Off Topic

Often I will sit down and start composing my thoughts while I’m watching a game. I write about it as I see it, while the emotions and feelings are fresh. I do this for time also, so that I can get the information on the site as quickly as possible. Last night was one of those times where what I started writing was nothing like what ended up on the site. Thank Goodness! In a couple of innings the Rays took everything I had been working on and made it worthless. What is featured here is what was rendered meaningless [...]

There were rumors flying about a few different starting pitchers last week. The Red Sox were one of the teams looking for a starter. Once they missed out on Ubaldo Jimenez and Huroki Kuroda refused to waive his no-trade clause, the Red Sox turned their focus on Erik Bedard and Rich Harden. Reportedly they had a trade in place for Harden, but were scared off by his medical reports. Bedard no-doubt knew about the rumors as he took the mound last Friday night against the Rays. Bedard is legendary for his some-what odd personality. As Gerry Callahan noted in yesterday’s [...]

We here at Rays Colored Glasses are interested in expanding our ranks and are looking for additional writers who are looking to become a part of a growing site and a strong network that has been a pleasure to work with.  We want Rays fans who are talented, passionate and opinionated and are seeking a way to let their voice be heard. The site is looking in particular for a writer who is interested in the Minor Leagues and the MLB draft. The commitment is about one article per week. If you are interested in joining the network: Write a 350-500 [...]

Tonight, the Rays begin their last west coast series of 2011. It is their second trip to Seattle and while the first one did not go that well, the Rays are looking for a series win because the Mariners could not be colder. On Wednesday, they won for the first time since July 5. In between they lost 17 consecutive games. which has me wondering how they managed that. They have Felix Hernandez, last year’s Cy Young Award winner and Michael Pineda, a young stud whose 3.64 ERA helped earn him an All-Star selection. Isn’t pitching like that supposed to prevent [...]

Today is officially the most boring day of the year. It is one of the few days on the calendar that one of the four major sports doesn’t have at least some kind of event. One of the others is January 1st and there’s plenty of college football on that day (among other things) to partake of. Tonight, all sports fans have are the ESPY’s. For Rays fans, we have to endure two days without Joe Maddon baseball and content ourselves with a slow news  day. Here are some of the things that have happened since the All-Star Game:

We here at Rays Colored Glasses are interested in expanding our ranks and are looking for additional writers who are looking to become a part of a growing site and a strong network that has been a pleasure to work with.  We want Rays fans who are talented, passionate and opinionated and are seeking a way to let their voice be heard. The commitment is about one article per week. If you are interested in joining the network: Write a 350-500 word essay about the Tampa Bay Rays. This could be anything from a player profile, to a minor league report [...]

James Shields might have had one of the best first halves of any pitcher and definitely deserves a starting nod in this year’s All-Star Game, but unfortunately he won’t be able to make the start according to the new rules added in last year. Joe Maddon has set up his rotation to maximize the number of times Shields will start. That means he will start on the Sunday before the All-Star break against the Yankees. How about you? Would you rather see him start against the Yankees or make an appearance in the All-Star Game? Let me know in the [...]

I am not superstitious. Well, not normally. My rational mind knows that no matter how many times I eat plain pasta or sit on the left side of the couch, it will have no bearing on what ballplayers do hundreds of miles away. The irrational part of my mind has no idea of this so I continue to keep silent about a possible no-hitter and wouldn’t dare do something different in my routine that would break up a rally.

I want to start this by saying that this story is second hand…it was told to me by a person I know well and I have no reason to doubt what he told me. I have tried my best not to elaborate, expand or otherwise fill in the blanks from what I was told. Opening Day: Already there was tension in the stands, thanks to the planned outcry of those who decided to make a political statement instead of practicing the lines of “Take me out to the ball game.” Florida’s new governor, Rick Scott, was to throw out the [...]

Where’s the Beef? This year, it’s at the Trop! Anyone who has attended a game at Tropicana Field knows that the best thing Stu Sternberg might have done is allow fans to bring their own food in. Considering the costs of concessions and the downright blandness of the food, it was little wonder. The Rays are banking on a couple of recent area trends to change that however. Barbecue has always been a popular food in the area. You see them popping up in the strangest places when driving around Pinellas county, often occupying locations that formerly housed fast food [...]