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The name Josh Hamilton should ring a bell with a few of the Rays fans around here. Hamilton was the first round pick of the Rays back in 1999.
Then the trouble started. Hamilton was a powerful slugger with an impressive arm ON the field. That's not the problem.
The problem was when Hamilton left baseball diamond. The guy found himself in a world of drug abuse and was put on suspension by the MLB until he got his act together.
After years of waiting around for him to straighten out his life, the Rays dumped him and moved on. It was a sad day in Tampa Bay. The Rays all but gave up on his once blossoming talent.
But Hamilton got his chance to make it in the major leagues. He played with the Reds last year and did pretty well. This year he is doing worlds better than well.
Going into Friday night, Josh's stat line reads:
.298/8 HR/44 RBIs/and most importantly...0 Drugs.
Hamilton is second in the AL in HRs and FIRST in RBIs. CONGRATULATIONS are in order for a guy who never gave up and never gave in to his addictions.
Hamilton is on pace to finish this season with 31 homers and 169 RBIs.
Not bad Josh. Keep it up.
>Bobby Lewis
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21-year-old Oscar Pistorius had both of his legs amputated when he was just a small boy but that never killed his dream of competing in the Olympics.
The runner was banned earlier in the year from running at the Bejing games because of his prosthetic "blades". Some doctors said he had an advantage because he used less energy than able-bodied runners, and that his "blades" may give Pistorius a technical edge when compared to human ankles.
But...the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled today that Pistorius WILL HAVE THE CHANCE to do what he loves to do the most...RUN!
FINALLY!!!
There has been so much negative publicity over the Olympic torch and protesters. It's nice to hear something good coming out of the Olympic craziness.
I hope Oscar makes the South African team. I want to see this guy run. That is what the Olympics are all about.
>Bobby Lewis
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Update from Bucs Headquarters - RB B.J. Askew signs a new deal. Could Earnest Graham be next? Don't think so. Graham deserves a pop in the wallet, but he better not let his agent Drew Rosenhaus screw up his career like he did Erictt Rhett's.
I don't think we'll be hearing any more from QB Jeff Garcia regarding progress, or lack thereof on an extension. GM Bruce Allen got the message. Plus, I'm sure Jon Gruden isn't all that happy having his starting QB PO'ed at this point. Garcia is a class guy. His deal will get done, as long as he's not asking for some idiotic money.
I have covererd quite a few MLB owners meetings in my career. Up until I met the Rays ownership, I thought this fraternity was made up of a bunch of greedy businessmen. I know Stu and his partners are in to make a buck, but they come across as genuine people. Thanks. You guys restored my faith in a group of investors I felt I could never trust.
More on the Rays. My earlier blog (a month and change ago) prediction on Andrew Friedman as MLB Executive of the Year is likely a "lock." Now, the national press is agreeing.
One regret. I haven't had a chance to sit down and talk with new Innisbrook Resort owner Shiela Johnson. A remarkable woman who has great passion for sport. I believe her vision of having an LPGA Tournament on the Island Course will fly. Add that to the soon to be expected announcement of the PGA continuing play at Copperhead will be a "Grand Slam."
However, I'm not completely sold on the idea of the area supporting a WNBA team. History tells us hoops is not hot in the Tampa Bay area. Our TV ratings on televised games backs that up.
Hank Steinbrenner. I give George's son about a week before he realizes that the Rays are not a "hungry" team. They are actually a team with "talent" and "passion" for the game. By the way Hank, your skipper is over his head.
Big Brown is a 1-2 favorite in this weekend's Preakness Stakes. My question is- Why don't they give this monster horse the Triple Crown now? Better yet, can I get a small stake in ownership?
Golfer Annika Sorenstam is retiring at the end this LPGA season. Another classy athlete that will be sorely missed.
Tennis's Justine Henin retired this week from the sport. She goes out while ranked #1 in the world. Justine said she was burned out at the age of 25. I can hardly believe anyone would get burned out at such a young age, even the queens of tennis who were driven to insanity by overbearing parents.
How's it going Oren Koules? Anywhere near finalizing your purchase of the Lightning? By the way, my wife, Gil and I watch "2 1/2 Men" almost daily. I'd run "best of" clips during the intermissions.
