Earlier today on the train back from LA, I saw a guy wearing a Rays hat. As he walked by my seat in the aisle I gave him a high five.
Biggest Contribution: Sean Green, +15.6%
Biggest Suckfest: JJ Putz, -48.5%
Most Important AB: Betancourt lineout, -14.6%
Most Important Pitch: Granderson single, -18.6%
Total Contribution by Pitcher(s): -33.7%
Total Contribution by Hitters: -23.3%
Total Contribution by Opposition: +7.0%
(What is this chart?)
Still probably a day or two away from returning to normal posting action. If you need a way to pass the time, I recommend shifting your schedule around to make room for the LL/USSM event on the 14th. Be there. Or don't.
0 recs | 106 comments
The Rays hat guy scares me
I pray to god the Rays Nation don’t become the next Red Sox Nation.
Fin - June 1, 2008
This site accounts for like 10 percent of all Rays fans. I wouldn't worry about it.
The obnoxious Red Sox Nation as we know it today took decades to create. Plus the Sox are the regional team for a pretty big area. Tampa/St. Pete has nothing on that, and there’s zero history of fan dedication.
I don’t see a whole lot of 50-year-olds dusting off their Rays hats now that they’re finally good.
Teej - June 1, 2008
Alright, cool
It’s just I see them in Sports Illustrated and all the national media reporting on how good they are and will be, and I just hope there won’t be this big bandwagon forming. It would sap all the fun out of cheering for them.
Fin - June 1, 2008
I hear you.
But teams make runs and people freak out, but the following never matches anything like RSN. This may be a bad example because they always end up burning down their teams, which fans tend to hate, but the Marlins have won two World Series and made appearances on many an SI cover, yet they still have about 18 fans around the country.
Plus it’s the AL East, so the Rays will be underdgos for the foreseeable future.
Teej - June 1, 2008
The difference between the Marlins and the Rays though
Is the Marlins don’t play the Yankees and Red Sox over 30 times a year, so I would think the Rays would get more national media coverage for that reason.
Fin - June 2, 2008
ESPN still thinks the Rays are a fluke
so there won’t be a big bandwagon for a while.
pdb - June 2, 2008
THEY HAVE NO VETERANS OR CONSISTENCY
unless you count consistent winning as consistency…
Joe Morgan – making America’s baseball fans dumber one game at a time!
seattlebruin - June 2, 2008
Ummmm.... aren't we considered bandwagon fan of the Rays?
I don’t see why others can’t hop aboard.
Fanhood is like economics. It goes in cycles. Eventually a bubble forms and then bursts. The Red Sox bubble is at its height. The Rays are seeing some inflation, but no bubble is forming, yet. Once the Red Sox bubble bursts, the Rays have the potential to be the next bubble to form. If they get a new stadium, the Rays’ inflation on fanhood will likely skyrocket and it may kick off a bubble to form.
I digressed. My main point is that worrying about a bandwagon forming around the Rays is like the pot calling the kettle black. Just be happy you jumped on board early because it may begin to get crowded.
Wilder. - June 2, 2008
I guess what I meant is
I am more worried about there being an obnoxious Rays Nation just as there is with the Red Sox Nation now where the fans invade every stadium the team plays in. I am glad though that my worries have been put to rest. I am probably going to buy a Rays cap within the next couple of weeks.
Fin - June 2, 2008
Ah, I see now.
Yeah, as of right now, the only teams I can see becoming a national annoyance must be located in the cities of New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. It’s trendy to live in those areas and attaching oneself to a sports team located in those cities is the best way to prove your trendiness.
Tampa Bay has Miami and Orlando in its way before it becomes a trendy place to live. And seeing how the Marlins won two World Series in a 10-year period and they still don’t get any love, the Rays are definitely safe from ever becoming like “Red Sox Nation.”
Go buy that hat!
Wilder. - June 2, 2008
Part of the RSN bandwagon
was that, before 2004, the team hadn’t won in several decades and lived under a myth that they had fallen short because of some supernatural curse involving some fat lefthanded pitcher they dealt to the Yankees. Add in the clean cut $200 million Yankees (never mind that the Bosox have a huge payroll themselves) as their division rival blocking their path to the playoffs and World Series, and you’ve got the perfect image of an All-American Underdog.
