TampaBLAB

THE GOOD: The Bullpen in general and Gary Glover and Jason Hammel specifically. Yes Hammel gave up the walk-off home run, but we thought the game was over when both Glover entered the game in the 9th and when Hammel came on in the 12th. The two combined for 4.2 innings with only 1 run on 3 hits and no walks. At some point they were going to give up a run and they did a great job of holding the Pirates at bay as long as they could.

THE BAD: The offense. From the 9th inning on, the Rays were 1-14 with 4 strike outs and no walks. Only two batters reached base: Evan Longoria with a 2-out single in the 9th and James Shields who reached on an error while pinch-hitting with 2 outs in the 12th.

THE TELLING: With Aki Iwamura starting his 3-game suspension, BJ Upton batted leadoff, Evan Longoria moved up to the 3-hole and Willy Aybar started at second base for the first time since 2006. Upton finished 1-5 with a walk...The Rays missed an opportunity to move back into first place as the Red Sox lost to the Astros.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Don't forget to VOTE for Carl Crawford to start the all-star game. If you haven't voted yet today, go NOW! [MLB All-Star Voting]
• Aaron Sharockman spoke with Matthew Silverman about the Rays stadium proposal and the future of baseball in the bay area. [St. Pete Times]
• Marc Topkin writes about the Rays and all the trade rumors circulating recently. [St. Pete Times]
  

This morning the cardboard sign attached to the St. Petersburg Times  newspaper box I use at the corner of South Howard Ave. and Swan read: “50 cents every day …. Effective Monday, June 30.”

In Tampa, a Times used to cost 25 cents Monday through Saturday and 50 cents only on Sunday.

A 100 percent price jump? Really? Shouldn’t we have had a stopover at 35 cents?

Of course, you can still get tbt* for free, which is a great read, if you have an IQ of, say, 54.

Durham 6, Norfolk 3. Mitch Talbot improved to 7-6 after holding Norfolk to 1 run in 6.2 innings. He struck out 4 and walked none...Chris Richard (15) and Joel Guzman (15) homered for the Bulls. Guzman finished 3-4 with 3 RBI. Fernando Perez was 2-5 and Justin Ruggiano added 2 hits in 4 at bats...Reid Brignac did not play.

Mobile 5, Montgomery 3. Jino Gonzalez started but was pulled after 2 innings. He had not allowed a run...John Jaso went 2-4 with a walk. He is hitting .254.

Sarasota 6, Vero Beach 0. Brandon Mann dropped to 3-9 after giving up 5 runs (4 earned) on 11 hits in 5 innings...The D-Rays managed only 4 hits.

Columbus 5, Rome 4. Alex Cobb gave up 3 runs in 6.1 innings, all on solo home runs...Greg Sexton was 3-5 with 2 RBI, including the walk-off single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.

Hudson Valley 3, Staten Island 1.

Princeton 8, Burlington 7 (11). Tim Beckham went 1-4 with 2 walks and 2 strike outs. He played shortstop for the first time and did make a throwing error on his first fielding chance. He later handle two ground balls, a pop up and a line drive. In 3 games he is 2-11 (both singles).

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Josh Kalk of The Hardball Times was in attendance for Tim Beckham's debut and gives us his impressions. [The Hardball Times]

While he only went one for four with an infield hit Tim Beckham showed some of the tools that made him the first overall pick in the draft. By signing early he is only helping himself getting a jump on other high draft picks that have yet to sign. I would be very surprised if rookie ball gave Beckham much of a challenge and it wouldn't surprise me if he was promoted to Single-A ball late in the year. The Rays could also leave him partnered with his brother Jeremy in rookie ball all year to aid his comfort level. I'll be checking in with the Beckhams throughout the year so look for more updates as the season goes on.

Ever wonder what some of our long-time fans look like? Well, here's Sweet Lou Grilli and his wife Barbara with me at Tropicana Field for 80s Night.

Lou reportedly has 15,000 songs on his iPod, and has listened to every Stuck in the 80s podcast since Episode #1 nearly three years ago. He was one of a handful of fans who won free tickets to that night's Tampa Bay Rays game in our podcast giveaway.

