The Zim Bear: Cute or yikes?

Posted Feb 22, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 22, 2012 at 12:58 PM

ROGER MOONEY
PORT CHARLOTTE Don Zimmer took a look at the picture of the Zim Bear and had little to say, mainly because he was speechless.

“There it is. What can I say?” he said.

The teddy bear with Zim’s face – one of the more unique items on the Rays 2012 promotional schedule – will be given away June 29 to the first 10,000 fans who attend the Rays-Tigers game at the Trop.

“Wait ‘til the kids see this,” Zimmer said. “You know who’d get a kick out of this? Joe Torre would get a kick out of this.”

Moments earlier, Joe Maddon saw a picture of the Zim Bear and had this to say: “It’s very complimentary. It’s Zim. It’s cuddly. It’s warm. It’s cute. It’s something you definitely don’t want to take to bed with you. I don’t want my 2-year-old putting that in the crib. That could be life-altering right there. I think it’s more appropriate on a grownup’s desk than in the crib.”

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Longo, Hellickson, Jennings, Moore Zimmer, Maddon, Price, Shields featured on Rays promo schedule

Posted Feb 22, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 22, 2012 at 11:27 AM

The Rays promotional schedule for this season:

The season-opening series will include two giveaways.  On Friday, April 6, all fans in attendance will receive a 2012 Rays schedule magnet. On Sunday, April 8, the first 10,000 kids 14 and under will receive a Raymond Cowbell.

On Saturday, April 21, the first 10,000 fans will receive an Evan Longoria Walk-off Figurine which commemorates Longoria’s walk-off home run in the 12th inning of the Rays 8-7 win clinching the American League Wild Card on September 28, 2011, the final day of the regular season.
On Friday, June 29, the first 10,000 fans will receive a one-of-a-kind Zim Bear as the Rays face the AL Central division champion Detroit Tigers.

All Friday home games, with the exception of Opening Day, will be themed again this season as Friday Fest.  The first 10,000 fans each Friday will receive a unique giveaway including a series of collectible T-shirts, a Jeremy Hellickson 2011 Rookie of the Year figurine, the first-ever Rays Joe Maddon Bobblehead and a logoed Burst Koozie.

Another returning tradition in 2012 is Family Fun Days.  Every Rays Sunday home game will feature a giveaway for the first 10,000 kids 14 and under including a Bobblehead series of Kyle Farnsworth (May 20 vs. Atlanta); Desmond Jennings (June 3 vs. Baltimore); James Shields (July 1 vs. Detroit); Matt Moore (July 22 vs. Seattle); and Rays secondary mascot and YouTube sensation DJ Kitty (August 5 vs. Baltimore).  In addition, the Rays will be giving away a Rays Recycled Youth Hat (April 22 vs. Minnesota), Joe Maddon Sunglasses (May 6 vs. Oakland), a David Price Jersey Wallet (June 17 vs. Miami), a Rays Ice Cream Bowl and Spoon Set (July 15 vs. Boston) and an Evan Longoria Mini Drum Set (September 9 vs. Texas).


The 2012 Rays Promotional Schedule

April 6, Schedule Magnet, All fans in attendance
April 8, Raymond Cowbell, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
April 20, Collectible T-Shirt #1, First 10,000 fans
April 21, Evan Longoria Walk-off Figurine, First 10,000 fans
April 22, Rays Recycled Youth Hat, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
May 4, Collectible T-Shirt #2, First 10,000 women
April 6, Joe Maddon Sunglasses, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
May 18, Collectible T-Shirt #3, First 10,000 fans
May 20, Kyle Farnsworth Bobblehead, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
June 1, Jeremy Hellickson R.O.Y. Figurine, First 10,000 fans
June 3, Desmond Jennings Bobblehead, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
June 14, Cheer Sticks, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
June 15, Joe Maddon Bobblehead, First 10,000 fans
June 16, Drawstring Backpack, First 10,000 fans
June 17, David Price Jersey Wallet, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
June 29, Zim Bear, First 10,000 fans
July 1, James Shields Bobblehead, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
July 13, Burst Koozie, First 10,000 fans
July 15, Rays Ice Cream Bowl & Spoon Set, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
July 19, Cheer Sticks, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
July 20, Collectible T-Shirt #4, First 10,000 fans
July 22, Matt Moore Bobblehead, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
Aug. 3, Collectible T-Shirt #5, First 10,000 fans
Aug. 5, DJ Kitty Bobblehead, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
Aug. 9, Cheer Sticks, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
Aug. 24, Collectible T-Shirt #6, First 10,000 fans
Sept. 7, Collectible T-Shirt #7, First 10,000 fans
Sept. 9, Evan Longoria Mini Drum Set, First 10,000 kids 14 & under
Sept. 21, Collectible T-Shirt #8, First 10,000 fans
Sept. 23, TBD Bobblehead, First 10,000 kids 14 & under

Promotional schedule, quantities, ticket prices and dates/times subject to change.

