Are the Tampa Yankees Orlando-bound?

(This post originally appeared on Bus Leagues Baseball.com)

The buzz in Central Florida is that the Tampa Yankees may be headed to Orlando. In September of last year, real estate developer Armando Gutierrez, Jr proposed buying the Yankees' Florida State League team and moving them out of Tampa to the Orlando area, about an hour away. According to articles in Tampa and Orlando newspapers, Gutierrez and his conglomerate would pay for a 5,000 seat stadium as well as a museum, restaurants, and rental space. The proposed facility would be located near the Orlando Convention Center, between Sea World and Universal Studios.

Things to consider:

1) Orlando's minor league history

The city of Orlando has has quite an extensive history as a minor league city. Currently, however, they have not had a team since 2003, when the Tampa Rays Class AA affiliate Orlando Rays moved to Montgomery to become the Biscuits. Interestingly, the Orlando Rays played in two locations in Orlando. From 1997 to 2000, they played in historic Tinker Field, and later moved to Champion Field at the Disney Sports Complex, spring home of the Atlanta Braves.

Before the Rays, from 1963 to 1997 Tinker Field was home for the Orlando Cubs, Sun Rays, and Twins, likewise all of the Class AA Southern League. Prior to '63 and stretching all the way back to 1919, the city and field hosted various teams in the Class A, D, and C levels with conventional names such as the Twins, Dodgers, Senators, and Nationals and some not-so-usual names such as the Flyers, Seratomas, C.B.s (probably due to the Naval base that was once in the area), Gulls, Bulldogs, Tigers, and Caps.

(Interesting aside: what if the Montgomery Biscuits had stayed in Orlando? Would they draw now? How many fans would want to see the future of the Rays an hour away from the big league club? Players would go from Class A Port Charlotte, Fl to Class AA Orlando, Fl to St. Petersburg. I know I would make the trip to see Tim Beckham, Matt Moore, Chris Archer, and many other future Rays at least once a month. Even more if there was a train to take me from ballpark to ballpark. Oops, it just got political.)

2) Why the Yankees?

According to the Gutierrez plan, the Yankees would conduct their spring training in Tampa, but the Tampa Yankees would play in Orlando. Currently, the T-Yankes play in Steinbrenner Field, one of the biggest minor league parks in the State of Florida. The Yankees have been in the stadium located in mid-Tampa across the street from where the Tampa Bay Bucs play for almost 15 years. Steinbrenner Field is lavish, comfortable, and makes many nods to the Yankees long history.

And consider this: according to an Orlando Sentinel column, "The plan is to build a baseball-themed museum and a ballpark that is a miniature replica of the original Yankee Stadium". According to Wikipedia, "the dimensions of the (Steinbrenner Field) precisely mimic that of the old Yankee Stadium".

Even as a Rays fan, I appreciate the Yankees history and the Steinbrenner legacy in Tampa. However, it makes no sense to move any minor league team away from their major league facility. Especially when that means each player, coach, and personnel member has to make the hour long drive every day. Or would Steinbrenner Field, the colossal southern home of Yankee Tradition, sit empty for nine months a year?

3) Whither the Tampa Bay Rays?

Any proposal to move the Tampa Yankees out of Tampa will be met with ideas to move the Rays from St. Petersburg across the bay, across the street from the Bucs, and across from the location of old Al Lopez Field, former home of the Tampa Tarpons.

As much sense as this might make, it's not happening. The Rays are under lease with the City of St. Petersburg until 2027. That doesn't mean they have to stay in Tropicana Field, but it does mean they have to stay within city limits.

My opinion is that if the Rays were to break their lease early it would come with the caveat that they could not move to Tampa or Orlando. The City of St. Petersburg, which already lost the Lightning to Tampa, does not want to be baseball-less.

After all, like Tinker Field, historic 7,000-seat Al Lang Field in downtown St. Pete also sits empty, it's field only groomed for exhibitions such high school tournaments and international competition.

4) Attendance and the Gutierrez Estimates

In 1999, the Orlando Rays left Tinker Field partly due to lack of attendance. According to Wikipedia, they drew less that 1,000 per game in their downtown Orlando location.

Last year, the Tampa Yankees drew 99,700 people for over 60 home games and were in the middle of the pack for the Florida State League, which drew an average of 1,424 per game. The Clearwater Threshers led the way with nearly 3,000 per game and a total attendance of over 172,000 while the Dunedin Blue Jays, only 15 minutes from Clearwater, were last with barely over 36,800 total attendance.

