**2014 Tampa Bay Rays Thread** (Jennings: celebrity, build, snow)

[The Villages Guy]

Originally Posted by Sunshinecc

RIP Don Zimmer. A simple man who loved baseball and gave it 60 years of his life

A legend! RIP

[Sunshinecc]

Rays adviser Don Zimmer, widely seen as a baseball treasure, dies | Tampa Bay Times

Rays Broadcaster Todd Kalas Chokes Up While Reporting Don Zimmer's Death

[Sunshinecc]

Had to post one more - a great array of photos on this site of his career - all the way from when he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers to the Rays.

It's really sad to see someone of his stature, someone from my own childhood years watching baseball, gone.

Don Zimmer: A baseball and Bay area treasure

[SeaSpur]

If we drop today's game and the Cubs get their 3rd win in a row, we will officially be the worst team in baseball and be riding a 10 game losing streak...which may already qualify us as that.

Crazy how high expectations can be before a season and be sitting in this position today. There are statistics abound in baseball, but I wonder what the percentage chance is of making the postseason at current state? Less than 30% for sure, I'm thinking less than 20%.

Also, RIP to Don Zimmer. Legend in the game.

[The Villages Guy]

Originally Posted by Sunshinecc

It's really sad to see someone of his stature, someone from my own childhood years watching baseball, gone.

I know what you are saying. I remember his time with the Red Sox. I can't think of one without the other, as I was a kid playing baseball at the time he was there.

[Sunshinecc]

Originally Posted by SeaSpur

If we drop today's game and the Cubs get their 3rd win in a row, we will officially be the worst team in baseball and be riding a 10 game losing streak...which may already qualify us as that.

Crazy how high expectations can be before a season and be sitting in this position today. There are statistics abound in baseball, but I wonder what the percentage chance is of making the postseason at current state? Less than 30% for sure, I'm thinking less than 20%.

Also, RIP to Don Zimmer. Legend in the game.

I found this site - Major League Baseball Playoff Chances - Sports Club Stats - not sure how they arrive at the statistics as I didn't have time to look at it too closely

Originally Posted by PriusH8r

I know what you are saying. I remember his time with the Red Sox. I can't think of one without the other, as I was a kid playing baseball at the time he was there.

Right. That was an era where the game was true baseball, before free agency changed everything (when Zimmer was a base coach for the Sox before coming manager). Boy I loved watching/listening to games back then. If the game didn't make it to tv, I'd have my portable radio and sit outside to listen.

ahhh, the good ole days

[SeaSpur]

Anyone still watching this nightmare play out?

28 scoreless innings. 3 shutouts in a row. Team completely lifeless and couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat.

Do you feel sorry for these guys? I don't. They are professionals and their job is to play baseball and play it well.

I have lived on the "oh, we are injured" excuse for too long...but I am starting to realize that is just a delusional excuse that can't even cover this poor of play.

Our starting lineup tonight is:

Jennings
Kiermaier
Longo
Loney
Zobrist
DeJesus
Joyce
Escobar
Hanigan

That is arguably a better lineup than we were playing with late last season. I know our reserves are lighter (no Kelly Johnson, no Sam Fuld, etc) but we shouldn't be the worst team in baseball. That isn't the worst roster in baseball...but they are playing like it.

[timothyjames14]

Yeah, I am watching.

Its all been pretty bizarre.

The way it's playing out just shows....Jennings, Zobrist, Dejesus, Joyce, Escobar.....are just average-below average players.

What scares me is the lack of depth on the farm. Other than the utility type player like a Zobrist.....who has been able to etch out a pretty good role in Tampa, The Rays...year after year....Have never developed a top tier Catcher, Shortstop, second baseman or first baseman. Always relying on players like Zobrist.....and 3rd tier free agents.

[BucFan]

Moneyball team - makes their success over the past six seasons or so remarkable working with second rate players. This season it just isn't happening. Time to develop Durham players - get them up here for seasoning and think about the future. The problem w/ low payroll teams is that you can't fix stuff by signing all the best players. It'll be interesting how Maddon and Friedman work this out.

Rays Year-By-Year Results | raysbaseball.com: History

[BucFan]

31-scoreless inning streak FINALLY over......