Speaking of podcasts, the latest episode is now online. The topic: Sean Daly and I revisit 80s Night at Tropicana Field.

But there's so much more, including Sean's retelling of his first visit to the "Spears Lair." And the ultimate 80s trivia challenge. The first five people to send in all five correct answers win a tampabay.com baseball cap. So far, nobody has sent in the correct five answers. So don't give up!

Click here to download the show, or click here to get all our shows for free via iTunes.

SUNDAY CHAT: Yes, we're chatting tonight about 9 p.m. The subject: Earworms of the 80s. Stay tuned for the official blog post.

NBC is running the premiere episode of SNL right now, in honor of George Carlin who hosted that night.

A full 50% of the people on here are dead today, I think. Carlin, Belushi, Andy Kaufman, O'Donoghue, Radner, Jim Henson... Billy Preston in the band...

I think that's more than 50%, now, and there's still 50 minutes of show left.

I am glad to see my money is going to good use.  The Republican National Committee has produced this commercial that will run in the fall.  Good Luck Obama in winning Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, West Virginia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Montana, Arizona and Louisiana.  You will lose all these States just on that issue alone, and when you pencil in the other Red States, they should stop this fight before he gets to bloody.

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein appeared on Cal Ripken's XM Radio show, Ripken Baseball. Epstein was asked about the sudden surge of the Tampa Bay Rays.

“Obviously they’ve been picking at the top part of the draft for the better part of a decade now and they haven’t missed with those picks. When you draft number one overall, you have to get a franchise-type player and they have. They’ve got plenty of them and they’ve done a great job drafting lower down as well and developing their players..."

There is only one small problem with that assessment:

Number of "number one overall" players on the Rays' roster: 0

Prior to David Price, last season and Tim Beckham this season, the Rays have only drafted #1 two times, one of which was Josh Hamilton in 1999, whom the Rays lost in the Rule 5 draft.

Certainly one can say that the other top pick (Delmon Young in 2003) helped shape this roster as Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett were acquired in an off-season trade for Young. But that is still only one "number one overall" player that has led to the Rays success this season and Andrew Friedman and Co. deserve a little more credit for that trade than just "they have sucked for 10 years."

Also, the Rays are far from the only team that has consistently drafted near the top of the draft for the last 10 years (Pirates, Royals, etc.) and yet the Rays are the only team that consistently drafts and develops top-rate players.

And while the Red Sox may not draft near the top, they have become experts in the art form of hording compensation picks for lost free agents. In the last four drafts alone, the Red Sox have selected 13 players before the second round.

Let's reword Epstein's statement to reflect why the Red Sox have been so successful...

“Obviously they’ve been picking tons of players in the first round of the draft for the better part of a decade now and they haven’t missed with those picks. When you draft 13 first round players in four years, a team is bound to hit the bullseye a couple of times even if their eyes are shut. They’ve got plenty of them and they’ve done a great job hording compensation picks as well as copying the organizational philosophy of the Evil Empire by throwing $100 million at a pitcher that might win 16 games..."

Theo Epstein on the Rays [MLB ON XM]

Careful where you put the wasabi: The St. Pete Times reveals The Dirty Martini’s naked sushi night.

In keeping with the nautical theme, Beach Theatre is screening Jaws twice today as part of its 1970s weekend.

So that’s why John Kerry lost in 2004: A New York Times op-ed explains why we’re so gullible.

Because you love profanity-laced video-game reviews: It’s the latest Zero Punctuation!

Are you Baracktose Intolerant?

We are not sure if this video has made the rounds before. Certainly it is the first time we have seen it. But it is interesting to see Scott Kazmir pitching at the Trop while still in high school. It is also a little funny to see Kid K introduce himself as a pitcher and outfielder.

Maybe it wasn't Jim Duquette's fault afterall. Maybe it was fate.

Prologue: We haven't used a bird feeder over the last 10 years because of our three indoor/outdoor cats. I've always wanted a feeder. And not one, but several, visible from various windows. Way back in the early 2000's...we took a...