Memo to Oren - If you buy the team, keep Torts.
Randomly Yours,
Tom Korun
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Mid-May and the Rays continue to set franchise standards with every game.
First place.
Seven games over .500.
A record homestand.
Is it me, or is this franchise starting to look like the Buccaneers of 1997?
Both were not-so-loveable record losers. Fans complained long and hard about ownership. Both looking to take the next step with a new stadium.
Heck, both even turned things around after uniform changes.
Remember when rumors of the Bucs moving to Baltimore or LA were louder than anything they did on the football field?
These days Rays fans complain about Yankee and Red Sox fans trying to take over the Trop. Bucs fans complained about Packers and Bears fans buying tickets galore at the old Tampa Stadium. Finally, Buccaneer fans started buying those tickets themselves and Green Bay and Chicago stopped being factors here.
Hopefully Rays fans can figure that out.
I don't know if Rays pitching can hold up. I don't know if Carlos Pena can do anything near what he did last year. I don't know if the kids can make plays into September.
Then again, back in '97 I didn't know if Warren Sapp was as good as his mouth. I wasn't sure if Mike Alstott could find the endzone in December and January like he did in the heat of September.
Bottom line, we jumped aboard and enjoyed the ride.
We can do the same with this baseball team. But it all starts with making the Trop a true homefield advantage. The Rays return home in a week for one of the biggest homestands of the season. Baltimore, Texas and the White Sox are here. The Rays can handle all three. The Rays players are all-but begging fans to do their part.
Now is there chance.
Al Keck
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Is anybody really surprised there are rumors of an agent giving money to USC basketball star OJ Mayo?
Mayo is hardly the only star freshman to face these allegations over the years. Basketball is hardly the only sport to face this scrutiny. Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush has been accused of the same offense at the same school.
The NBA likes to turn its head and claim it has nothing to do with the issue. The NBA believes the payments and rules violations occurred before these players entered pro basketball. But it is the system that the NBA has created that has opened the door for these under-the-table payments.
Players can enter the NBA draft at 19. American players must be at least one year removed from their high school graduation. Essentially players that believe they are NBA ready, play college hoops for one season and then enter the NBA draft. These players are on the hook for one semester of classes. Most sign up and then skip second semester classes. By the time grades come out, the basketball season is over and the players are gone.
College teams that lose a star freshman are sent scrambling. The star freshman is hardly NBA-ready. NBA teams have to wait for the star freshman to learn the NBA game. Bottom line, it is hardly a winning situation for anybody. Yes, a handful of players begin making and earning money a few years early. But for many, it is one contract and done. From there, there is no basketball future and no college degree.
Some point to baseball and hockey. They allow players to sign out of high school. But those sports have true minor leagues where players can develop. The NBA brags about its Developmental League. But high draft picks rarely play there. No secret, the NBA uses college basketball as its minor league.
The NBA and NCAA can work together. The NBA and the players association can agree that high school seniors can enter the draft only if drafted in the top 15 picks. The NBA must handle the expenses for the high school players. And those players cannot hire agents.
Any high school senior not drafted among the top 15, cannot become eligible for the NBA draft until after a third year of college. This forces players to become college students. This will allow players to develop. The college and NBA games improve. And there are fewer mistakes in the draft.
Also, the NBA needs to decertify any agent that gives money to a player before the NBA draft. Any player that is caught taking money cannot be drafted or must be suspended.
Now, only schools and coaches have to deal with the fallout from these rules violations. Players and agents must be held accountable.
How about this...if OJ Mayo is caught taking money from an agent...he will lose his scholarship and he will not be allowed to enter the draft until he earns his degree.
Who loses?
Al Keck
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Hello out there! What happened to the thousands of fans who said they don't go to Rays games because the team wasn't worth the price of admission.
Have you checked these guys out this season. What more do you want. With their win tonight they are 4 games over 500, and in 2nd place in the AL East.
They just shut the Angels down two games in a row. They've won eight straight at home!
Friday night the TB Storm had more people at their game! Are you kidding me!
That is all.
Tom Korun
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I like this kind of baseball.
The Rays have powered their way to big wins the last two nights behind the
late-inning heroics of Dioner Navarro and Evan Longoria homers.
