cubsfaninfla Posted February 18, 2007 Share Posted February 18, 2007 Stories of the Trop A 2007 Tampa Bay Devil Rays Dynasty Settings Level: Pro Fielding: Assisted Sliders: Don't think I made adjustments Mods: MVP 07 Mod with Ultimate Rosters (made some of my own adjustments) Tywiggins Box Score Extractor Tywiggins MVP Editor I may manage some games if I don't have time to play a full game or the game will be too slow for my computer. ____________________________________________________________ March 31, 2007 ST. PETERSBURG - Spring Training is over for the Devil Rays, and as the cuts were made, the team has formulated its lineup. Some surprises were be that Carlos Pena will be platooning with Greg Norton at 1st base, and newcomer Akinori Iwamura will platoon with Ty Wigginton at 3rd base to start the season. As expected, the opening day starter will be Scott Kazmir when the Rays face the Yankees April 2nd. The expected lineups and rotation for the Rays are as follows: (Excuse Delmon Young at catcher, it's supposed to be Navarro) The Rays will have a young pitching staff again this year....their rotation rounds out like this: 1. Scott Kazmir 2. Casey Fossum 3. Jamie Shields 4. Jae Weong Seo 5. Tim Corcoran Manager Joe Maddon stated "I expect that this team will be the surprise of the majors. We have a gutsy team, and we are gonna turn heads this year." Asked if he expected to contend he said. "Every team expects to contend early on. We face stiff competition in Boston and New York, but I think we can beat them." As said before, the Rays will begin their season on April 2nd against the Yankees. You can catch the game on WXPX Channel 66 (Bright House Cable 17 / Comcast 2) and on the radio on WHNZ 1250 in the Tampa Bay area. _____________________________________________________________ The first game is already completed, will post soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 18, 2007 Author Share Posted February 18, 2007 Rays Lose in a Heartbreaker Jeter was the hero of the game for the Yankees Box Score NEW YORK- The Tampa Bay Devil Rays lost 4-3 in a heartbreaker at Opening Day in Yankee Stadium. The game remained scoreless until the top of the 3rd inning, when BJ Upton hit former Japan League star Akinori Iwamura home for an RBI single.The Rays would tack on 2 more runs in the first, on a 2 RBI double from Delmon Young, who was 3-4 on the day. The game remained 3-0 until the bottom of the 6th when Derek Jeter lead off with a solo homerun, and Jason Giambi followed two outs later with his own solo shot. Kazmir managed to go 7 strong innings giving up only two runs, until reliever Dan Miceli came in in the bottom of the 8th. Johnny Damon managed to reach on a throwing error by Akinori Iwamura, and he eventually scored on a Bobby Abreu double to tie it up. The Devil Rays regained the lead in the top of the 9th when Carlos Pena doubled on an opposite field hit to left. He was replaced by pinch runner Ben Zobrist, who scored the go ahead run. Zobrist was eventually replaced at first by Ty Wigginton. However, the game unraveled in the 9th, when closer Seth McClung walked Hideki Matsui, who managed to score the tying run on an Andy Phillips single. After Phillips singled, Johnny Damon got a base hit of his own. Up stepped Derek Jeter, who blasted a homerun to right field to win the game for the Yankees. The Rays will face the Yanks again on April 4, as Casey Fossum faces And Pettitte. Clubhouse talk: Seth McClung: I really blew it. I'm gonna have to pitch a hell of a lot better if I want to remain the closer. Derek Jeter: I'm really pumped that I could start the season this way, though I've gotta give credit to Andy [Phillips] for his PH single, or else, I would have not had the chance win the game for us. Player of the game: Derek Jeter 4-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI ________________________________________________ Similar to TwentySeven's dynasty, I will be taking mailbag questions. Please, send 'em in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timp Posted February 18, 2007 Share Posted February 18, 2007 Cool choice of team. I'll watch this. Mailbag: Do you think the Rays will hold on to their surplus of prospects, or trade them for impact players? Who's most likely to be traded at this point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ro290190 Posted February 18, 2007 Share Posted February 18, 2007 Mailbag:Why has the decision to move crawford from 3rd in the order to the 2hole been made Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 18, 2007 Author Share Posted February 18, 2007 Thanks for the positive comments and the mailbag questions! I'll answer them before I post the next game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 18, 2007 Author Share Posted February 18, 2007 Here are the results from within the division: TOR 1 - DET 3 BOS 4 - KC 5 BAL 4 - MIN 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 RAYS MAILBAG Mailbag: Do you think the Rays will hold on to their surplus of prospects, or trade them for impact players? Who's most likely to be traded at this point? Good question. It all really depends on if the Rays are in contention by the trade deadline. If so, they may be willing to part with a prospect or two. If not, you could see some big players being traded, like Aubrey Huff was last year. Why has the decision to