http://www2.tbo.com/sports/rays/201...-turns-out-to-be-just-fine-in-left-ar-256348/
http://www2.tbo.com/sports/rays/201...-turns-out-to-be-just-fine-in-left-ar-256348/
Published: September 09, 2011
Updated: September 09, 2011 - 4:00 AM
Home / sports / baseball / professional /
Rays notes: Left fielders outperforming Red Sox's Crawford
By ROGER MOONEY
Would anyone have guessed back in February that the Rays are getting more out of their left fielders this season than the Red Sox are getting from Carl Crawford?
The six left fielders used by the Rays have outperformed Crawford, the Rays' former All-Star who makes $14 million this season in the first year of a seven-year, $142 million contract, and the Rays' left fielders are doing it for basically less than $7 million.
Sam Fuld (67 games), Desmond Jennings (34), Justin Ruggiano (20), Johnny Damon (11), Matt Joyce (eight) and Brandon Guyer (two) have combined to hit .252 with 19 home runs, 60 RBIs, 33 stolen bases, a .319 on-base percentage and a .432 slugging percentage.
Crawford, who returns to the Trop tonight when the Rays and Red Sox begin a three-game series, entered Thursday's game at Toronto batting .250 with 11 home runs, 53 RBIs, 17 steals, a .286 on-base percentage and a .400 slugging percentage.
"For as difficult as it may seem in advance, I think we've done pretty good with it actually," manager Joe Maddon said. "In advance of these three guys (Fuld, Ruggiano and Jennings) doing well this year it seemed almost impossible. But I think what Sam did early on and particularly what Desmond is doing now it makes the adjustment a little bit easier for us."
The Rays headed into the season expecting Damon, who will earn $5.25 million this season, to get the bulk of playing time, with Fuld used primarily for late-inning defense and DH Manny Ramirez mixed in on occasion. That plan blew up when Ramirez retired the second Friday of the season rather than serve a 100-day suspension for violating baseball's performance-enhancing drug policy.
"We didn't have an absolute Plan B," Maddon said. "Sam turned into a nice Plan B, especially at the beginning of the year."
Fuld helped spark the offense in April and he even led the league in batting for a short time until he slumped in May. Ruggiano took over and picked up some of the slack until tailing off. Then, in late July, the Rays called up Jennings, who despite four hits in his past 10 games, is batting .302 with nine home runs, 21 RBIs, eight doubles, three triples, 15 stolen bases, a .392 on-base percentage and a .544 slugging percentage in 44 games, 34 as the left fielder.
Maddon, who expects Crawford to return to the productive Crawford that Rays fans are used to watching, admitted he is surprised by the production he has received from the left fielders.
"We weren't as void of ability out there as I thought we may be, or comparatively speaking, with what Carl had done," he said. "I think overall we've done pretty good there."
Sundance kids
Maddon has been using the scene in the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," when Butch and Sundance watch the posse tracking and Butch says, "They're beginning to get on my nerves. Who are those guys?"
In this case, Maddon sees the Rays as the team tracking the wild card-leading Red Sox. And even though the Rays are seven games back with 20 games to play, including seven against Boston, Maddon still believes.
More importantly, so do his players.
"I think as long as there is a little bit of hope there you can still stay focused, because baseball can get crazy very quick," said tonight's starter, Wade Davis. "But I think as a whole, we got to keep it together and sweep this series, which we hope to do, and really make this interesting."
Media General Communications Holdings, LLC. A Media General company.
http://www2.tbo.com/sports/rays/201...-turns-out-to-be-just-fine-in-left-ar-256348/
Published: September 09, 2011
Updated: September 09, 2011 - 4:00 AM
Home / sports / baseball / professional /
Rays notes: Left fielders outperforming Red Sox's Crawford
By ROGER MOONEY
Would anyone have guessed back in February that the Rays are getting more out of their left fielders this season than the Red Sox are getting from Carl Crawford?
The six left fielders used by the Rays have outperformed Crawford, the Rays' former All-Star who makes $14 million this season in the first year of a seven-year, $142 million contract, and the Rays' left fielders are doing it for basically less than $7 million.
Sam Fuld (67 games), Desmond Jennings (34), Justin Ruggiano (20), Johnny Damon (11), Matt Joyce (eight) and Brandon Guyer (two) have combined to hit .252 with 19 home runs, 60 RBIs, 33 stolen bases, a .319 on-base percentage and a .432 slugging percentage.
Crawford, who returns to the Trop tonight when the Rays and Red Sox begin a three-game series, entered Thursday's game at Toronto batting .250 with 11 home runs, 53 RBIs, 17 steals, a .286 on-base percentage and a .400 slugging percentage.
"For as difficult as it may seem in advance, I think we've done pretty good with it actually," manager Joe Maddon said. "In advance of these three guys (Fuld, Ruggiano and Jennings) doing well this year it seemed almost impossible. But I think what Sam did early on and particularly what Desmond is doing now it makes the adjustment a little bit easier for us."
The Rays headed into the season expecting Damon, who will earn $5.25 million this season, to get the bulk of playing time, with Fuld used primarily for late-inning defense and DH Manny Ramirez mixed in on occasion. That plan blew up when Ramirez retired the second Friday of the season rather than serve a 100-day suspension for violating baseball's performance-enhancing drug policy.
"We didn't have an absolute Plan B," Maddon said. "Sam turned into a nice Plan B, especially at the beginning of the year."
Fuld helped spark the offense in April and he even led the league in batting for a short time until he slumped in May. Ruggiano took over and picked up some of the slack until tailing off. Then, in late July, the Rays called up Jennings, who despite four hits in his past 10 games, is batting .302 with nine home runs, 21 RBIs, eight doubles, three triples, 15 stolen bases, a .392 on-base percentage and a .544 slugging percentage in 44 games, 34 as the left fielder.
Maddon, who expects Crawford to return to the productive Crawford that Rays fans are used to watching, admitted he is surprised by the production he has received from the left fielders.
"We weren't as void of ability out there as I thought we may be, or comparatively speaking, with what Carl had done," he said. "I think overall we've done pretty good there."
Sundance kids
Maddon has been using the scene in the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," when Butch and Sundance watch the posse tracking and Butch says, "They're beginning to get on my nerves. Who are those guys?"
In this case, Maddon sees the Rays as the team tracking the wild card-leading Red Sox. And even though the Rays are seven games back with 20 games to play, including seven against Boston, Maddon still believes.
More importantly, so do his players.
"I think as long as there is a little bit of hope there you can still stay focused, because baseball can get crazy very quick," said tonight's starter, Wade Davis. "But I think as a whole, we got to keep it together and sweep this series, which we hope to do, and really make this interesting."
Media General Communications Holdings, LLC. A Media General company.