First, on Thursday night, Navvy grand-slammed the Rays to an extra-inning 'W'
in Toronto. (His first homer of the
year)
Then, last night, "Long-ball Longoria", as I've begun calling him,
had his way with a 1-1 fastball in the bottom of the ninth to send the Rays
home winners of the walk-off variety. The homer capped off a brilliant pitching
performance by James Shields.
This is the kind of baseball Joe Maddon kept telling us this team was capable
of way back in spring training. Usually at this point the Rays are WAY out of
the division race with a double-digit number in the GB column of the daily fishwrap.
But not this year. I checked this morning...the Rays are only 2.5 games behind
the AL East leading Red Sox. Not bad, considering the Rays have half the
opening day lineup on the DL right now and their ace, Scott Kazmir (who pitches
tonight in game two of the series vs. Anaheim),
missed most of the first month with an elbow injury.
The role players are producing, the stars are shining and Joe is happy.
Why wouldn't he be?
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There continues to be grumblings from FSU fans about the firing of P.T. Willis from the Noles football broadcast booth. Since Bobby Bowden's statement at a recent FSU booster club gathering saying, " (A FSU analyst) should be a PR man." its fueled the fire.
First of all Bobby, you are absolutely wrong! An analyst of any broadcast has an obligation to his or her audience, not to make you happy. If you suck, you suck. And your offense was horrendous. However, I would very much like to know more of this story before I absolve PT from calling the Noles O "a high school offense." I will say that particular phrase got him fired. Had he said "a vanilla offense with little imagination", he would likely still have his job. PT basically insulted the Bowden's personally with that statement, right or wrong. Secondly, I've seen HS offenses that are far from basic.
What I want to know is how much time did P.T. spend with the offensive coaches durinig the week?. How much prep did he go through during the week? Why was their offense so "high schoolish?" Was it because of the inexperience? Was it all on the coaches, specifically Bobby's son, Jeff Bowden, who was offensive coordinator at the time?
If PT made more than a token Friday get together with the coaches as part of his due diligence during the week, understood the multiple reasons why the offense struggled, I think he would have made a more informative statement there. To be honest, calling the O " a high school offense" would be a typical jock response I would expect from someone who is less glib and uninformed.
I never considered PT in that light, but then again I don't know him. Bobby B gravely errored in his assessment of the job description. As for P.T., had he phrased that infamous statement another way, I don't think Bobby would have pulled a power play to get him off the broadcast. It is what it is.. How will William Floyd do as PT's replacement? Who knows. Just give the guy a chance to develop.
Tom Korun
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Tennessee Vols basketball fans thought that their stud player, Chris Lofton was out of commission because of a knee injury. It turned out he had testicular cancer. Lofton didn't want anyone to know about it. He would go to treatments in clandestine fashion. He would shave his head to hide hair loss. He would lose 30 pounds, no one suspected.
Fortunately for Chris Lofton, chemo killed the cancer. Lofton would return the second half of the basketball season and become the SEC Player of the Year. It's one thing to face cancer and have open support of those you love. It's another when your trying to hide a possibly deadly fight from the public eye.
Chris Lofton said he was initially embarrased he had testicular cancer. Fact, is, no one should ever be embarassed with having any kind of cancer. Once his plight got out and the media caught on, the outpouring of support flowed in. As Chris found out, some battles a man must fight by himself. Cancer is not one of them. Next stop, the NBA.
Tom Korun
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Enough with the rumors that the Lightning will fire John Tortorella after the ownership change.
The NHL changes coaches faster than the wind. The Lightning has bucked the trend by staying the course with Tortorella. Remember, Jay Feaster made Torts and Vinny play nice when both wanted the other gone. Feaster told both would have to learn to live with the other and that paved the way for the Lightning's Stanley Cup.
Tortorella has guided the Lightning to its only true success on the ice. Along with the Stanley Cup, Tortorella coaches the Bolts to four straight playoff appearances. Has he stepped quietly? No!! Tortorella says what we are all thinking. In many ways, Tortorella has given the Bolts whatever grit it has.
Tortorella has won more games than any American-born coach in NHL history. Give him talent and he gives results. The Cup should buy him another chance after his one playoff miss after 4 straight campaigns in postseason.
Let's be honest, the Lightning needs Tortorella more than he needs the Lightning. If the new ownership fires him, Tortorella will get a new job in seconds. Many times, the best move you make is the move you don't make.