From talking to people affiliated with and around the Florida State League, many of the teams do not make money during the season. They stay in the black thanks to spring training and season ticket deals. And speaking from experience, although seats sold may average over a thousand a game, actual gate attendance is far lower. Probably by as much as 50%.

The Gutierrez business plan estimates an average of 3,500 people would attend games at the new Yankee Town complex. Honestly, I don't think this is possible.

As a matter of fact, I think it is incredibly pie in the sky.

5) Orlando Baseball as Entertainment

Without spring training games to make them money, the Orlando-based Yankees would have to draw on local support or tourism dollars. I'm only guessing here, but although there is a strong New York-based Hispanic population in Orlando, I don't think there are more Yankees fans in Orlando than there are in Tampa. Or not enough to make a stark difference in minor league attendance. I am also not sure tourists would be swept off their feet to see minor league baseball when Sea World and Universal Studios (and its associated night life, bars, clubs, and concert venues) are only a short drive away. And then of course, there is the huge specter of Disney World lurking over all Central Florida entertainment.

I guess this is a really long winded way of saying I don't think the Tampa Yankees are going anywhere. Unless the powers that be can transport Steinbrenner Field to the Al Lang Field location and a magic legal fairy can move the Rays to the Tampa Yankees current location in Tampa. And maybe a team moves back into Tinker Field.

Then only Tropicana Field would be empty. Which is fine.

That place is a dump.

Investigating the Longo Viral Video

By now, half of creation has seen the amazing viral video of Evan Longoria snagging a line drive barehanded during batting practice and saving the life of some random reporter. Over the last few days, it has been revealed that the interview took place at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Florida.

Being that I was in Bradenton doing research for an upcoming assignment for Minor League Baseball.com, I decided to also see what I could find out about this mysterious video.

After some poking around, I managed to meet and talk to the Bradenton Marauders Coordinator of Communications and Radio Broadcasting Joel Godett. Godett was nice enough to answer a few questions about McKechnie Field, Longoria, and the catch.

Rays Index: Can you tell me a little bit about McKechnie Field?

Joel Godett: McKechnie Field is about 100 years old. The Pirates have been here for over 40 years now.  Our team president Frank Coonelly calls it “The Jewel of the Florida State League”.

It’s got an old kind of charm to it. It’s got history to it, it’s got many character stories to it, and it’s neat to see the evolution of the field. It’s neat for us because we have this video and Big League Stew on Yahoo! pointed out that the stadium in the video looks like McKechnie Field. It was cool for us to see the name of our stadium on a site like that.

RI: When was the video filmed?

Godett: It was filmed right before Spring Training, if my memory serves me correct. So it would have been in the end of February. There was a whole thing that day with Gillette, part of a Kenny Mayne series that Gillette is doing called “A Mayne and His Razor“. Kenny Mayne was here that day and he shot a video with Evan Longoria. That was part of that whole day and they shot that video.

RI: Were you guys surprised from a Marauders’ perspective about how popular the video has gotten?

Godett: It is very cool for us. It’s a funny story. When Chase Utley of the Phillies was here last week on rehab, I went down to the clubhouse and I was shooting the bull with the security guard who was there for Chase and as we were talking he said, “Have you seen that video with Evan Longoria?”. Then I looked it up and I was watching and I realized that was McKechnie Field. Then I realized what it was because I saw the Gillette banners in the background. And that was the first time I saw the video.

RI: So you weren’t the stands watching them film?

Godett: I was not in the stands for that part of it, no.

RI: Was it a big production?

Godett: It was a full-day production.

RI: Why did they pick this stadium?

Godett: I don’t really know why. But I guess we were very accessible for them and everything they needed to do.

RI: The field isn’t the same now as it was when they filmed the commercials. Can you talk about that at all?

Godett: In the commercial, where the Gillette banner hangs, there used to be a roof there. That was taken down in the beginning of May as part of stadium renovations. They will go back up at some point this year or after the Florida State League season. That has yet to be determined. If you come to McKechnie Field now, you might think in the commercial they were CGI, but the roofs were there.  The Gillette banner might have been CGI, but the roofs were definitely there.

RI: Finally, what was that reporter doing on the field?

Godett: Not looking.