The Rays have no such history. Any bandwagon will be a lot smaller and decidedly less annoying.
Gomez - June 2, 2008
Not to mention that the 2004 ALCS in itself was one of the most amazing things ever seen in baseball.
After that, it was all over. The Nation was born.
I dislike what the comeback led to, but I don’t regret rooting for it to happen. That was an incredible week.
Teej - June 2, 2008
...of sleep deprivation
for those of us who were out East.
Jeff Sullivan - June 2, 2008
Agreed, it was pretty awesome. I still persist that I don't hate (all) Red Sox players, just the bandwagon.
I’ve been to Fenway and it’s awesome how the crowd will get into it without having to be prompted by the scoreboard and hearing random chants like “Fuck-you My-ers” when Mike Myers is brought in to pitch for them. The bandwagon sucks and a lot of them show up at Fenway but I sat next to a few older couples my two games there and you could tell they’d been there through the worst of it. It was a lot of fun. I just am afraid that going back now would be decidedly less fun, because nothing is worse than Red Sox Nation these days.
BrettJMiller - June 2, 2008
I was at the Capital Mall in Oly today, and strolled down to the baseball hat store, intent on picking up a Rays hat.
They were down to one Rays hat, in a rarely required size. They had plenty of everything else. (Except a 7 5/8 Rainiers hat, which was a fallback.)
Aaron Campeau - June 2, 2008
I'm just happy to know someone else has a head as big as mine.
Teej - June 2, 2008
I have a tremendous melon.
The only bad thing about losing a ton of weight is that when I was a big fat guy, no one noticed, but now that I’m ~average size, it’s definitely quite apparent.
Aaron Campeau - June 2, 2008
The Raul homer gif never caught on.
JI - June 1, 2008
Awesome.
Happybelly - June 1, 2008
Jeff has a better one.
BrianL - June 1, 2008
If by "better" you mean "made by a rank amateur"
then yes.
JI - June 1, 2008
If by "made by a rank amateur" you mean "Jeff's is better"
then yes.
BrettJMiller - June 1, 2008
If by this site is poplated by FAS babies
then of course
JI - June 1, 2008
That could have been more eloquent.
JI - June 1, 2008
I'd drink to that
kentroyals5 - June 2, 2008
I wore my Rays hat to softball for like the 10th consecutive week today.
A couple Red Sox fans on the team, too. All in good fun, but it’s nice to pretend you’re not a Mariners fan sometimes.
Teej - June 1, 2008
Tell me about it
Jeff Sullivan - June 1, 2008
I did see a little kid wearing an M's hat at the field today.
I was tempted to give him my Rays hat.
“Here. You’re still young. There’s a better way.”
Teej - June 1, 2008
Screw that noise
The kids should have to go through the same bullcrap that we do.
Jeff Sullivan - June 1, 2008
Man, you really hate kids.
Nah, I bought a big package of pink Mariners blankets and shit for my friend’s newborn girl a couple of years ago. I helped create another sad M’s fan.
But yeah, I guess it’s good to go through this pain. If the M’s win a World Series before we die, it will be all the better.
Teej - June 1, 2008
I agree with Jeff
I’ve now gone through 28 years of this pain, so when the M’s win the WS… it will be that much sweeter.
Effin Mariners. Damn it.
josh_h - June 1, 2008
Fully agreed.
I moved to Washington in 1990 at the age of 8, so I’m almost 18 years into my M’s fanhood, so you’ve got a decade on me. But yes, if (please, WHEN) it happens, it will be a glorious day. Year. Life.
Teej - June 1, 2008
Bill brought his kid with him to the game.
During the 9th I just leaned over to her and said “See, your dad is raising you right—you’ll know that good things don’t come easy in life when you’re older.”
BrettJMiller - June 2, 2008
Meh.
I’d just show my kid the Beavis & Butthead segment:
Beavis - “Heh heh, hey Butthead - why do we have things that suck?”
Butthead - “Uhhh. Uhhhh. Well, if we didn’t have things that suck, how would we know what’s cool???”