move crawford from 3rd in the order to the 2hole been made Joe Maddon decided this would be best because of Rocco Baldelli coming back in full health to start off this year. Upton and Crawford are good at getting on base, and Baldelli can drive in runs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Game 2 to be posted soon, and keep sending in those mailbag questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 April 4, 2007 Pitching matchup: Casey Fossum (6-6 5.33 in 06 for TB) vs. Andy Pettitte (14-13 4.20 in 06 for HOU) Rays on the Losing End of Slugfest Despite 6 HR's from the Rays, like this one from Dioner Navarro, they lost 10-7 Box Score NEW YORK- The Tampa Bay Devil Rays lost their 2nd game in a row with a 10-7 slugfrst the Yankees. The Rays started off strong, with BJ Upton and Carl Crawford hitting back to back HR's in the top of the third. The lead didn't last long though, as an RBI single by Jason Giambi and a three run HR by Hideki in the bottom of the third brought the Yankees to a 4-2 lead over the Rays. Ty Wigginton homered in the top of the 4th to cut the Yankees lead down to 1. Dioner Navarro homered against his former ballclub in the top of the next inning to tie it up. In the bottom of the fifth, the floodgates opened. After Casey Fossum got nailed in the toe on a ground ball by Jason Giambi, JP Howell came in and got Hideki Matsui to ground into a sure double play --- that was flubbed by Jorge Cantu which allowed Matsui to reach base. The Yankees scored 5 runs that innning and the Rays could never come back. The Rays, did try however, coming within 3 runs of tying the game. Details of Fossum's injury will be announced later. Tommorrow's matchup will be Jamie Shields vs. Mike Mussina in the final game of the series. Clubhouse talk: Casey Fossum: That ground ball really hurt and I'm so ticked off that I might not be able to help the Rays start out the season. We'll see how it goes and I hope I can get back ASAP. Joe Maddon: Losing 2 in a row is definitely a dissapointing, but I think we need to put that all behind us and win tommorrow. Losing Casey [Fossum] isn't good, but it means we'll be able to give some more of our young pitchers shots at starting. Andy Pettitte: I'm glad to be back in the Big Apple.....I didn't make my best start, but my team pulled through and won it for me. Players of the game: Hideki Matsui 1-4, 1 HR, 4 RBI Robinson Cano 1-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SESbb30 Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 why was there nobody at the opener? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 why was there nobody at the opener? I have to play with crowds off or else it bogs down my computer. Just imagine there's a crowd there, lol. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fossum Placed on DL NEW YORK - Devil Rays LHP Casey Fossum was placed on the 15-day disabled list for a fractured toe that occured after a ground ball caremed off of his toe. RHP Chad Orvella was called up from AAA Durham, and is expected to join the team in New York. Orvella split time between Durham and Tampa Bay in 2006, and owns a 4-8 record with a 4.84 ERA in 59 career appearances, all in relief. He has not pitched a game for Durham yet, as their season has not started. Team doctors expect Fossum to be out for about a month with this injury. LHP JP Howell will take his rotation place as Orvella joins the bullpen. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Division Scores: TOR 7 - DET 11 BOS 7 - KC 8 BAL 1 - MIN 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Keep the mailbag questions coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Unit Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Mailbag: Are there any moves the GM plans on making? Maybe another bat in the lineup or adding a big arm to the rotation or bullpen? It seems like they are a few moves away from becoming a force. Nice dynasty, keep it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 Game #3 finished....mailbag will be answered once I get about 3-4 questions in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totte Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Mailbag: What do the manager and owners expects from Howell when he steps into the rotation to fill the void left by injured Fossum. Are there any hot prospects in the organisation that you feel are MLB ready at this point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 April 5, 2007 Game 3 Pitching matchup: James Shields (6-8 4.84 in 06 for TB) vs. Mike Mussina (15-7 4.20 in 06 for NYY) Rays Put Up Goose Egg in Sweep Box Score NEW YORK- The Tampa Bay Devil Rays left Yankee Stadium with their tails between their legs as they managed not a single run and only three hits. The Yankees started off the scoring in the 2nd, with three singles, a hit by pitch, and a double play leading to two runs. Mike Mussina had a no-hitter going into the top of the fifth, until Delmon Young singled with no outs. He was quickly picked off and Carlos Pena got the Rays' second hit afterwards. The Yankees scame up in the bottom of the 6th launching two home runs. In the top of the 7th, Alex Rodriguez launched a solo shot to bring the game to a score of 6-0. The Yankees tacked on 4 more in the bottom of the 8th on 6 singles. The only bright spots for the Rays were two diving catches, one by