THE GOOD: Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford are red hot. Last night they combined for 7-10 with a double, 2 home runs and 4 RBI. For CC, it was his 6th multi-hit game in his last 8 and 3rd home run in the last 3 games. For Dirtbag, he is 10 for his last 16 with 4 doubles and 3 home runs in his last 3 games. He has raised his average 24 points in 3 days to .272...The Pirates TV play-by-play guy on Eric Hinske's 3-run home run in the 3rd. It was hit so hard, that the announcer called "second 3-run homer hit by a tampa player today" right off the bat and long before the ball landed.

THE BAD: Scott Kazmir lasted only 5 innings, needing 103 pitches. His fastball had no consistency. He was everywhere from 87-93 on the gun...Carl Crawford really is a horrible left-fielder. On Freddy Sanchez' home run in the 4th, CC zig-zagged all over the place, looked at the wall a half-dozen times and still was afraid to reach for the ball that bounced off the top of the wall. Keep in mind that the wall is only about 7 feet tall. It could have easily been caught. And when he did jump (too late), the pocket of his glove was facing the fans in the stands. the ball would have hit the back of his glove. Good Times...Not to be outdone, BJ Upton misplayed a line drive right at him with 2 outs in the 6th. Instead of getting JP Howell out of the inning, Upton broke in on a ball hit over his head turning an out into an RBI double and getting the Pirates back within 3....PNC Park is apparently now playing the Saturday Night Live Cowbell Skit every night...

THE TELLING: Carlos Pena was back in the lineup for the first time, batting 6th. He was 0-3 with a walk and a sac fly...With Aki Iwamura set to start his suspension, Willy Aybar will get his first start at second base since 2006...The Rays maintain their 4 game lead over the A's in the wild card race.

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA...

• Don't forget to VOTE for Carl Crawford to start the all-star game. If you haven't voted yet today, go NOW! [MLB All-Star Voting]
• Akinori Iwamura's suspension was not reduced and Coco Crisp's suspension was reduced from 7 games to 5...Huh wha?!? Crisp was the one that bowled over Aki. Crisp was the one that charged the mound. And he had his suspension reduced? By two games? Unfortunately Crisp will miss the upcoming Rays-Red Sox series at the Trop. We would love to see that idiot get another ball in the backside. [The Heater]
• Rays the Stakes has a very unique perspective on the Pirates series. [Rays the Stakes]
  
• Apparently one of the Bugs and Cranks writers hates the Rays Blogosphere. We are confused by the reasoning. [Bugs and Cranks]
  

Durham 7, Norfolk 3 (gm 1). Jeff Niemann picked up his 5th win in 7 decisions. He allowed 3 runs in 6 innings on only 1 hit, but he did walk 5 and struck out 4...Fernando Perez was 3-4 and scored 2 runs...Justin Ruggiano finished 2-4 with 2 RBI...Reid Brignac and Joel Guzman each went 0-4.

Norfolk 3, Durham 2 (gm2). Mike Prochaska worked 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 9 hits...Joel Guzman and Reid Brignac were each 0-3 and in the double-header went a combined 0-14...Fernando Perez had a hit in 4 at bats.

Mobile 12, Montgomery 8. To say that Jeremy Hellickson did not have a good double-A debut would be kind. In 4.2 innings, he gave up 8 hits. 5 of those were home runs as he allowed 8 runs in all. He did not walk a batter, but only struck out 1...Rhyne Hughes had 2 doubles in 5 at bats...Chris Nowak and Erold Andrus were each 2-4. Nowak drove in 2...Gaby Martinez was 2-5 with 2 RBI.

Vero Beach 3, Sarasota 1 (13). Ryan Morse held Sarasota to 1 run in 6.2 innings on 7 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 2...Matt Fields' 13th home run, a solo shot in the 7th tied the game...Desmond Jennings scored on a wild pick-off attempt for the go-ahead run in the 13th...Ryan Royster would later add an RBI single...Rocco Baldelli DH'd and batted second going hitless in 6 at bats. He earned the golden sombrero with 4 strike outs.

