"Astrology used to be the Tampa Bay Devil Rays of all sciences. Not so very good."
--Professor Frick, The Simpsons
* General: Coming off a very respectable 3-2 stint against the Yankees and Red Sox ... The club is second in the AL in batting average behind only mighty Baltimore, but is only a middle-of-the-pack offensive club due to mediocre slugging ... Pitching has been the huge problem for the D-Rays this year. With high walks, high hits and low strikeouts, the staff boasts an awful 6.11 mark ... Speaking of pitching, old friend Mark "Lurch" Hendrickson is battling shoulder stiffness and was placed on the 15-day DL, but the towering lefty fully expects to take the ball again once he's eligible to return ... Jesus Colome is getting close to healthy but is probably two weeks away ... The D-Rays are a disappointing 29th in the majors in fielding percentage ... Tampa embarks on an arduous part of their schedule, with no off-days until May 16 ... The team has never had a winning April ...
* Charles Johnson: Battling a sore right shoulder, he'll likely stay off the DL and keep old friend Kevin Cash off the club ... He has yet to catch an opponent stealing this year in five attempts ...
* Carl Crawford: Blazing speed, and he runs effortlessly ... Choppy swing that helps him wait effectively on breaking pitches ... Can inside-out pitches ... Prefers the ball down ... Cannot catch up to heat if he's not expecting it ... Will take his head off pitches up in the zone ... Terrific range in left, and he's fully capable of handling centre if necessary ... Currently in the longest basestealing drought of his career (14 games) ...
* Aubrey Huff: Strong hitter who can drive pitches off his front foot ... Will employ a jack swing on breaking pitches in ... Quick swing means he can hit inside fastballs, even from lefthanded pitchers ... Against lefties, can be fooled by breaking stuff away ... Likes to lay off high pitches ...
* Jorge Cantu: Only one walk thus far after just nine in nearly 200 plate appearances last season ... It's more than his walk rate that makes him reminiscent of Shea Hillenbrand; he also has gap power and a similar-looking swing ... Will often swing on the first pitch, and can hit it hard ... Not good plate coverage and can be fooled away ... Struggles with late-breaking pitches like two-seam fastballs and sinkers ... He's reached base every single game this season ...
* Alex Gonzalez: Old friend is just another Alex forced to third base by his new team ... Still has that long swing and medium pop ... Capable of reaching the outside pitch ... Will regularly roll over outside pitches, though, and he's a frequent double-play victim ... Not close when he's fooled by good breaking pitches ... Good glove and a strong, accurate throwing arm, even from third ...
* Josh Phelps: Usually a very-high-risk, high reward hitter, he has strangely racked up eleven singles and one double over his last eleven games ... Some of his singles have been rolled-over grounders through the left side, which isn't necessarily a good sign ... Still a long swing, but has tried to lay off inside where he's vulnerable ... Will swing over breaking pitches down and away ...
* Julio Lugo: Decent pull power ... Loves the ball up and it's dangerous to pitch him there ... Can drive breaking pitches if left up and in ... Doesn't always recognize breaking pitches well ... You can get strikes past him on the outer half of the plate ... Not always an alert baserunner ...
* Dewon Brazelton: Has never won on the road; all eight of his career victories have come at Tropicana Field ... Will leave his sinker up in the zone -- a very hittable pitch ... Throws straight overhand, and has to keep the ball down where he can coax grounders ... Good movement on his two-seam fastball, but lacks a true out pitch ... Plenty of physical movement during his full windup ...
* Travis Harper: Quantrill-like movement on his sinker, which both sinks and tails ... Obviously, that's a pitch he has to keep down or he'll get in trouble ... Coiling delivery ... Likes to backdoor lefthanded hitters with his sinking fastball inside ... Spots his four-seam fastball well ... Works quickly ...
* Danys Baez: Will occasionally throw a really flat fastball ... Throws a cutter that needs to stay in tight on lefthanded hitters ... Didn't get a save opportunity until Game 16 ... Fields his position alertly and well ... Good splitter that generates a bunch of groundball outs ... Not a high-K guy for a closer ...
* Toby Hall: Low-ball hitter who stays down on breaking pitches well ... Tends to roll over pitches up and away ... Painfully slow baserunner ... Doesn't seem to get great extension on his swings ...
* Eduardo Perez: A lefty-masher who's already gone deep three times against southpaws ... Son of Reds legend Tony Perez ... Light-tower power on fastballs up ... Homered twice in the same game against Randy Johnson, then hit a no-doubt walk-off against Alan Embree that was measured at 459 feet ... Loves pitches up, hates them down ... Can be fooled by changing speeds ... Commits far too much with his front foot and can be badly fooled by breaking pitches when he's thinking fastball ...
* Scott Kazmir: The second-youngest player in baseball, Kazmir is only older than the D-Backs' 20-year-old Marcos Carvajal among his peers ... Not afraid to pinch inside or, indeed, participate in beanball wars ... Doesn't always "waste" two-strike pitches, and can be hit hard when he catches too much of the plate ... His fastball isn't overpowering, and can be hit on his "get-ahead" first pitch ... Nasty slider that starts knee-high and ends up in the dirt ... Likes to work away from righthanded hitters ... Throws in the low-90s ... Great changeup, too ... I don't think the Rays miss Victor Zambrano ...
* Travis Lee: Former Arizona uber-prospect back in Tampa ... When he's going well, his smooth swing is vaguely reminiscent of Johnny Olerud ... Slow baserunner ... Does not hit lefthanded breaking pitches well and isn't used much against lefties ... Play him to hit to right-centre ... Very good glove at first and a calming influence on pitchers in mound conferences ...
* Trever Miller: Old friend has been oddly ineffective against lefties thus far ... Not as much movement as he'd like on his slider lately ... Sneaky fastball that gets in more quickly than hitters expect ... Able to pitch often, and we should see him more than once this series ... Good sweeping curve ... Might be nice trade bait at the deadline ...
* Seth McClung: Finally back from Tommy John surgery ... Good thrower (i.e., good stuff), but not such a good pitcher ... Throws in the mid-90s with movement, but location within the strike zone is a problem ... Likes to work lefthanded hitters inside and righthanded hitters away ...
* Lance Carter: Delivery similar to his teammate Baez ... Has tried to run his two-seam fastball in on righties, but has failed miserably at doing so thus far ... It's more effective as a backdoor pitch to lefties ... His four-seamer hasn't had much movement ...
* Doug Waechter: A flyball pitcher very vulnerable to the longball ... Doesn't have a good enough fastball to get away with falling behind in the count ... Makes mistake pitches too often to be a consistent starting pitcher ... Nice slider that breaks sharply downward; it really falls off the table when it's working ...
* Rob Bell: Has lost his starting job ... Only hits upper-80s on his fastball some nights ... Shies away from challenging tough hitters, leaving him walk-prone ... He's 2-1 in four career starts in Toronto ... Will hang his slider ...
* Trivia: Lou Piniella has 1460 wins as a manager, and he hopes to join a select list this season. Who are the only two men to win 1500 games as a manager and register at least 1500 hits? One's easy, and one's quite a bit tougher ...
--Professor Frick, The Simpsons
The D-Rays, long the butt of jokes of varying quality, have once again become joke-worthy after a somewhat surprising '04 campaign. (Another example: David Letterman suggested that a stiff punishment for Alex Sanchez, rather than a ten-game suspension, would be to make him play those games as a Devil Ray.) Nevertheless, they come into town after a rousing display of walk-off heroics and bench-clearing fireworks against the Red Sox.
The D-Rays have some pesky hitters in their lineup, but they haven't gotten anything approaching steady pitching this season. Will Mickey's men get well against Tampa pitching, or will the hometown slump continue? The Jays are unlucky to draw the organization's bright light among moundsmen -- Scott Kazmir -- tomorrow night.
This week's Scout features a Shea Hillenbrand doppelganger, more ex-Jays than you can shake a stick at and the first Advance Scout Trivia Challenge.
On to the Advance Scout!* General: Coming off a very respectable 3-2 stint against the Yankees and Red Sox ... The club is second in the AL in batting average behind only mighty Baltimore, but is only a middle-of-the-pack offensive club due to mediocre slugging ... Pitching has been the huge problem for the D-Rays this year. With high walks, high hits and low strikeouts, the staff boasts an awful 6.11 mark ... Speaking of pitching, old friend Mark "Lurch" Hendrickson is battling shoulder stiffness and was placed on the 15-day DL, but the towering lefty fully expects to take the ball again once he's eligible to return ... Jesus Colome is getting close to healthy but is probably two weeks away ... The D-Rays are a disappointing 29th in the majors in fielding percentage ... Tampa embarks on an arduous part of their schedule, with no off-days until May 16 ... The team has never had a winning April ...
* Charles Johnson: Battling a sore right shoulder, he'll likely stay off the DL and keep old friend Kevin Cash off the club ... He has yet to catch an opponent stealing this year in five attempts ...
* Carl Crawford: Blazing speed, and he runs effortlessly ... Choppy swing that helps him wait effectively on breaking pitches ... Can inside-out pitches ... Prefers the ball down ... Cannot catch up to heat if he's not expecting it ... Will take his head off pitches up in the zone ... Terrific range in left, and he's fully capable of handling centre if necessary ... Currently in the longest basestealing drought of his career (14 games) ...
* Aubrey Huff: Strong hitter who can drive pitches off his front foot ... Will employ a jack swing on breaking pitches in ... Quick swing means he can hit inside fastballs, even from lefthanded pitchers ... Against lefties, can be fooled by breaking stuff away ... Likes to lay off high pitches ...
* Jorge Cantu: Only one walk thus far after just nine in nearly 200 plate appearances last season ... It's more than his walk rate that makes him reminiscent of Shea Hillenbrand; he also has gap power and a similar-looking swing ... Will often swing on the first pitch, and can hit it hard ... Not good plate coverage and can be fooled away ... Struggles with late-breaking pitches like two-seam fastballs and sinkers ... He's reached base every single game this season ...