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Sam Fuld’s take on Game 162

Posted Feb 21, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 21, 2012 at 06:40 PM

ROGER MOONEY

“I like to consider myself a coordinated person. I make a living running after baseballs in the outfield, sometimes dodging bullpen mounds, dancing along unpadded walls, even leaping over oncoming teammates on occasion. I think I could more than hold my own on those Japanese obstacle course TV shows. But when Evan Longoria lined a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 12th inning against the Yankees during the last game of the 2011 season to put us in the playoffs, and it came time to climb the three steps that lead from our dugout to the field, I lost all semblance of body control. I ate it. Face-first.”

And so begins Sam Fuld’s tale of Game 162, which he wrote for grantland.com.

It’s a great first-person look at one of the most dramatic nights in baseball history, certainly the most dramatic night of the 2011 regular season and second only to the Rays win against the Red Sox in Game 7 of the 2008 ALCS as the most dramatic night in team history.

Some will argue the Rays comeback win Sept. 28, 2011 against the Yankees, which happened minutes after the Red Sox choked away their season, rivals Game 7 for the most incredible night in Rays history.

Anyway, the rest of Fuld’s tale can be found here http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7593528/sam-fuld-tampa-bay-rays-win-new-york-yankees-game-162-2011-regular-season

 

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Davis not upset with bullpen talk

Posted Feb 21, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 21, 2012 at 10:23 AM

ROGER MOONEY
PORT CHARLOTTE – Wade Davis said he isn’t upset with the speculation that has him moving to the bullpen this season to make room in the rotation for rookie Matt Moore.

“I understand the situation,” Davis said this morning before the first official workout of Rays camp. “I want to be a starter, but I want to do what’s best for the team, to help us win and get to the postseason. For myself, my personal goals, I want to succeed as a starter and excel the best I can.”

The rumors are fueled by the depth the Rays have in starting pitchers – seven for five spots in the rotation – and the fact Davis was moved to the bullpen during the 2011 ALDS against the Rangers and pitched well, allowing only a run in 2 1/3 scoreless innings over two appearances.

“When I was in the bullpen last year I enjoyed it, it was fun,” Davis said. “The anticipation was interesting. Everybody getting antsy when the phone rings I thought was interesting, but I love routines, so starting has always been a lot of fun for me.”

Davis said he hasn’t been approached by manager Joe Maddon or executive vice president of baseball ops Andrew Friedman about the possible move. That probably wouldn’t happen until later in camp (if it happens at all) because the Rays would want Davis stretched out as a starter in case he is indeed a starter this season.

When asked before camp about the speculation of moving Davis to the bullpen, Maddon said, “You’re talking about depth. You’re talking about options. You’re talking about maneuverability, which is all good stuff, and we really seek that.”

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Maddon: ‘Our goal is to win the World Series. It’s got to be’

Posted Feb 20, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 20, 2012 at 01:47 PM

ROGER MOONEY
PORT CHARLOTTE – Much has been written and much will be written about the Rays chances of reaching the World Series this season, and Rays manager Joe Maddon is all for it.

In fact, Maddon said playing in the Fall Classic is the Rays only goal.

“We’re at the point now that every time we show up (to spring training) our goal is to get back to the playoffs, and our goal is to win the World Series. It’s got to be,” Maddon said this afternoon. “You always got to be careful what you aim for. If you’re not aiming high enough the threat is you’re going to hit your mark and not get to that level, that point where you want to be. For us, it’s always got to be about winning the World Series. It’s always got to be about that, and with that as being your goal, other things not quite to that level may happen, but you should have yourself a pretty good year regardless.”

Maddon said he was somewhat surprised to see predictions picking the Rays as American League champions.

“I read during the winter at some point that some predicted that we were the top team, the No. 1 team, I was kind of surprised by that a little bit,” Maddon said. “I know we’re good, but I was surprised that someone would actually lay it out that we were the No. 1 team in the offseason going into the season.”

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Niemann on losing arbitration: ‘I considered it a win-win situation going in’

Posted Feb 20, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 20, 2012 at 11:21 AM

ROGER MOONEY
PORT CHARLOTTE – Jeff Niemann said he does not have any ill feelings toward the Rays despite losing his arbitration case earlier this month.

“Oh no, not at all,” he said this morning. “This is part of the business and sometimes the business side of baseball comes up and your agent advises you how to handle things. I’m glad it’s done with and over. I’m ready to start the spring.”