Balls, Bats, and Wedding Bells in Bradenton

(This post originally appeared on Bus Leagues Baseball.com)

There is rarely a minor league I have attended that did not feature a special group of fans in attendance. Being that I go to most of my games on the weekends, that usually means gaggles of kids from the local little league, a local retiree group, or perhaps even a company function of some sort. But last Friday in Bradenton I saw my first pre-wedding party.

Enjoying the Florida State League game between the Bradenton Marauders and Dunedin Blue Jays was the family and friends of Christine Kennedy and Rich Meier, a couple planning on tying the knot the next day. I caught up with Christine and Rich and asked them a few questions about baseball, their guests, and their upcoming wedding.

Bus Leagues Baseball: So what brought you guys to the ballpark tonight?

Christine: We wanted something that was fun and Florida-ish and different than just a plain old dinner and everybody is here from out of town, so we wanted to give them something fun to do.

BLB: Are you guys from the Bradenton area?

Christine: We are from the Bradenton area and we have a good friend who works with the Marauders and she helped to set this up.

BLB: So whose idea was it?

Christine: It was mine. I'm the big baseball fan.

Rich: I love baseball, but she is the bigger fan, for sure.

Christine: We go to a lot of games.

BLB: You come here often then?

Rich: Yeah, we are regulars.

Christine: Yeah, we do. It's a fun night out and it's actually a cheap date.

BLB: You did the dizzy bat race, how did that go?

Christine: It was awesome. I won.

Rich: I was robbed.

Christine: I always wanted to do it, too.

BLB: Do your wedding plans involve baseball at all?

Christine: No, no. It is an actual real wedding. We just thought this would be fun and different for everyone.

BLB: Where did everyone come from?

Rich: We have relatives that came in from Chicago, as far as California, Texas ...

Christine: Ohio

Rich: Ohio, Washington DC, Indiana, all over the country.

BLB: And everyone is having a good time tonight?

Christine: Looks like it. Nobody is sleeping. Even my dad made it.

Congratulations to Rich and Christine and thanks to both of them for taking the time to talk to Bus Leagues Baseball.

The Zobrist Condundrum

Over the last few weeks there has been an awakening surrounding Ben Zobrist. With his 10 RBI day a few weekends ago and his sudden hot streak, Zobrist once again has the Rays Community all aflutter. After being mired in a yearlong slump in 2010 and sleepwalking through the first few weeks of 2011, we watched the mighty Zorilla destroy the Twins and set the team record for most RBIs in a day, hit over .500 for nearly a week, save kittens from redwood trees, kill fastballs by the hundreds, and consume American League pitchers with fireballs from his eyes and bolts of lightning from his arse.

But for all the statistical acclaim and the occasional Zorilla doll, it seems Rays fans don’t know what to think about Ben Zobrist. He seems to be more than the marginal utility player he was during the closing days of Devil Rays futility, yet his all-star appearance of 2009 seems like a distant memory. Is he a super-versatile slugger or was that Hobbsian season a Gilkey-esque mirage? What about 2010? Where are we in the Zobrist narrative and what is left?

It’s almost as if Rays fans don’t yet know what to expect from Zobrist. Could be an all-star this year? Is he a cornerstone for the franchise or will he be replaced by Sean Rodriguez within a year or two?

There is nothing bad about Ben Zobrist. He has all the ingredients for a hero. He is a clean-cut All-American-looking guy from the Midwest, he went to a Christian college, he gets on base, he has a beautiful semi-celebrity wife, and he has one of baseball’s last truly original unique nicknames. He is the kind of guy parents want their kid to be. Those factors alone should secure him a certain level of fame and notoriety. However that is not the case.

Behind Evan Longoria and possibly David Price, Zobrist should be the face of the Rays. Instead he is stranded in a second tier popularity status with the likes of far less achieved Rays such as Matt Joyce or Jeff Neiman where the highlight is a glorified show-and-tell at a local elementary school.

It’s not as if Zobrist’s abilities are only discovered on paper or upon deep analytical spreadsheets. Even the most common fan knows that a player who walks, hits the ball hard, and plays numerous positions well is a valuable commodity. But for Ben Zobrist value doesn’t equal acclaim.

Maybe his lack of fame is directly due to his inherent valuableness. Perhaps by playing multiple positions Rays fans don’t know where to look. They know to look at third for Longo, to the mound for Price, and in center for BJ Upton. But for Zobrist, they have to consult their scorecards to find where he is playing. One day he might be in right field, another day at second, maybe at third, or possibly even at first. He is the Rays version of classic vagabond Waldo.