* Alex Gonzalez: Old friend is just another Alex forced to third base by his new team ... Still has that long swing and medium pop ... Capable of reaching the outside pitch ... Will regularly roll over outside pitches, though, and he's a frequent double-play victim ... Not close when he's fooled by good breaking pitches ... Good glove and a strong, accurate throwing arm, even from third ...
* Josh Phelps: Usually a very-high-risk, high reward hitter, he has strangely racked up eleven singles and one double over his last eleven games ... Some of his singles have been rolled-over grounders through the left side, which isn't necessarily a good sign ... Still a long swing, but has tried to lay off inside where he's vulnerable ... Will swing over breaking pitches down and away ...
* Julio Lugo: Decent pull power ... Loves the ball up and it's dangerous to pitch him there ... Can drive breaking pitches if left up and in ... Doesn't always recognize breaking pitches well ... You can get strikes past him on the outer half of the plate ... Not always an alert baserunner ...
* Dewon Brazelton: Has never won on the road; all eight of his career victories have come at Tropicana Field ... Will leave his sinker up in the zone -- a very hittable pitch ... Throws straight overhand, and has to keep the ball down where he can coax grounders ... Good movement on his two-seam fastball, but lacks a true out pitch ... Plenty of physical movement during his full windup ...
* Travis Harper: Quantrill-like movement on his sinker, which both sinks and tails ... Obviously, that's a pitch he has to keep down or he'll get in trouble ... Coiling delivery ... Likes to backdoor lefthanded hitters with his sinking fastball inside ... Spots his four-seam fastball well ... Works quickly ...
* Danys Baez: Will occasionally throw a really flat fastball ... Throws a cutter that needs to stay in tight on lefthanded hitters ... Didn't get a save opportunity until Game 16 ... Fields his position alertly and well ... Good splitter that generates a bunch of groundball outs ... Not a high-K guy for a closer ...
* Toby Hall: Low-ball hitter who stays down on breaking pitches well ... Tends to roll over pitches up and away ... Painfully slow baserunner ... Doesn't seem to get great extension on his swings ...
* Eduardo Perez: A lefty-masher who's already gone deep three times against southpaws ... Son of Reds legend Tony Perez ... Light-tower power on fastballs up ... Homered twice in the same game against Randy Johnson, then hit a no-doubt walk-off against Alan Embree that was measured at 459 feet ... Loves pitches up, hates them down ... Can be fooled by changing speeds ... Commits far too much with his front foot and can be badly fooled by breaking pitches when he's thinking fastball ...
* Scott Kazmir: The second-youngest player in baseball, Kazmir is only older than the D-Backs' 20-year-old Marcos Carvajal among his peers ... Not afraid to pinch inside or, indeed, participate in beanball wars ... Doesn't always "waste" two-strike pitches, and can be hit hard when he catches too much of the plate ... His fastball isn't overpowering, and can be hit on his "get-ahead" first pitch ... Nasty slider that starts knee-high and ends up in the dirt ... Likes to work away from righthanded hitters ... Throws in the low-90s ... Great changeup, too ... I don't think the Rays miss Victor Zambrano ...
* Travis Lee: Former Arizona uber-prospect back in Tampa ... When he's going well, his smooth swing is vaguely reminiscent of Johnny Olerud ... Slow baserunner ... Does not hit lefthanded breaking pitches well and isn't used much against lefties ... Play him to hit to right-centre ... Very good glove at first and a calming influence on pitchers in mound conferences ...
* Trever Miller: Old friend has been oddly ineffective against lefties thus far ... Not as much movement as he'd like on his slider lately ... Sneaky fastball that gets in more quickly than hitters expect ... Able to pitch often, and we should see him more than once this series ... Good sweeping curve ... Might be nice trade bait at the deadline ...
* Seth McClung: Finally back from Tommy John surgery ... Good thrower (i.e., good stuff), but not such a good pitcher ... Throws in the mid-90s with movement, but location within the strike zone is a problem ... Likes to work lefthanded hitters inside and righthanded hitters away ...
* Lance Carter: Delivery similar to his teammate Baez ... Has tried to run his two-seam fastball in on righties, but has failed miserably at doing so thus far ... It's more effective as a backdoor pitch to lefties ... His four-seamer hasn't had much movement ...
* Doug Waechter: A flyball pitcher very vulnerable to the longball ... Doesn't have a good enough fastball to get away with falling behind in the count ... Makes mistake pitches too often to be a consistent starting pitcher ... Nice slider that breaks sharply downward; it really falls off the table when it's working ...
* Rob Bell: Has lost his starting job ... Only hits upper-80s on his fastball some nights ... Shies away from challenging tough hitters, leaving him walk-prone ... He's 2-1 in four career starts in Toronto ... Will hang his slider ...
* Trivia: Lou Piniella has 1460 wins as a manager, and he hopes to join a select list this season. Who are the only two men to win 1500 games as a manager and register at least 1500 hits? One's easy, and one's quite a bit tougher ...
