Morton guides the Rays back into the Wild Card lead

September 2, 2019 general

Monday, 4 a.m. Perhaps the Tampa Bay Rays belong in the American League playoffs, after all. After spending most of the last month making you wonder, the Rays swept one of their most important series of the season Sunday, beating the Cleveland Indians. 8-2. It was the Rays’ third straight win over Cleveland (fourth straight […]

Read the full article →

At this moment, the Rays are good (but hang on)

September 1, 2019 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Do you have them figured out yet? The puzzling Tampa Bay Rays are at their best after they have been at their worst. And just when they convince you they are good, they prove that they are not. They are Team Contrarian, defying whatever you may believe of them. Trust them at […]

Read the full article →

Pruitt’s big start leads the Rays to a shutout victory

August 31, 2019 general

Saturday, 4 a.m. With other pitchers blowing up around him, with the pitching mound turning into a minefield, whoever would have expected this? Austin Pruitt. Star. Pruitt, the Rays’ up-and-down reliever, entered the game with a 5.57 ERA. He hadn’t started a game in two seasons. In a crucial game against Cleveland, he didn’t figure […]

Read the full article →

USF blasted by Wisconsin in worst-ever defeat

August 31, 2019 general

Saturday, 3 a.m. Oh, my goodness. They’re Charlotte, or some other weak sister of college football. It has happened so quickly, as if an entire football program has fallen off of a cliff. And by the time they landed, they were too ugly to behold. They do not play offense. They do not play defense. […]

Read the full article →

Arians pleased as Bucs finish preseason by winning

August 30, 2019 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. With most of the players who matter on the sideline, the temptation was to pay attention to the coaches. And while you’re of a mind, why not give a game ball to Todd Bowles? Bowles’ defense just carried the Bucs to a successful preseason, for whatever that’s worth. At minimum, we’d have […]

Read the full article →

Rays survive wild game against Houston

August 30, 2019 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. It probably will not surprise you that they gave up eight runs. Hey, this is a team that has given up 61 runs in its last five games. You will probably shrug when you hear about the eight hits. These days, opposing runners go around the bases like it is a revolving […]

Read the full article →

Is it time for the NFL to kill its preseason?

August 29, 2019 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. Shoot it. Pull the plug. Smother it. Whatever you have to do, kill this thing called “the NFL preseason.” I find it boring. You find it boring. Heck, the players and coaches mostly think it’s boring. Content beyond this point is for members only.

Read the full article →

Soaring Astros Clobber Falling Rays

August 28, 2019 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. It was about as bad as you could expect. The hard-charging Astros took on the free-falling Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday night, and all that was missing was a mercy rule. The Astros showed why they are a contender, and the Rays showed why they aren’t, really, and it was ugly early. The […]

Read the full article →

Imagine Arians as he looks for answers

August 28, 2019 general

Tuesday, 3 a.m. Imagine watching this as a fan. You watch until the first punt. You see what’s on Netflix. You make a sandwich. Is it still the first quarter? You take a walk. You tell the dog its lucky you don’t have a backup dog. You play with your IPhone. You check out the […]

Read the full article →

Tampa Bay Area Should Long Remember Naimoli

August 27, 2019 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. The roar is quiet now. Vince Naimoli is out of battle, out of words. The former owner of the Tampa Bay Rays has died, and really, there is just one thing to say to him. Thank you. You brought baseball to town.   Yes, he was a bully. If it is true […]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →