2009 Season Thread

[SDL]

Kazmir had an ERA near 6 and has been a disappointment since the beginning of 2008. Maybe the Angels can straighten him out. For most of his starts this year you never knew what you were going to get. 3-2 on so many batters, he would hit 100 pitches before the 5th inning. Bottom line, he was not "one of our best players".

I was at the Tampa/Brevard County game Saturday night and a lot of people I was talking to seemed shocked and surprised at the trade. They all said the Rays were done this year...and those were RAYS fans talking.

[Evangelion]

I was at the Tampa/Brevard County game Saturday night and a lot of people I was talking to seemed shocked and surprised at the trade. They all said the Rays were done this year...and those were RAYS fans talking.

Did they believe they were done before the Kazmir trade? I don't see how you can believe you're in the race with or without Kazmir. He pitched as poorly as Brad Penny this year. The move likely effects the future of the club since Kazmir was quite young, but otherwise, it should not impact the Rays' chances at the playoffs.

[SDL]

Did they believe they were done before the Kazmir trade? I don't see how you can believe you're in the race with or without Kazmir. He pitched as poorly as Brad Penny this year. The move likely effects the future of the club since Kazmir was quite young, but otherwise, it should not impact the Rays' chances at the playoffs.

They more or less said that losing Kazmir killed their post-season chances.

As a Red Sox fan, that's fine by me

[raysnbran]

If the Red Sox win the wild card, they will more than likely face the Angels in the ALDS, so be careful about what you wish for with Kazmir. He could still have an effect on your chances of advancing. Kazmir is not the reason we are not doing better this year, it's a combination of a lot of things. Bad seasons by Upton and Burrell, bad 2nd half by Longoria, streaky season by Pena (lot of HRs but a low BA and a lot more errors) inconsistent SP and RP, and a clueless at times manager who always paints a rosy picture singing Kumbiah while the Titanic could be sinking around his azz

[SDL]

If the Red Sox win the wild card, they will more than likely face the Angels in the ALDS, so be careful about what you wish for with Kazmir. He could still have an effect on your chances of advancing. Kazmir is not the reason we are not doing better this year, it's a combination of a lot of things. Bad seasons by Upton and Burrell, bad 2nd half by Longoria, streaky season by Pena (lot of HRs but a low BA and a lot more errors) inconsistent SP and RP, and a clueless at times manager who always paints a rosy picture singing Kumbiah while the Titanic could be sinking around his azz

At least we will have made it to the post-season. It seems that Friedman threw up the white flag already with the trading of Kazmir.

Calling Maddon clueless? Was he clueless last year? Did he all of a sudden get dumb? I haven't forgotten that it was between him and Francona for the BoSox gig. The fact that it was down to those two showed me that Maddon had a future as a skipper and last year did prove me right. Haven't seen any "Joe Must Go" rumblings in any of the papers lately....something I'm unaware of?

[raysnbran]

The white flag is not out, but clearly the writing was on the wall. The Sox have to go 15-15 in their final 30 games, and the Rays 23-7 for us to jump ahead of you. We haven't played .700 ball in any stretch of significant games all season, why would they start now?

Maddon did some funny managing in 2008 (remember walking Josh Hamilton with the bases loaded in the 9th inning of a game), but it was one of those magical years where everything worked out in their favor. One run wins, walk off wins, All Star season from Dioner Navarro...these kind of things an upstart team needs to compete with the big boys ain't happening. Burrell and Upton have been huge disappointments as well. The SPs are around .500, except for the rookie 5th starter who leads the team in Ws.

Maddon has made numerous strange decisions just in the last week that cost the team games. Why 3 lefties in the bullpen, and not use any of them to pitch to Granderson on Sunday? Why 3 lefties in the first place? Percival is costing this team $4M of dead money because he won't file retirement papers, and a team like us cannot afford dead money.

[raysnbran]

Playing out the string after a bad homestand. The bullpen has come unglued and Maddon is going crazy with relievers. JP Howell is not a closer, Grant Balfour was a fluke in 2008, and Russ Springer needs to just go away It's time to do this:

[SDL]

Playing out the string after a bad homestand. The bullpen has come unglued and Maddon is going crazy with relievers. JP Howell is not a closer, Grant Balfour was a fluke in 2008, and Russ Springer needs to just go away It's time to do this:

You guys already did that when you traded away Kazmir...

[raysnbran]

Yeah, 3 straight blown leads in the 8th or later by the bullpen, and it's all because we traded away Kazmir. So how did Wade Davis look yesterday in his debut in place of Kazmir? He will be Kazmir's long term replacement, not Sonnanstine, so don't come at me from that angle either...

[raysnbran]

And now Pena and his 39 HRs are done for the season, after getting hit on his left hand by a Sabathia fastball and breaking 2 fingers. And FYI the bullpen is 2-9 since August 6. Must be Friedman's fault for trading Kazmir away

[raysnbran]

...and Dan Wheeler promptly comes in and serves up a meatball and provides the Rays with their 7th consecutive loss. Bullpen now is 2-10 with 9 blown saves since August 6th. A horrendous ending to a frustrating season

[The Korean]

With all due respect to TB and Maddon, he changes his pitchers like underwear.