Beavis - “Heh heh. Oh, yeah. Heh heeh heh heh…”
That’s all the lesson he needs on that subject…
PositivePaul - June 2, 2008
Completely OT
Kerry Wood is fucking dealing. I was not expecting this.
JI - June 1, 2008
[Deleted, OT]
I am glad I only spent a twenty something round draft pick in my fantasy league for him! He was a sleeper pick for sure!That is good for the Cubs.Fin - June 1, 2008
Fuck the Cubs.
JI - June 1, 2008
O yes, I forgot the rivalry
Sorry about that then.
Fin - June 1, 2008
Did anybody see Melky Cabera's botch in CF today for the Yanks? It was worse than Raul...seriously...
I mean, Justin Morneau got an inside the park FB (well techincally a triple with an E) because of it. It was hilariously bad.
SethGrandpa - June 1, 2008
In case anybody did miss it:
Jeff Sullivan - June 2, 2008
Jesus that's awesome.
Teej - June 2, 2008
I forgot about that one
JI - June 2, 2008
much like Raul Ibanez, JI dropped the ball today.
Matthew - June 2, 2008
WHY DO U GUYZ HATE ME
JI - June 2, 2008
I'm so much better at .gifs now
Jeff Sullivan - June 2, 2008
Beloved mods:
Why do you guys rip into me every damn thread? Is it because of my age? Because I like to talk about random shit? I read most of this thread and I see no reason for everybody to rip into me. In past threads I’ve gotten destroyed also. Again, I see no reason why… Somebody in this thread said that it’s because rarely do my posts pertain to the open game thread, but to be honest, so much shit in this thread has nothing to do with baseball it’s definitely normal. Nothing I do is out of the ordinary in the threads.
I know how to gif failure, that’s what it boils down to. I respect this site so much more than USSM because the community is much, much better. Please, for the sake of all Mariners fans, do not turn this site and this great community into a negative, degrading USSM.
JI - June 2, 2008
Because it's funny
Graham MacAree - June 2, 2008
Our gifs have the same number of recs.
JI - June 2, 2008
I always rec your gifs over Jeff's
I don’t like contributing to dictatorships. Unless maybe it was Jessica Alba dictating.
seattlebruin - June 2, 2008
So you are supporting the upheaval of one dictatorship only to replace it with another?
Wilder. - June 2, 2008
JI/Robert '08 is not a dictatorship
Everyone who votes for them (me, Fin, LFoJL) will be given equal rights to work the CoachCage
(insert JI/Robert ‘08 banner here)
seattlebruin - June 2, 2008
Everyone who votes for them will be deported to DOV
Graham MacAree - June 2, 2008
That's bad.
JI - June 2, 2008
ABUSE OF POWER!!!
RUNS AWAY CRYING
seattlebruin - June 2, 2008
That's the whole point of power
Graham MacAree - June 2, 2008
YESSSSSS
Last Fan Of Jose Lopez - June 2, 2008
HEY, IT'S WORKING LFOJL!
Aaron Campeau - June 2, 2008
LATE
Aaron Campeau - June 2, 2008
Damn you SBN2.0 for eating seattlebruin's asterisks
Last Fan Of Jose Lopez - June 2, 2008
Damn you SBN2.0 for eating my delicious asterisks!
seattlebruin - June 2, 2008
LL Dictatorship Dept.
Gomez - June 2, 2008
They always call it the Jeff/Matthew/Graham ticket
you should join us, Gomez!
seattlebruin - June 2, 2008
Jeff/Matthew/Graham
The ticket Coach would vote for.
(I expect my payment by 3PM, JI)
BrianL - June 2, 2008
I pay in rec's.
JI - June 2, 2008
Your payment isn't good enough.
JI/Robert – The ticket endorsed by Coach, Butthol, and ASUBoyd.
BrianL - June 2, 2008
But Skoorbo and F'nA's endorse Jeff/Matthew/Graham
seattlebruin - June 2, 2008
The election is finished on account of it never existed
Jeff Sullivan - June 2, 2008
But we're using our imaginations!