Al Keck
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UPDATE: Eight Belles trainer Larry Jones has ordered drug testing to prove his fallen Kentucky Derby filly was not on performance-enhancing drugs. Why is this test being done? Two reasons. One to prove the above mentioned, and the other is to get PETA to back off a bit.
There has been some question that the filly was on steroids, due to her large size. If that is proved correct, all hell will break loose. However, if it is proven that Eight Belles was not on performance-enhancing drugs, PETA needs to back off.
Here's why.
While I will stand along with PETA in any type of inhuman treatment of animals, I cannot stand with them in their protest of racing horses. Feel free to correct me, but horses, even those in the wild, are born to run. Whether PETA believes this or not, race horses are athletes, just not of the human variety.
My only concern with the horse racing industry is the small percentage of owners/trainers who do not treat their stable correctly if the horse is not performing. To some owners/trainers, horses are purely a means to make money. It is a business. However, remember that a quite large sum of money is invested in these horses to get them "track" ready, not to mention the initial purchase price, which can run in the millions.
I can't professionally say whether I think Jockey Gabriel Saez knew Eight Belles was in trouble in the Derby. However, with this untrained eye, I thought I saw the filly make a bad step,on the replay , inside the 1/16 pole near the finish. However, none of the experts on television saw anything that aroused their trained eye.
Let me make this perfectly clear to PETA. When you are dealing with the echelon of horses and the wealth of the owners who are fortunate to have a Derby horse, you find me one that would intentionally disreagard the health of the horse and run it anyway. That is simply ridiculous. Remember, a vast majority of the money made on a horse like Eight Belles comes from stud fees.
What I saw last Saturday was a filly that had tremendous pedigree, and something you can't teach a horse, she had heart. There was no way Eight Belles was going to beat Big Brown. Frankly, I don't see any horse beating this monster 3-year old. He is without a doubt, the standout in what is nothing more than a mediocre year for the Triple Crown. But Eight Belles did not give up.
Eight Belles enjoyed the competition. Eight Belles loved to run. If the drug-testing done on Eight Belles reveals NO performance-enhancing drugs, PETA needs to move on to a more worthy case. However, if drugs are found in the filly's system, more than PETA will come down on Trainer Larry Jones. I just don't see that happening.
Tom Korun
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Job One for the Buccaneers heading into the off-season was to give Jeff Garcia more weapons.
After free agency, after the draft, are those weapons here?
I'm still having night sweats remembering how the Giants smothered the Buccaneer offense in the playoffs. Joey Galloway was hurt and the Bucs had no where to turn.
Jon Gruden just had his way with Buc draft picks and rookies in a three-day minicamp. His 2nd rounder, Dexter Jackson, was ineffective with a bad hamstring. With all the talk about the Bucs needing speed and big play ability, many were surprised that they turned to a small wide receiver out of Division I-AA Appalachian State. The Bucs pointed to his speed. The Bucs pointed to his touchdowns in the upset at Michigan. The Bucs pointed to his return game.
The last thing I wanted to see was a sore hammy.
I've seen the Danny Peebles. I've seen the Alvin Harpers. I've seen the Bucs swing and miss on too many wide receivers in the draft and on free agency. Carolina can hit on a wide receiver like Steve Smith. New Orleans has done the same with Marques Colston.
When will the Bucs nail one?
I understand the Bucs believed the wide receiving class did not warrant a first round pick. I understand the Bucs believe they have weapons on the roster now...in Michael Clayton, Maurice Stovall and Antonio Bryant. Clayton has been missing since his rookie season. Stovall has been impressive in preseason, but has yet to take that to the real thing. And Bryant has made more headlines off the field than on.
It is also obvious with the attention to the offensive line, that the Bucs are determined to pound the football. With Cadillac injured, do they have a back that can score from anyplace on the field? Yes, they signed Warrick Dunn...but can he give the Bucs a consistent, dangerous threat?
I know it is early May, but I see basically the same offensive team I saw that was embarrassed by the Giants. I know there's another round of free agency ahead. But with all that salary cap room, I still see a quarterback with an improved line and limited options.
Do you plan to give up your Sunday afternoons watching that?