Columbus 12, Charleston 3. Jason Ragan gave up 3 runs (2 earned) in 5 innings...Stephen Vogt was 3-4 and drove in 3...Quinn Stewart had 3 hits in 5 at bats.

Staten Island 4, Hudson Valley 3. Tyree Hayes allowed 3 runs in 6 innings on 9 hits and no walks. He struck out 3...This year's 3rd round pick, Jacob Jefferies, a catcher, was 4-4 with a double and an RBI. He is hitting .345 in his first 2 weeks as a pro.

Princeton 5, Burlington 3. In one of the stranger stat lines you will ever see, Matt Moore the Rays 8th round pick last season gave up 3 runs without allowing a hit in 5 innings. He struck out the side in the first and retired the first 8 batters he faced. However in the 4th inning, 2 errors, a walk, a hit batter and a wild pitch led to 3 unearned runs.

NOTES FROM DOWN ON THE FARM...

• Bus League Baseball runs down the recent debuts of top picks in the amateur draft including a home run by Delmon Young...what a tease. [Bus Leagues Baseball]
• This profile of Fernando Perez originally included the word "smartly" in the title. We have written before on how much it annoys us that every piece on Perez has to revolve around the fact he went to Columbia University, almost as if Perez is somehow overcame a handicap. [MiLB]
  

Stories about sleeping plane people run together in one news cycle.

A

Brendan McLaughlin

My guest on Flashpoint this Sunday morning points out that:

• Only 2 out of 5 citizens can name the three branches of the federal government.
  
• Only 1 in 7 can find Iraq on a map.
  
• Only 1 in 5 know that we have 100 US senators.

This is just some of the evidence Author Rick Shenkman assembles to make the case that the American voter is a little lacking in… shall we say- curiosity. In my interview with the author of  “Just How Stupid Are We?- Facing the Truth About the American Voter” Shenkman runs from his own title by unconvincingly assuring me that he thinks American politics, not the voters themselves are stupid.  Still, he’s persuasive in arguing that We, The People are frighteningly uninformed and/or misinformed.

In September of 2003 a poll showed that a solid majority of Americans  believed Saddam Hussein was personally involved in the attacks of 9-11.  Let that fact wash over your cerebellum for a few minutes and then ponder what kind of world we’d live in if just slightly more Americans didn’t have their heads firmly implanted … in the sand.

When you consider the immensely complex issues (tax reform) and important choices (McCain v Obama) facing Florida voters this November, this book is almost enough to make you want to make Charlie Crist King of the Realm and be done with it, but Shenkman still supports direct democracy- to a point.   Hear my interview with Rick Shenkman, former local news manager, author and historian this Sunday morning on Flashpoint.  And as always, let me know what you think.

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You can stop it, you know. Give it a try. You might just change the world.

As many of you know, I’m the lead singer in a wonderful rock ‘n’ roll band. Check out our website at JGLB.net

A couple of these gigs were set up at the last minute, so in case you are wondering, here is where you can find the JGLB this weekend:

Friday
Blues Ship on Top
1910 E. 7th Ave. in Ybor City

Saturday
The Blue Shark
1502 E. Seventh Ave. in Ybor City

Sunday
FREE CONCERT!
Skipper’s Smokehouse
910 Skipper Rd. in N. Tampa

JUNE 29 SUNDAY
VINCE’S McGILVRA’S RETIREMENT PARTY
JOHNNY G. LYON BAND Johnny is a consummate showman and plays rollicking blues & rock.Johnny G. Lyon, founder and leader of the band, is one of Tampa’s most entertaining and polished musicians, providing his audiences with attention grabbing guitar licks, an incredible sense of wit and humor, crowd interaction, and synchronized stage choreography. 5PM

Read more about Vince’s retirement party from Tampabay.com and Creative Loafing. This is going to be a great party.

First let me start by saying crime can happen anywhere...Carrollwood...Hyde Park...Brandon. It is not a Seminole Heights phenomenon.