For all that he has done for the team over the past few seasons, I’ve only met one person who claimed Zorilla is their favorite Rays player. Only one Zobrist Zealot. I’ve rarely seen Zobrist jerseys around the Trop and no group has adopted him as their patron saint. It’s as if one of the Rays most valuable players was invisible.

By comparison, new Rays left fielder and Twitter meme muse Sam Fuld has a fraction of the time in Rays service but built an army of Fuld Fanatics. Even with a four year head start, within a few hours of creating “The Legend of Sam Fuld” the Official Sam Fuld Fan Club eclipsed the Zobrist fan club. Fuld spawned Twitter games, promotions, and a full-fledged phenomenon. Fuld could do no wrong while he was donning his cape and soaring through the outfield like Superman in metal cleats. Number five was quickly declared the greatest legend since Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez.

From a cultural perspective, Fuld had a distinct advantage over Zobrist. I am convinced Fuld’s popularity exploded as a response to the loss of Carl Crawford. Fans needed to bond over the departure of their favorite superstar, and who better to lift their collective grief than a diminutive plucky brainiac scraper who by chance played the same position?

Zobrist, on the other hand, never had the advantage of playing a position Rays fans looked at for greatness. As he bounced from second base to rightfield and back again, his greatest historical predecessor was perhaps Jorge Cantu in 2005. But comparing Zobrist to Cantu is so horribly one-sided as to be unfair. In 2009 alone Zobrist was seven times more productive than Cantu, according to Baseball-Reference’s cumulative Wins Above Replacement stat.

With all his accomplishments and all he has going for him, there must be a reason people find Ben Zobrist unappealing. Maybe he is not as interesting as other Rays, maybe there is a subconscious backlash to his All-American upbrining, maybe fans find him boring. For whatever reason, he doesn’t have the commercial magnetism of Even Longoria, the underdogism of the aforementioned Fuld, the dominating talent of Price, or the maddening variance of BJ Upton. Even Zobrist’s disappointing 2010 didn’t invoke the sympathy or ire of any fellow teammate’s month-long struggle.

Being a big blues fan, I can’t help but also think of the outside chance that perhaps a lack of overarching fame was part of the deal Ben Zobrist made with the Devil to gain his prolific stroke. I can imagine Zobrist going to the Crossroads and waiting to strike a deal with the ousted Devil of St. Petersburg. Before getting a job in the Yankees front office, the Devil granted Ben Zobrist the offensive skills to be more than just a marginal utility infielder. Without the aid of Old Scratch, Ben Zobrist might have been Felipe Lopez’s Midwestern cousin.

There is no one reason why fans aren’t all aboard the Zobrist Express. Their lack of enthusiasm could be for a combination of many reasons, or it could be as simple as Zobrist being outshined by the rest of the Rays galaxy. But is there anything the All-American all-star could do to win over the fans’ passion, not just admiration? This season could hold the answer.

For now, however, for every statistical tip of the cap Ben Zobrist collects from the media, analysts, or bloggers, the great majority of Rays fans will continue to let out their collective yawn.

An Interview with Claw Digest

(This post originally appeared on Bus Leagues Baseball.com)

I always enjoy finding fan blogs of minor league teams. There is a passion needed to cover a team not too many fans know about. And if done well, an independent minor league team blog can quickly become the alternative voice for people looking for news on a prospect or on the team.

As I mentioned last June, there are few really good fan-based blogs of teams in the Florida State League (yes, the failed flotsam and jetsam is still out there). Last year, I interviewed Jeff Crupper of Threshers Nation. Shortly after I talked to Jeff, a new blog joined the scene: Claw Digest, a blog on the Charlotte Stone Crabs, the Tampa Bay Rays High-A affiliate out of Port Charlotte, Florida.

I emailed Jim Donten, webmaster and lead blogger at Claw Digest and asked him a few questions about his site. He was kind enough to reply. You can also find him on Twitter at @ClawDigest.

BusLeaguesBaseball: What is Claw Digest and how long has it been active?

Jim Donten: Claw Digest is a site I created at the end of the 2010 season. I wanted to create the site prior to the start of the inaugural season but a lack of time and experience caused (it to) be to put the project on the back burner. But then after last season, I took a leap and created the site. The site is a collection of news, stats, photos and inside looks at the Stone Crabs organization as well as periodic updates on the careers of former Stone Crabs.

BLB: What is your blogging background and baseball fan background?

JD: I have been a lifelong fan baseball fan. I grew up in South Central Pennsylvania going to Philadelphia Phillies, Reading Phillies and Harrisburg Senators game. I relocated to Florida after graduating high school in 1998 and lost interest in going to live games due to the abundance of things to do in Florida, however I still enjoyed watching MLB on TV. But a few years later, I took an special detail with my fire department for a fireworks shoot at Ed Smith Stadium for a Sarasota Reds game. The excitement of being back in the ballpark renewed that love of watching live baseball and we have been going regularly every since.

I began my online work by combining my two favorite things, baseball and photography. I created a web gallery of photos of all the games and players I saw play in Sarasota through the Sarasota Reds and the Cincinnati Reds. These photos appeared on both clubs official websites and various blogs.

When the Rays moved to their Advanced-A affiliate to Port Charlotte, I switched alliances to the newly formed Stone Crabs who are just 7 minutes from my house. During this time, I reached out to Rays Prospects and offered them the use of photos like I had already done for Reds Minor Leagues in the past. Doug Milhoan and I began a great friendship in the process and I eventually took up writing as well.

After two seasons of writing for Rays Prospects, I started Claw Digest. I still continue to write for both sites.

BLB: Why do a blog on the Tampa Bay Rays class high A team?

JD: I have been a season ticket holder for the Stone Crabs since the inaugural season and live less then 10 minutes from Charlotte Sports Park. I covered the Stone Crabs and the Florida operations for Rays Prospects for two years. Then last year I decided to branch out and provide a little more detailed coverage of the Stone Crabs and Claw Digest was born. It was an opportunity to incorporate some of my ideas that were too intense to do organization wide but were easy to manage at a local level.

BLB: The Stone Crabs are a relatively new team. How has the local response been to the club?

JD: The local response to the Stone Crabs has been fantastic and I contribute that to the management of the club. General Manager Joe Hart and his staff do an excellent job of marketing the team in Port Charlotte and the surrounding communities. Their commitment to the community through public appearances and helping local organizations goes a long way in selling the image of the team. They have made the ballpark and organization very fan friendly through special events and it shows seeing how they led the league in attendance in each of their first two seasons. This is evident driving through town or walking through the stores when you see Stone Crabs hats and shirts on people and banners on building and cars representing the team.

BLB: Do you think the team benefits from having the Rays only an hour away?

JD: I am not really sure there is much of a benefit from having the Rays being so close. I think the bigger benefit is that the Stone Crabs play in the spring training complex of the Rays. This allows easy access to first class playing and rehab facilities as well as having roving instructors visiting the club quite regularly. Because of the rehab facility, the Stone Crabs tend to have MLB players rehab with them quite frequently, including BJ Upton, Carlos Pena, Pat Burrell, Jason Bartlett, Scott Kazmir and more have spend time with the Stone Crabs in the past two seasons.

BLB: Who has been your favorite Stone Crab so far?

JD: There has been a bunch of great players that have come through Charlotte in such a short time, it hard to pick just one. One of my overall favorites has been Stephen Vogt. He had performed both on the field and off the field. He got hurt in 2009 and spent much of the season on the DL. During this time, he continued to help out with the team, helping coach and even appeared in a game as an umpire when the FSL ump was injured. In 2010 he made up for lost time by leading the league in hitting and then headed to Columbia for Winter Ball where his hot streak at the plate continued. Stephen was also big in the community and always volunteered his time to helping the club which led to him winning the 2010 Erik Walker Community Champion Award.

A few other personal favorites include Henry Wrigley, Tyler Bortnick and Cody Cipriano. Wrigley provided a big bat in the Stone Crabs lineup and he led the Stone Crabs in home runs in 2010 despite being promoted to Montgomery mid-season. Bortnick is a hard-nose player that is a lot of fun to watch, he only spent a few games with the Stone Crabs last year but I am looking forward to seeing him play this season. Cipriano was another fun player to watch for the Stone Crabs, knocks the cover of the ball and comes through in clutch situations plus the ability to play multiple positions in the infield.

BLB: You saw Matt Moore last year. Thoughts on him?

JD: Moore's performance on the mound was amazing. His started the year off slow but worked closely with pitching coach Neil Allen to refine his grip. He led the minors in strikeouts for two years in a row while lowering his walk-out rate. Moore had a bone chip removed from his hand during the off-season and is reported to be feeling better and throwing better. So if this minor adjustment will help avoid a slow start, the ceiling for Moore is unlimited.

BLB: You saw Tim Beckham last year. Thoughts on him?

JD: Unlike a lot of other people, I have not lost faith in Beckham. He did not have a breakout season like predicted with the Stone Crabs but he faired average in a predominantly pitchers league. He was able to reduce his errors between 2009 and 2010. I witnessed Beckham make some spectacular plays at short with the Stone Crabs however I also saw him miss some what appeared to be routine plays. Better consistency will help round out his game and push him towards living up to the hype of being a first round pick with the largest bonus in franchise history.

BLB: Who should we keep an eye on this year?

JD: A personal favorite of mine this season is Tyler Bortick. This kid plays the game of baseball the way it was meant to be played. He gives 110% on the field and finds the way to make the play over and over again. He tends to fly under the radar amongst players in the organization but look for him to have a solid year with the Stone Crabs.

I am also interested in seeing how Jake Thompson does in his first full season. He was promoted to the Stone Crabs late 2010 and started two games for the Stone Crabs. But in those two games, his pitched 11 innings and did not allow an earned run while striking out 6 and holding hitters to a .059 average. I am eager to see if the Rays second round pick from 2010 will continue his success in the Florida State League.

BLB: Last year, the Stone Crabs played in the Florida State League Finals. How do you think they will fare this year?

JD: The Stone Crabs have reached the playoffs in each of their two seasons in the league and I don't think this year will be any different. Under the leadership of Jim Morrison, the club has managed to make it back to the playoffs despite who is or is not on the field. He gets them to play as one and no matter what part of the puzzle is replaced, the team continues to function and win games. This is key with the revolving door that is minor league baseball. The lineup seems to be missing a big bat, but I think the players on this years club will get it done with extra base hits and timely hitting rather then the big fly. Plus you have the strong pitching staff that like the two previous years will help lead the Stone Crabs into the postseason.

An Interview with Claw Digest

(This post originally appeared on Bus Leagues Baseball.com)

I always enjoy finding fan blogs of minor league teams. There is a passion needed to cover a team not too many fans know about. And if done well, an independent minor league team blog can quickly become the alternative voice for people looking for news on a prospect or on the team.

As I mentioned last June, there are few really good fan-based blogs of teams in the Florida State League (yes, the failed flotsam and jetsam is still out there). Last year, I interviewed Jeff Crupper of Threshers Nation. Shortly after I talked to Jeff, a new blog joined the scene: Claw Digest, a blog on the Charlotte Stone Crabs, the Tampa Bay Rays High-A affiliate out of Port Charlotte, Florida.

I emailed Jim Donten, webmaster and lead blogger at Claw Digest and asked him a few questions about his site. He was kind enough to reply. You can also find him on Twitter at @ClawDigest.

BusLeaguesBaseball: What is Claw Digest and how long has it been active?

Jim Donten: Claw Digest is a site I created at the end of the 2010 season. I wanted to create the site prior to the start of the inaugural season but a lack of time and experience caused (it to) be to put the project on the back burner. But then after last season, I took a leap and created the site. The site is a collection of news, stats, photos and inside looks at the Stone Crabs organization as well as periodic updates on the careers of former Stone Crabs.

BLB: What is your blogging background and baseball fan background?

JD: I have been a lifelong fan baseball fan. I grew up in South Central Pennsylvania going to Philadelphia Phillies, Reading Phillies and Harrisburg Senators game. I relocated to Florida after graduating high school in 1998 and lost interest in going to live games due to the abundance of things to do in Florida, however I still enjoyed watching MLB on TV. But a few years later, I took an special detail with my fire department for a fireworks shoot at Ed Smith Stadium for a Sarasota Reds game. The excitement of being back in the ballpark renewed that love of watching live baseball and we have been going regularly every since.

I began my online work by combining my two favorite things, baseball and photography. I created a web gallery of photos of all the games and players I saw play in Sarasota through the Sarasota Reds and the Cincinnati Reds. These photos appeared on both clubs official websites and various blogs.

When the Rays moved to their Advanced-A affiliate to Port Charlotte, I switched alliances to the newly formed Stone Crabs who are just 7 minutes from my house. During this time, I reached out to Rays Prospects and offered them the use of photos like I had already done for Reds Minor Leagues in the past. Doug Milhoan and I began a great friendship in the process and I eventually took up writing as well.

