even Drew can’t explain it.

Meanwhile, the red hot Victor Martinez had 4 hits followed by David Ortiz with 3 hits and they finally managed to muster up a 2nd run.

Now Buchholz, except for the uncanny 7th inning, is still cruising. We go to the 8th and B.J. Upton leads off with a home run and we have a tie game again.

It stays that way going into the last of the 10th inning. Now Dan Johnson steps in hitting .149 on the season and 0-3 on the night. Johnson’s claim to fame was his big pinch hit home run in 2008 against these same Red Sox.

Sure enough, Johnson slams one into the right field stands and the game is over.

The unexplained happen last night at the Trop. It’s as though the “baseball gods” were saying to the Red Sox, “why are you trying to ruin this for the Rays? It’s their season”.

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Braves Acquire Derek Lee

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Aug 182010

The Chicago Cubs are cleaning house. The latest player swept out of the windy city is Derek Lee. Lee waived his 10-5 status to join the Braves.

Atlanta keeps wheeling and dealing. They are pulling out all the stops in their quest for the playoffs and beyond. And they may very well be the front runners.

But Derek Lee?

Lee has suffered from a bulging disc in his back all season. He is having an off year. He is closing in on 35 years old. The Braves can only hope he will help.

Yes, Troy Glaus has been slumping and playing injured. But to just dump on Glaus and replace him with another aging, injured player seems ludicrous. I see no improvement for the Braves.

Atlanta can take a chance. They are a solid organization. They always have good minor leaguers ready to come up. It may work for them.

But in the long run, should they make it to the World Series, it won’t be Derek Lee or Troy Glaus who will get them there. For those two players, their time has come and gone.

Jesse West

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Hellickson Poses Problem For Rays

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Aug 182010

By Jesse West

Rookie Jeremy Hellickson of the Tampa Bay Rays has been pitching great, period. This is not a pitcher you want to send back to the minors with a minor league season closing in 2 weeks.

Hellickson is here to stay. The question is, both Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis will be eligible to come off the DL in the next week. What will the Rays do?

One thing they will do is send relief pitcher Mike Ekstrom back to the minors. But all other pitchers are part of the staff. Probably the least effective pitcher on the Rays staff would be Lance Cormier. But he has been part of the team all season and it doesn’t seem likely that they would release him.

Another option is to hold off bringing Wade Davis back until the September callups. But that doesn’t seem likely either as Davis has been pitching well.

Another option is a new injury occurs and that would take care of things.

But one thing is sure, Hellickson is here to stay. Therefore, the Rays have to make a move soon.

Another question is, what do they do with Hellickson when Neimann and Davis return? It is highly unlikely the Rays will go with a 6 man rotation. Hellickson will surely go to the bullpen. But what role will he play there? The Rays bullpen is already solid.

And then Grant Balfour will be returning soon. Talk about being pitching rich! I’ve never known a team to be overloaded as the Rays are.

It will be interesting to see how things turn out, but Hellickson is too good to sit on the bench.

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