A friend, neighbor, and former customer called me to let me know his home in the Hampton Terrace area had been robbed. This wasn't kids. These were pros. He was only gone from his home about 90 minutes. Though a neighbor called the police it was too late. They took over $14,000 of his possessions. You don't think about how much the stuff you accumulate adds up to until you are faced with the very unpleasant job of itemizing it for a police report!

Given the brief amount of time involved, it seems clear that someone was watching his home and the immediate area. A nearby neighbor left her home about 15 minutes after he left his. The window for this crime is now down to under 75 minutes!

The only description was 3 African-American males and a white pick-up truck given by the neighbor who called the police. No they were not caught.

This should serve as a reminder to be observant about who might be hanging around your home...whether on foot or in a vehicle. If they act suspicious or look-out of place make a mental note of what they are driving, wearing, physical description, etc. It may be important later. Not only that, the last thing any wouldbe criminal wants is to be noticed or draw attention to themselves. Your attention may just give them a reason to move on.

FIRST INNING...
Yesterday afternoon the Rays completed a sweep of the Marlins. You keep saying that the Rays are a long-shot to make the playoffs...Did this series do anything to change your perception?

The biggest thing we learned is that the Marlins are a fraud. There is a better chance they will finish in last place than in the playoffs. We knew that they had a number of ex-Devil Rays on the squad but it really puts emphasis on exactly how "not good" that is when seen live and in action. Jorge Cantu, Mark Hendrickson, Doug Waechter. It is like watching the 2006 Devil Rays and that is not a good thing...As for the Rays, what we learned is that they are doing what they need to do. They are beating up on lesser teams. While they still struggle at times with some of the better teams, they are beating the teams they are supposed to beat. That is the first step in proving that the Rays are not a fluke. The Rays are for real. They will be playing meaningful games in September. But we are yet to see that they can win meangingful games against the top teams in the division. There is still a big wall between the Sox-Yanks and the Rays. Taking 2 of 3 from the Sox next week will loosen us up a tad...STILL NOT A PLAYOFF BELIEVER

SECOND INNING...
Yesterday Matt Garza 1-hit the Marlins, allowing only 2 base runners and faced one over the minimum...Has Garza finally turned the corner and how good can he be?

Since his dust-up with Dioner Navarro, Garza has thrown 22 innings and given up 5 earned runs on 11 hits and 4 walks. More importantly, he had 21 strikeouts and he is finally commanding the strike zone and getting ahead of batters. This is the Garza that many thought he could be, but few thought he actually would be. It is still too early to know if this is the Garza we can get used to, but it is nice to know it is possible. As for how good he can be. Jim Hickey compared him to John Smoltz. Sounds good to us. How about the Rays ace in '09? We have always said that Garza has the best stuff on the staff. If he has figured out how to harness that and his emotions. Garza will be the Rays #1 starter next year...RAYS ACE

THIRD INNING...
Carlos Pena and Jason Bartlett are expected back tonight and the general belief is that Ben Zobrist will be sent back down to make room...Is this the right move?

Let's ignore the two home runs in the Marlins series. Zobrist is still a liability with the glove (2 errors on Wednesday), but he is also the only true backup shortstop the Rays have. Unfortunately Andrew Friedman and Joe Maddon have their hands tied because of Cliff Floyd. On paper, the Rays do not need Floyd, Eric Hinske and Gabe Gross. However, due to Floyd's fragile legs and almost certain future trips to the DL, the Rays have to keep Hinske and Gross around. The Rays can't trade Floyd. The younger players apparently love him and more importantly he is a DH-only at this point and the Rays are not about to trade Floyd to a team in the AL that is also competing for a playoff spot. So for the time being, the Rays have to keep all three. But how long can Papa Joe go with Evan Longoria as the backup at short? Eventually a move has to be made and the logical choice appears to be a trade involving Hinske (and Zobrist?) in which he is moved for a utility infielder that can play short and is considered an upgrade both offensively and defensively over Zobrist...FOR NOW

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING...FOURTH INNING...
The rumors of CC Sabathia coming to the Rays are starting to grow louder...Is there any chance this could actually happen?