After two seasons of writing for Rays Prospects, I started Claw Digest. I still continue to write for both sites.

BLB: Why do a blog on the Tampa Bay Rays class high A team?

JD: I have been a season ticket holder for the Stone Crabs since the inaugural season and live less then 10 minutes from Charlotte Sports Park. I covered the Stone Crabs and the Florida operations for Rays Prospects for two years. Then last year I decided to branch out and provide a little more detailed coverage of the Stone Crabs and Claw Digest was born. It was an opportunity to incorporate some of my ideas that were too intense to do organization wide but were easy to manage at a local level.

BLB: The Stone Crabs are a relatively new team. How has the local response been to the club?

JD: The local response to the Stone Crabs has been fantastic and I contribute that to the management of the club. General Manager Joe Hart and his staff do an excellent job of marketing the team in Port Charlotte and the surrounding communities. Their commitment to the community through public appearances and helping local organizations goes a long way in selling the image of the team. They have made the ballpark and organization very fan friendly through special events and it shows seeing how they led the league in attendance in each of their first two seasons. This is evident driving through town or walking through the stores when you see Stone Crabs hats and shirts on people and banners on building and cars representing the team.

BLB: Do you think the team benefits from having the Rays only an hour away?

JD: I am not really sure there is much of a benefit from having the Rays being so close. I think the bigger benefit is that the Stone Crabs play in the spring training complex of the Rays. This allows easy access to first class playing and rehab facilities as well as having roving instructors visiting the club quite regularly. Because of the rehab facility, the Stone Crabs tend to have MLB players rehab with them quite frequently, including BJ Upton, Carlos Pena, Pat Burrell, Jason Bartlett, Scott Kazmir and more have spend time with the Stone Crabs in the past two seasons.

BLB: Who has been your favorite Stone Crab so far?

JD: There has been a bunch of great players that have come through Charlotte in such a short time, it hard to pick just one. One of my overall favorites has been Stephen Vogt. He had performed both on the field and off the field. He got hurt in 2009 and spent much of the season on the DL. During this time, he continued to help out with the team, helping coach and even appeared in a game as an umpire when the FSL ump was injured. In 2010 he made up for lost time by leading the league in hitting and then headed to Columbia for Winter Ball where his hot streak at the plate continued. Stephen was also big in the community and always volunteered his time to helping the club which led to him winning the 2010 Erik Walker Community Champion Award.

A few other personal favorites include Henry Wrigley, Tyler Bortnick and Cody Cipriano. Wrigley provided a big bat in the Stone Crabs lineup and he led the Stone Crabs in home runs in 2010 despite being promoted to Montgomery mid-season. Bortnick is a hard-nose player that is a lot of fun to watch, he only spent a few games with the Stone Crabs last year but I am looking forward to seeing him play this season. Cipriano was another fun player to watch for the Stone Crabs, knocks the cover of the ball and comes through in clutch situations plus the ability to play multiple positions in the infield.

BLB: You saw Matt Moore last year. Thoughts on him?

JD: Moore's performance on the mound was amazing. His started the year off slow but worked closely with pitching coach Neil Allen to refine his grip. He led the minors in strikeouts for two years in a row while lowering his walk-out rate. Moore had a bone chip removed from his hand during the off-season and is reported to be feeling better and throwing better. So if this minor adjustment will help avoid a slow start, the ceiling for Moore is unlimited.

BLB: You saw Tim Beckham last year. Thoughts on him?

JD: Unlike a lot of other people, I have not lost faith in Beckham. He did not have a breakout season like predicted with the Stone Crabs but he faired average in a predominantly pitchers league. He was able to reduce his errors between 2009 and 2010. I witnessed Beckham make some spectacular plays at short with the Stone Crabs however I also saw him miss some what appeared to be routine plays. Better consistency will help round out his game and push him towards living up to the hype of being a first round pick with the largest bonus in franchise history.

BLB: Who should we keep an eye on this year?

JD: A personal favorite of mine this season is Tyler Bortick. This kid plays the game of baseball the way it was meant to be played. He gives 110% on the field and finds the way to make the play over and over again. He tends to fly under the radar amongst players in the organization but look for him to have a solid year with the Stone Crabs.