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On the heels of some crazy opening round games to March Madness at the
Forum, April still left a lasting impression on the Bay Area's sports
scene. Check it out...
April 6th:
Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg brings the IRL to town. A 19-year old
rookie, Graham Rahal, crosses the finish line before everyone else to earn the victory in
his FIRST ever IRL race.
April 8th:
The Lady Vols of Tennessee cut down the nets after a 64-48 beatdown of
Stanford in the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Game here in town,
earning head coach Pat Summit her eighth national title.
April 15th:
Lightning star Vincent Lecavalier underwent successful surgery to
repair his dislocated shoulder. Vinny hurt that shoulder back on April
3 in a game against Washington.
April 23rd:
More Bolts action...Hollywood producer Oren Koules finally came up with the cash he need to purchase the
Tampa Bay Lightning. Oddly enough, Bill Davidson chipped in to get the deal done.
April 26-27th:
The Bucs pick up seven new players in the NFL Draft. They use their
first round pick, No. 20 overall, to nab speedy cornerback Aqib Talib
from Kansas. The Bucs also pick up WR Dexter Jackson, OG Jeremy Zuttah,
DT Dre Moore, QB Josh Johnson, LB Geno Hayes and RB Cory Boyd.
April 30th:
The Rays wrap up their most successful opening month in franchise
history with an 8-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. The Rays won 14
games in April and sit near the top of the AL East division. First
month highlights include back-to-back sweeps against the Blue Jays and
Red Sox at home where Akinori Iwamura hit a dramatic homer and Andy
Sonnanstine and James Shields dazzled on the mound.
April was good to Tampa Bay! Can't wait for May!
-Bobby Lewis
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Hey, you on the couch....
PASS THE BROOM.
The Rays swept the Blue Jays in Disney. They followed that up with a
dusting of the defending World Series champs at home in "The Pit", as
Maddon calls it.
Well done, Rays.
A few weeks back I wrote about how the Rays needed to stop making so
many base running blunders. They have. I said they needed to cut back
on the mental errors. Check.
Maybe the greatest thing about the Rays' recent win streak (6 in a row
if you're counting) is that they are doing it on the mound.
Andy Sonnanstine has been great. Hammel is pitching well. Edwin Jackson
was lights out the other day. Garza is back and Kazmir will be back
this weekend.
But...what can you say about James Shields' performance Sunday vs the
Red Sox? His complete game shutout earned him A.L. player of the week
honors. Well deserved. Not only did he out-duel Josh Beckett, but he
had everybody in the Trop up on their feet cheering for this
up-and-coming team.
An 11-inning gem on Friday. A dramatic homer on Saturday. A brilliant pitching display on Sunday.
Hopefully this win streak will continue as the Rays hit Charm City tomorrow. The Orioles and Rays are tied for first place...
This is what baseball should be.
-Bobby Lewis
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First, the Bucs went from three picks to five on the second day, drafting down on two occasions....
Here's their Sunday selection:
RD 3-- Jeremy Zuttah OG Rutgers
RD 4--Dre Moore OT Maryland
RD 5-- Josh Johnson QB San Diego
RD 6--Geno Hayes OLB Florida State
RD 7-- Cory Boyd RB South Carolina
TK's Grades:
Zuttah: B+ He brings versatility to the OL. Can play tackle, guard, or center. Projected to be a guard..He's got good size, strength and foot speed. Nice pick for near term depth, starting role in future.
Moore A- This was my favorite pick of the middle rounds. Dre Moore is huge, strong, and fast. He's got a mean streak. He can also play either the 3-4 or 4-3. Monte will likely mix those front's more often this season. We just might see more of Moore by mid-season.
Johnson C Not sure about this pick. What Johnson brings is pure athleticism...He's got a strong arm but accuracy is a question. He also excelled against lesser competition. I say if this kid doesn't work out as QB, I would try and find a skill position for him, like WR.
Hayes B This was a true value pick for the Bucs here in the sixth round. Hayes can play the outside, and he will be learning the ropes from an FSU alum, Derrick Brooks. Hayes has the ability to move into a starting role in time, but will be an immediate contributor on special teams in the interim.
Boyd D Has no chance of making team. No speed, no real upside. But then again, not many 7th round picks do have an upside.
Tom Korun
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