This is something the Rays fans need to get used to. Here is the formula: 1) Identify teams out of race; 2) Identify players said teams no longer want or players that are in last year of contract; 3) Identify teams still in race that would consider said player an upgrade; 4) Rank those teams based on prospects that could be traded for said player. The Rays will almost always satisfy these criteria. Just about any available player would be an upgrade over somebody on the current roster. And of course the Rays have a bucket-load of prospects, especially pitchers that could be used in trades. But for all the comparisons to other small-market teams like the A's and Twins, the team that the Rays act most like is the Angels. Much of that is Joe Maddon's former ties. But the Angels are also notorious for not making trade deadline deals. Instead they develop players to be kept, not traded. And as a result, they are a contender every season with many players that are home-grown. We just don't see the Rays making a big splash at the deadline...NOT MUCH

FIFTH INNING...
Jake McGee has a torn ligament in his elbow and will likely need Tommy John surgery...How big of a blow is this for the Rays?

Losing a Jake McGee is always a big blow. This is why it is so important to have this type of depth in the minor leagues. Not because the Rays will have 8 or 9 pitchers with all-star potential competing for 5 spots. The real reason is because not all of those pitchers are going to make it to compete for those spots in the first place. Injuries happen and players dont develop they way we expect. If you follow this site you know we believe that a team needs three things in order to win: Pitching, Pitching, Pitching. And we also regularly say that there is no such thing as too much pitching. The McGee injury hurts, because it takes away some of that depth. Now there is more pressure on Wade Davis and David Price and Jeremy Hellickson. This injury also lessens the chance the Rays will be willing to part with a Davis or Hellickson in a move for Sabathia or another top player. Finally, any chance of the Rays easing up on the reigns of pitching prospects just took a hit. This injury might actually make it less likely that Price makes an appearance for the Rays in '08...BIG

SIXTH INNING...
Evan Longoria should be the favorite for the Rookie of the Year and some are calling for a gold glove...If the Rays stay in the race, should Longoria also get consideration for MVP?

It is not without precedent. In 1975 Fred Lynn won both awards and then Ichiro won both in 2001. If the Rays stay in the playoff race, the writers will naturally look for an MVP candidate from the Rays, and if not Dirtbag, then who? The Rays don't have a Carlos Pena this season. And even though he is only hitting .261, Longoria is on pace for more than 30 home runs and 100 RBI. Add to that his defensive ability that can actually impact games and he will certainly receive votes. Probably not any first place votes, but he should finish in the top 10, maybe the top 5 if he can get his batting average up near .300 and the Rays move ahead of the Sox in the standings...YES

SEVENTH INNING (over/unders)...
Home runs for BJ Upton: 20

Upton has already matched his '07 stolen base total of 22, but he is well off his '07 home run pace in which he hit 24. This season he has 5 home runs. Certainly he is capable of hitting 15 more home runs this season, but we haven't seen any sign that it will happen. Interestingly, he should easily surpass his total doubles from a year ago (18 in '07, 25 in '08) and he already has more triples (2 vs 1). What is really interesting is Upton does not appear to be struggling. He is still hitting .283 and has a .401 OBP. Eventually, the balls will have to start getting a little more elevation...OVER

Games started by Jake McGee for the Tampa Bay Rays in his career: 0.5

This is all a big mystery right now. Some guys never come back from Tommy John surgery. Some guys actually come back throwing harder. And some guys come back as a completely different pitcher. McGee has going for him that he is a lefty. If he loses a few inches on his fastball he can still be a very effective pitcher, but he might not be that ace-in-waiting we have been waiting for. And then there is the idea that he may be better off moving to the bullpen full-time. And of course, he wasn't exactly dominating double-A this season. Until we see him back and pitching well, we have to assume that he is a sunk cost at this point...UNDER

Wins for the Rays against the Pirates: 2.5

Apparently the Buccos have suffered some injuries to the rotation and as a result they have a guy making his major league debut tonight who was released by the Astros just last season. And they may have to call up somebody for tomorrow's contest also. They do have Tom Gorzelanny on Sunday who just beat the Yankees and the Rays will have Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine throwing in this series (Scott Kazmir goes tonight), and both of those guys have struggled at times recently. Still, we have to think that momentum is on the side of the Rays and Kazmir will keep it going tonight. Papa Joe will want the Rays flying high heading into the Sox series...OVER

EIGHTH INNING...
The Rays next opponent is the Pirates who are 4 games under .500 and 11.5 games back in the NL Central...Is there a chance that the Rays will get caught looking ahead to the Red Sox series that begins on Monday?