Niemann sought $3.2 million but settled for $2.75 million after a panel of three arbitrators ruled in favor of the Rays.

“I considered it a win-win situation going in,” Niemann said. “Certain circumstances got us to that point. We did it, went through it, got the experience. Now I’m ready to go out there and play.

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Single game tickets to home games go on sale Feb. 25

Posted Feb 17, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 17, 2012 at 03:10 PM

Single game tickets for the regular season home games go on sale at 10 a.m., Feb. 25 exclusively at raysbaseball.com.

Tickets will be available at 10 a.m., Feb. 27 through the following outlets:

- All Ticketmaster outlets
- The Rays Tampa Store at 400 N. Tampa St.
- The Gate 1 Tropicana Field Box Office
- By phone at 888-FAN-RAYS or 1-800-745-3000
- Online at raysbaseball.com

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Joyce to present North Brandon Little League with $10,000 donation

Posted Feb 16, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 16, 2012 at 05:30 PM

Rays right fielder Matt Joyce will present the North Brandon Little League a check for $10,000 from his Sweet Swingin’ Baseball Camp at 7 p.m. Friday at the North Brandon Little League complex, 2915 N. Kingsway Ave., Seffner.

Joyce will also throw out the ceremonial first pitch during the ceremony, with a special announcement to follow.

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Rays sign C Gimenez to minor league deal with invite to big league camp

Posted Feb 16, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 16, 2012 at 05:22 PM

ROGER MOONEY

The Rays signed C Chris Gimenez to a minor league deal with an invite to big league spring training.

This is interesting, because Gimenez has major league experience.

Jose Molina, who signed with the Rays early this offseason, gives the Rays experience behind the plate, but he has been nothing more than a backup during his entire career.

This left the Rays with Jose Lobaton and Robinson Chirinos as the options to share the platoon with Molina.

But Gimenez has started 52 games behind the plate over the past three seasons while playing for the Indians (2009, 2010) and the Mariners (2011).

He’s also started 18 games in left field, eight in right and 20 games at first base.

 

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Maddon: ‘I believe I have the best job in Major League Baseball’

Posted Feb 15, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 15, 2012 at 07:07 PM

Joe Maddon (left) and Andrew Friedman shake hands Wednesday morning after Friedman announced Maddon’s contract extension.
STAFF PHOTO/CHRIS URSO

ROGER MOONEY
ST. PETERSBURG Joe Maddon took to the dais late this morning and proclaimed his desire to manage the Tampa Bay Rays for a long time.

“As long as they want to have me, we’re good,” he said.

Maddon, whose current contract expires after the 2012 season, signed a three-year contract extension that runs through 2015. The terms were not disclosed.

“It truly is the only place to work in Major League Baseball as far as I’m concerned,” Maddon said.

Here are some other things he talked about this morning:

On why he wasn’t interested in seeking any of the other managerial positions that came open this offseason:
“I believe I have the best job in Major League Baseball.”

Why?
“We’re all motivated by different things. My motivation isn’t the dollar sign, never has been, never will be. My motivation is to do something that I love, where I love to do it, with people that I enjoy doing it with. That matters. It matters that you can show up every day and really like walking in the door. I mean love walking in the door. You don’t have to look somewhere else. It’s right here. I mean, everybody wants to look somewhere else. It’s right here.”

On why he likes working with executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman:
“You can’t underestimate the freedom that I have here. All the crazy stuff I do is supported … I think.”

On why it was important to get the extension done before the start of spring training:
“I did not want it to be any kind of a distraction. That would bother me.”

On turning around the culture of a losing clubhouse:
“We talked about the accountability factor when we first moved in. It wasn’t there. The wins definitely weren’t there, and over the course of the last several years, we’ve got a bunch of self-starters who care, and self-starters who not only want to participate, but win. We’ve come up short the last two years in the playoffs, but we did get there. We’ve got to extend that a little bit further as we move further into our marriage here, which is exactly what it is. But our players do believe that. Nobody just shows up any more. and the fact we have a chance to be together for a while yet is really significant in regards to our success. So for me, there are so many different reasons to be thankful, and I am. I’m grateful for this opportunity. I’m grateful that the Rays gave me this shot several years ago.”

Friedman on Maddon:
“When we hired him, one of the biggest things for us was we were always going to have a younger roster, especially relative to the teams that we’re competing against directly. So with Joe’s player development experience, his experience at the Major League level, with the type of person he is, we felt like it would be a really good fit for an evolving roster. But again, it was with the idea of him being our long-term manager—not just in a turnaround situation.”

Owner Stuart Sternberg on Maddon:
“Joe has been a central component to our organization’s development and success. As we all enter our seventh season together, I am proud for what we have accomplished and excited about what lies ahead.”

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