The imagination is a beautiful thing. It can take you to a sunny meadow on a cloudy day, and it can transport you to a mystical land of fairies and dragons while you’re stuck at work! We all use our imaginations to brighten our day :)
Last Fan Of Jose Lopez - June 2, 2008
We won in your imagination too
Graham MacAree - June 2, 2008
It's a pervasive dictatorship
Jeff Sullivan - June 2, 2008
You're all just a bunch of dirty so and sos
Last Fan Of Jose Lopez - June 2, 2008
You know what they say about sunrise
Jeff Sullivan - June 2, 2008
*silence*
Last Fan Of Jose Lopez - June 2, 2008
Runs away crying
seattlebruin - June 2, 2008
Are you also the one who's telling me to buy Ray's paraphernalia in my dreams?
BrianL - June 2, 2008
No, that's God
Jeff Sullivan - June 2, 2008
What could be better than rec's?
JI - June 2, 2008
Furries
Pay the man in furries
seattlebruin - June 2, 2008
Women?
Like the ones Jeff promised us.
BrianL - June 2, 2008
He lied.
JI - June 2, 2008
Eh.
His empty promises are better than your empty promises.
BrianL - June 2, 2008
I'll give you 3 billion dollars and a loving wife
Last Fan Of Jose Lopez - June 2, 2008
I actually paid you with a rec.
You bastard.
JI - June 2, 2008
Lets be honest here.
In the end it comes down to who I’d rather suck up to.
Jeff wins.
BrianL - June 2, 2008
He can't give you a reach-around from SD
kentroyals5 - June 2, 2008
"Now that's a hot Lamb-orghini"
This was the MLB.com headline about Mike Lamb hitting a triple in the previous game.
I know that MLB.com’s punnery is notoriously poor but this has to be the worst I have ever seen.
Alex B - June 2, 2008
I just threw up on my keyboard.
Teej - June 2, 2008
FIP question
Can someone smarter than me explain why Greg Smith has a better FIP than Jason Bergmann? I’m looking at K and BB, and Bergmann’s been far better. Is it the homers?
Fantasy warning: The reason I’m asking is a friend is asking me who’s a better bet going forward. And I’m kind of on the fence.
Teej - June 1, 2008
(You should delete the last line)
JI - June 1, 2008
Nah, I just want to explain.
Like I mentioned last week in one of my deft maneuvers to bring up fantasy baseball, I don’t talk about MY fantasy team, but sometimes I have overall questions about baseball players that are indirectly related to fantasy. And people might wonder: “Who gives a fuck about even one of those pitchers, let alone both.”
It’s not like I’m like BEEELTRE!! HES ON MY FANTASY TEAM WHO WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT!!?
Teej - June 1, 2008
Yep, it's the homers
FIP = [ (13xHR) + ((BB+HBP)x3) – (Kx2) ] / IP + ~3.2
Homers play a huge role in determining a pitcher’s FIP. However, you’ll notice that Smith and Bergmann have opposite HR/FB’s, so the FIP difference should shrink over time as regression takes place.
Jeff Sullivan - June 1, 2008
Badass, thanks. I didn't know the formula.
Teej - June 2, 2008
I take it Rauuuuul was his usual circus in the field today?
I missed the ninth inning, which is probably for the better. Is there some reason we don’t let Morrow stay in for more than one inning?
Smegmalicious - June 2, 2008
They're trying to not stretch him out.
Teej - June 2, 2008
Waaaaait a minute...
Smegmalicious - June 2, 2008
If you let him pitch too much,
he might start getting wild ideas and sneak into the starting rotation when no one’s looking. And no one wants that.
Teej - June 2, 2008
I know.
We have 5 #1 starters, we don’t need another.
Smegmalicious - June 2, 2008
They are all 10-0 with 0.00 ERA's right?
So there is no need at all to develop another long term starter, right?
PhilKenSebben - June 2, 2008
Of course not.
We have two “losing-streak stoppers,” according to Howard Lincoln. That’s all you need.
Teej - June 2, 2008
And 3 winning streak stoppers!
Good thing we have all these streak stoppers.
joof - June 2, 2008
Felix and Bedard and pray to gethitbyacar
dbroncos31 - June 2, 2008
Especially Jarrod or Beluga Tits
Gomez - June 2, 2008
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Lookout Landing to post a comment.