The Pirates did just split a pair with the Yankees who were as hot as anybody recently and we can forgive the Rays if they do look ahead to a big intradivisional battle with the Sox, especially after the way things went down the last time the two teams met. But we also know that Joe Maddon is as level-headed as it comes, and after losing 2 of 3 on the road to the Astros, we have a feeling that Papa Joe will have the Rays fired up for this otherwise meaningless series...NO

NINTH INNING (putting out the fire)...
Al Reyes should return in the near future...Who is out on the pitching staff?

Troy Percival will go back on the DL and take two weeks off. When he is ready to come back, Reyes will go back on the DL. That should keep up the rest of the season...NOBODY

Some think that Percival should have been pulled in the 9th inning on Tuesday after giving up 4 walks...Are they right?

He got the save didn't he? The closer is a position of intimidation. Joe Maddon might as well take Percy's manhood if he is going to pull him and he didn't even blow the save. Could you imagine Percival's reaction? What if the Rays blew that game after pulling Percival. Think there might have been an uproar then?...NO

Most of the city council members came out in support of the waterfront stadium after the Rays decided to delay the proposal until 2010...Does this offer hope for a new stadium in 2014?

We are talking about politicians, right? How convenient that they wait until after...MEANS LITTLE

 
Corey Glover as Jesus; photo by Joan Marcus.

Because of Jesus Christ Superstar’s colossal reputation, I wasn’t surprised by the excited buzz before the rock opera’s start at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center last night. While the regular theater-goers busied themselves at the bars scattered in the lobby, families and couples found their seats and flipped through their playbills, excitedly discussing “the guy from the movie,” Ted Neeley, who stars as Jesus in the production and who played the same role in the 1973 film.

When Neeley made his grand entrance during the third number, the crowd roared, but that’s about as exciting as things got until the famous “Gethsemane” scene.  I wanted to see Neeley play a real superstar, a more Michael Jackson-esque performer who wowed his followers into worship with rock ‘n’ roll. What I got was a Jesus who was majestic and pained, but not a convincingly rockin’ messiah or even a believable messiah at all. In Neeley’s defense, his failure was probably the result of a lack of strong direction. It seemed like he was just there to sing. That, at least, he did very well.

Unfortunately, Judas was also a dud. Played by Corey Glover — lead singer of Grammy-winning band Living Colour — Judas lacked strength or charisma. Glover was limp, shoulders hunched and head hung, for the entire time he held the stage, making his character annoying, not tragic. A bolder Judas would have been more interesting.  Again, this was probably the result of ineffective direction, not a reflection of Glover’s lack of talent, and his final number, “Superstar,” actually allowed him to shine. Michael G. Myers and Aaron Fuksa as Simon and Herod provided the most memorable performances. Myers shocked me out of my boredom-induced haze during his solo in the first act. But it wasn’t until Fuksa, playing an afroed Herod, appeared on the stage with a handful of soul singers  that I was entertained again.

Despite the production’s generally lackluster feel, the technical aspects were flawless. The choruses were clear and beautifully harmonized, and the choreography stole the spotlight from Jesus and Judas every time.

Overall, Jesus Christ Superstar didn’t live up to its glowing reputation. For the most part, I was bored out of my mind and couldn’t wait for it to be over, but that may have just been me. The 9-year-old behind me really dug it, what with his knowledge of every word and participation in every sing-along throughout the show. If you’re already a JCS nut, then I’d say go for it. The show runs through Sunday, June 29.