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Forum: Talk Rays
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The heat of a pennant race tends to magnify even the seemingly innocent plays in baseball. (Even a hockey writer can figure that much out.) And even though the Rays still are tied with for the best record in the American League and didn’t lose any ground in the AL East with Wednesday’s loss to the Angels, who beat the Rays at Tropicana Field for the first time in six tries tonight, it won’t stop many from talking about the play in the ninth inning by Justin Ruggiano.
After the Rays rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth, Ruggiano was put into the game as a defensive replacement to start the ninth inning. Chone Figgins opened the top of the ninth with a four-pitch walk off Grant Balfour. After Erick Aybar popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt, Mark Teixera hit what appeared to be a lazy, short fly ball to left field that appeared to be very catchable for what should have been the second out of the inning.
In live action, it appeared that Ruggiano either lost the ball in the lights or tried to make a bluff play on Figgins. Well, turns out neither is what Ruggiano was thinking.
When asked after the game about the play, Ruggiano had a strategic answer to his decision on the play.
“I saw it fine, I just figured at that point, the time of the game, a diving catch would have been a great play,’’ Ruggiano said. “But it would have been a lot worse if I would have let the ball shoot by and that winning run was on third base and scores.
“I wanted to keep the double play in order.’’
He also said this: “I’m the only one out there. There was no one else even close. If I diave and gthe ball sneaks underneath my glove, there’s a good chance they’re in scoring position for two runs ahead, along with Figgins scoring. I thought I made the right decision and I still think, looking back at it, I still think it was the right decision to keep the double play in order.’’
Well, as it turns out, Figgins led a double steal, allowing Teixera to swipe second on the back half of the steal, forcing the Rays to intentionally walk Vladimir Guerrero to load the bases. After Torii Hunter hit into a fielder’s choice forcing Figgins out at the plate, Teixera - who reached on the fly ball - then scored the eventual winning run on an infield single by Garrett Anderson.
Now, if this was game No. 126 of any other season, it might not be a big deal. Normally by this time the Rays are close to the 80-loss mark. But this is a pennant race and little plays can be the difference between making the postseason or firing up the hot stove early, and plays like this get magnified under the scrutiny.
So, I ask you, the loyal readers of Marc Lancaster’s Rays’ Report, do you buy Ruggiano’s rationale? It’s easy to second guess since it worked against the Rays, but in this business, that’s what we do.
Posted by Kevin, Palm Harbor on 08/23 at 03:42 AM
It doesn’t take much to bunt a 95 mph fastball, or any breaking ball, if you practise it every day in BP or in the cage. Believe me, I’ve been there done that.
Posted by Matt, on 08/22 at 05:49 PM
Ahh, Mike would be one of the one’s I was referring to in my earlier post. I guess you’ve never heard of artificial turf, huh. Balls tend to roll and roll and roll. They don’t normally drop and stay right next to where they fell. Gotta love common sense.......
Posted by Dillon Vizcarra, Tampa on 08/22 at 05:31 PM
It did not look like a “diving catch” play to me, but I’ll buy it (his explanation) for now. He’ll need to do better with Crawford out of the lineup. The Manager knows his team, I am impressed with the job the coaching staff has done with these guys! How can you not be?
Posted by mike, Tampa on 08/22 at 10:58 AM
raysnation- That broke the game BROKE it. If he made the catch, that was eventually going to be the third out of the inning. So it BROKE the game!! It’s not that anyone is being hard on the team they are being hard on the player and this is what happens when the team wins. Tampa now has the feeling that we should win every game and that one little mistake or great play can go long ways. Go Rays!!
Posted by RAYSNATION, Tampa Bay on 08/21 at 10:51 PM
E.E maybe you should stick to writing about the bolts!!!look that ONE play didnt make or break the game,Rays are still in first and have continued to win when no one ever thought they would,great series,felt like a playoff series,this was just ONE game people...enjoy the winning...take it easy on the team they are in first…
Posted by Justin Ruggiano, St. Petersburg, FL on 08/21 at 05:31 PM
Just wondering, if that was Upton pulling up on the ball, would the treatment be the same?
Posted by mike, Tampa on 08/21 at 03:55 PM
That was a bad excuse it wasn’t a line drive that he was diving for it was a pop fly and the runners would be holding up it wasn’t like it was two outs or anything. He should have dove for the ball and if he would miss the ball then it would land next to him and if, IF the runners went to second and third then Maddon makes the decision to walk the next batter and keep the double play ball alive. But dive man dive dive dive dive dive for the ball next time.
Posted by Matt, on 08/21 at 03:23 PM
Didn’t the Rays just take 2 of 3 from the best team in baseball? And you care about a play that none of you talking in here could even come close to making. Give me a break… Instead of dogging Ruggiano, why not dog the players who FAILED to extend that rally the inning prior? Had more runs come across the plate Ruggianos play/non play wouldn’t even be being discussed. Or had Maddon not left Balfour to start the 9th, who’s to say any runners would have gotten on. Some of you people have no clue… But hey, the Rays need all the band wagoners it can get.