I am also interested in seeing how Jake Thompson does in his first full season. He was promoted to the Stone Crabs late 2010 and started two games for the Stone Crabs. But in those two games, his pitched 11 innings and did not allow an earned run while striking out 6 and holding hitters to a .059 average. I am eager to see if the Rays second round pick from 2010 will continue his success in the Florida State League.

BLB: Last year, the Stone Crabs played in the Florida State League Finals. How do you think they will fare this year?

JD: The Stone Crabs have reached the playoffs in each of their two seasons in the league and I don't think this year will be any different. Under the leadership of Jim Morrison, the club has managed to make it back to the playoffs despite who is or is not on the field. He gets them to play as one and no matter what part of the puzzle is replaced, the team continues to function and win games. This is key with the revolving door that is minor league baseball. The lineup seems to be missing a big bat, but I think the players on this years club will get it done with extra base hits and timely hitting rather then the big fly. Plus you have the strong pitching staff that like the two previous years will help lead the Stone Crabs into the postseason.

What, Me Panic?

I’ve been looking up a lot lately. Apparently, the sky is falling. I hear people are getting ready to fling themselves from skyscrapers, kiss their wives or husbands good-bye, and stock up on canned goods and bottled water.

It’s the end of the world as we know it. Yet I feel fine.

The Rays are in an early season slump. Word on the street is that I must react by “panicking” – whatever that means.

I’m not really sure how to panic for a sports team. After 9/11, I stopped talking to foreigners, cut communications with my neighbors, and even closed myself from my family. They could have all been terrorists. I tuned in regularly to the National Security Color Code Chart to see how safe I was. I watched my friends like a hawk to ensure they weren’t plotting against America. I also stopped eating French fries, French toast, Canadian bacon, and Taco Bell. I took every precaution.

A few years ago, after the stock market collapsed, I again took immediate action. I closed all my accounts, withdrew all my money from the bank, cancelled all my credit cards, and liquidated my assets. “Cash was king” they said, so I moved mine to a shoebox (size 3) underneath my bed. I still don’t trust banks or any other financial institution and shudder when I hear the words “too big to fail”.

But although I am an expert on social panicking, I have never figured out how to panic about a sports team. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Rays just as much as the next cowbell-ringing afro-clad fan, but what can I do? I know I need to do something.

Maybe I will call a sports talk radio station. I’m sure talking about the team with other people who don’t have a stake in the Rays day-to-day operations will help. Perhaps one of the players on the team will turn the dial between their sips of champagne, hear my complaint, and realize they have to swing harder, not strike out as often, and hit the ball where the fielders aren’t. And maybe by hearing my suggestion, they will actually do it. Then, if the pitchers cooperate, maybe the Rays will win a few games.

Maybe I will start a petition to influence the Rays front office. Dan Johnson isn’t doing much this year, so maybe if I get 5,000 signatures I can force Andrew Friedman to trade Johnson, James Shields, and a prospect or two to St. Louis for Albert Pujols. Pujols can hit, right? Maybe if Friedman sees the 5,000 names he will acquiesce to our demands and make a much-needed personnel decision. We see the team struggling, and darn it, we are not happy. Something needs to be done.

Maybe I will stage a protest outside Tropicana Field and insist Joe Maddon stop his lineup tinkering and other “outside of the box” methods. Maybe if we get 1,000 people to hold up signs Joe will hear our message. I’ll buy the markers, make the signs, and even start the chants if that’s what needs to be done. Joe’s methods might have worked last year, but this is 2011. We are not happy. And if Joe can’t do what he needs to do to win games, then “Joe Must Go”.

Maybe I will boycott. I won’t go to any more games until they have a winning record. That will show that underachieving pack of losers. They will look up to the crowd and see my empty seat and a tear will drop from their eye. So of course, they will swing harder, not strike out as often, and hit the ball where the fielders aren’t. All to earn back my love.

The only other idea I have is to maybe sacrifice a live chicken, like Pedro Cerrano in Major League. And if like in Major League, I can’t kill a real chicken because of building codes or PETA or some other law against animal cruelty, a bucket of KFC will suffice. Or if I value my arteries, I’ll just eat a chicken sandwich like my man Wade Boggs.

I’m honestly concerned here. I want to panic. I am a master of the art of panicking. And the Rays early season funk is troubling everyone else so very deeply that I know I should do something.

I want to take action.  I just don’t know what to do.

Maybe I’ll ask a Red Sox fan.