Rays shine a new light in Pittsburgh
Yes, yes, yes... we all know how good the Tampa Bay Rays REALLY are. I was one of many saying that back in May, these guys were a fluke and would be many games under five-hundred come June. However, with four days until July, the Nouth Florida team is 48-31 and 1 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox. Who would have thunk it?
After tonight's 10-5 loss to Scott Kazmir and the young Rays, I was in a less depressive state then I very well could have been. The Bucs fell to six games under .500, but the "ray of hope" Tampa Bay has been shining on the lower teams of baseball has just now hit the state of the 'Burgh. As if it was some sort of Jesus Christ blessed touch, I feel as if the Bucs know that the near future is not entirely bleak.
Though their minor league system is completely gutted with as many holes as the last Pirates of the Caribbean film, the Pirates know they have the pieces to maybe not be a championship team, but a team capable of competing in a very long process of rebuilding. Nate McLouth and Matt Capps are the two kinds of players that Pittsburgh needs to build off of if they want to reflect the ball club built now in Florida.
Jimmy Barthmaier couldn't have made his rookie debut at a worse time. Barthmaier surrendered seven runs over two and a third innings on Friday night, as the Buccos head to 4-8 in Interleague play. As I stated earlier this month, this Interleague set is going to be huge in determining the rest of the Pirates' season.
For those of you who are doing so, please don't forget to VOTE PIRATES as the voting process for the 2008 All-Star Game is quickly ending. Vote McLouth and Xavier Nady into New York, as both outfielders without a doubt deserve spots on the NL rosters. I'd like to see Catcher Ryan Doumit make the roster as well, but its highly unlikely with with the amount of time he's played this year.
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