Posted by Gene, Lutz on 08/21 at 01:56 PM
First - No, I don’t buy Ruggiano’s excuse. If he does not have the confidence in his abilities to make that catch, he does not belong on this team.
Second - Yes, this team needs to learn to bunt, and yes, they were supposed to practice that in Spring Training. But come on, with what they did this year, the will win close to 30 more games than they ever have. How many games would they have won if all they did last spring was teach a couple of guys to bunt?
Posted by Roy Roggensack, Clearwater on 08/21 at 12:48 PM
The managers number 1 priority is to put his team in a position to win. BUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by H.B. Gonzalez, Tampa, FL on 08/21 at 10:16 AM
Hey, Bunting Ain’t Easy, it is easier to bunt a 95 MPH fastball than hit one safely. Scioscia would have bunted. The NL is led in SH by 5 PITCHERS that have 9 to 15 SH. PITCHERS!!! Those 5 PITCHERS have a total of 61 SH out of 281 plate appearances (TPA). The Rays TEAM has a total of 18 SH out of 4843 TPA - last in the league. The fact is that the Rays don’t know how, when, or where to bunt and it is one of the organizations biggest failures over the last three years that they haven’t been taught. What do you think the fans reaction would have been if last night was a playoff game and the Rays wouldn’t or couldn’t bunt? Also, as of 8/4 the Twins had 46 bunt base hits and one player had 23 of those. The Rays may have 10. Please!!!
Posted by max, north on 08/21 at 10:07 AM
I agree with his assessment about keeping the ball in front of him. However, I think he either got a VERY bad jump on the ball or lost it in the lights. It never looked like he was running hard for the ball (probably because he couldn’t find it). He did the next best thing by not letting it get by him. He’s had two pretty important blunders in the outfield over the last several games. He’ll need to step it up.
Posted by whatever, Orlando on 08/21 at 08:58 AM
Diving catch? My ass....even Gomes would have caught that ball. Ruggiano must have been thinking about some hot chick in the stands because he misjudged that ball like Jose Canseco back in his prime.
Posted by Ramon Avendano, PR on 08/21 at 08:20 AM
why blame Ruggiano if the umps missed two calls yesterday? The Figgins attempt at 3rd was out, close, but out, so, if the umps didn’t miss that call the scenario had been too different. Also, the call at first was a great HORROR, it was out by far. Maybe Donaghy is not the only putting money on the table.
Posted by Bobby Fenton, Tampa on 08/21 at 07:41 AM
A diving catch is too risky? You know what, maybe so. That’s why you should have caught the ball without diving, while camped out underneath it, because it was a rotuine catch. If Ruggiano is lying about this that would actually make me feel better, because if that’s his excuse, that is one of the lamest things I have ever heard. That ball was in the air for an hour. Any professional athlete who knows how to use his own legs simply coasts under that and catches it in his back pocket. If Ruggiano does not have the confidence to make a simpe catch like that then he shouldn’t be a major league outfielder. He’s made some much tougher catches earlier in the year, so he can’t explain that one away as too risky.
Posted by Mike, Orlando on 08/21 at 02:03 AM
Letting that one get away really hurt, especially knowing the Rays are going to face 2 lefties in Chicago. Maddon should have never let Navarro hit, Navi’s ba has dropped 40 points in the last 7 weeks, he hits into a ton of DP’s because he runs carrying a piano.
Why do the Rays have such a tough time scoring men from third with less than 2 outs? you can’t walk the leadoff batter in the 9th. Why not bring in Howell to pitch to Anderson? And although it was a tough play, Aki should have made the play on Andersons hit, MLB players do it everyday. Thank goodness Boston lost, but they won’t lose forever, still must play better, and I sure would like to see Bay or Nady instead of Zobrist.
Posted by Bunting Ain't Easy, Tampa on 08/21 at 12:04 AM
Hey Joe, ever try to bunt a 95 MPH pitch?
Posted by Joe C, Brandon on 08/20 at 10:53 PM
Here’s a thought-how about bunting your leadoff runner over in home half of the 9th inning with no outs.
Gross leads off with a hit to cf and Navarro hits for Riggans-ok. Why not bunt Gross over and give 2 guys a shot to tie the game and possibly have them extend their closer for more than one inning?
Anyone give me a good reason for allowing the speedy Navarro to swing away and ground out into a double play at that point in the game?
Posted by Sean, Lakeland on 08/20 at 10:40 PM
Been there done that. He made the right decision if his only play on the ball was to dive.
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Posted by mike, Tampa on 08/23 at 10:32 AM
Matt another moron on forums even so how did the situation end up? We lost because he didn’t dive either way shut up and enjoy being a sarcastic scrub. How do you know it wouldn’t have just landed right next to him? you leave it up to chance just like he did good call. BTW in that play where did the ball land moron. IN front of him didn’t roll any did it. Good job point dexter common sense says don’t reply to something that has nothing to do with you.