Akinori Iwamura, and the other for Carlos Pena. The Rays will go back home to Tropicana Field for a short 3 game homestand against the Toronto Blue Jays (1-2) where Jae Weong Seo will take the mound against Gustavo Chacin. Clubhouse talk: Jamie Shields: Things seemed to be going fine until the 6th, then I just lost it. Joe Maddon: Getting swept is definitely hard, and our players didn't play the way I know they can. We have a good record at home, and I think we can get those three games back. Mike Mussina: I just was on the ball today with my control, and the offense helped. Joe Torre: We haven't won the World Series yet, and there's 159 more games to play. We just need to keep playing like we have the last few games and we should be fine. Players of the game: Mike Mussina , 9 IP. 3 H, 0 ER, 4 SO, 1 BB Bobby Abreu, 3-4 3 RBI Alex Rodriguez 1-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI __________________________________________________________ Minor Leagues: (Rays Minor League Team - Opponent) DUR 3 - TOL 1 MNT 1 - HUN 2 VB 2 - SLM 0 __________________________________________________________ Around the Division: TOR 10 - DET 3 BOS 7 - KC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 April 6, 2007 Game 4 Toronto Blue Jays (1-2) vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays (0-3) Pitching matchup: Jae Weong Seo (3-12 5.33 in 06 for LAD / TB) vs. Gustavo Chacin (9-4 5.04 in 06 for TOR) Rays 'Seo' in First Victory Box Score ST. PETERSBURG- After an embarrassing sweep by the Yankees on the road, the Rays started their home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays with a bang. In the 1st, Jonny Gomes and Rocco Baldelli connected with back to back homeruns to put the Rays up 2-0. The Rays really started to get things going in the bottom of the 4th, where Rocco Baldelli lead off with a double, and Johnny Gomes hit his second homerun right after the double. Delmon Young grounded out, but the rally didn't stop there. Ty Wigginton and Jorge Cantu connected for back to back solo shots to make the score 6-0. Jae Weong Seo was crusing until the bottom of the 6th, where the Blue Jays scored their only runs of the game. The Rays followed up with three runs of their own, on a Jorge Cantu double and a Greg Norton homerun. The Rays later scored one more, leaving the final score at 10-3. The Devil Rays pitching staff managed to get 25 outs that never left the infield, and 4 crucial double plays. Clubhouse talk: Jonny Gomes: I was just locked in today, ya know? Jae Weong Seo: I hit my marks and got the groundball outs I needed. Joe Maddon: This is the win we needed. Jae [Weong Seo] had a great game, and we needed him to step up, and that's what he did. John Gibbons: We all sucked out there. I should have pulled Chacin much earlier, but I'll admit it, I had my head up my a** today. Players of the game: Jonny Gomes: 3-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI Ty Wigginton: 3-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI _________________________________________________________ Minor Leagues: DUR 9 - TOL 4 MNT 6 - HUN 1 VB 1 - SLM 7 _________________________________________________________ Around the Division: BOS 7 - TEX 6 BAL 7 - NYY 14 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just one or two more mailbag questions until I answer it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred13 Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Mailbag: Do the Rays expect to get a big impact out of Akinori Iwamura or is he just a response to the signings of Diasuke Matsuzaka and Kei Igawa, the other big name Japanese players coming to the AL East? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 Are there any moves the GM plans on making? Maybe another bat in the lineup or adding a big arm to the rotation or bullpen? It seems like they are a few moves away from becoming a force. The GM will likely assess the team's needs near the deadline. It's too early to predict what the team will need at this moment. What do the manager and owners expects from Howell when he steps into the rotation to fill the void left by injured Fossum. Joe Maddon pretty much expects Howell to pitch at least 5 strong innings each game, which is pretty much what Maddon expects out of all his starters. No special pressure seems to be on Howell. If Howell has troubles, Edwin Jackson would likely get moved back to the rotation. Do the Rays expect to get a big impact out of Akinori Iwamura or is he just a response to the signings of Diasuke Matsuzaka and Kei Igawa, the other big name Japanese players coming to the AL East? The Rays don't expect a major impact out of Iwamura, the Rays signed him mainly because he is a defensive maven and can play all of the infield positions well. He seems to be doing well as a platoon partner to Ty Wigginton. Note that the Rays have a couple players in their system from the Far East....including Jae Seo (Korea), Hee-Seop Choi (Korea), Jae Kuk Ryu (Korea), Shinji Mori (Japan) [who is currently rehabbing in A-ball], and the aforementioned Akinori Iwamura. It could be a strategy by the Rays in order to build up a fanbase in Asia, or to tap into new talent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 Keep sending in those mailbag questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 April 7, 2007 Game 5 Toronto Blue Jays (1-3) vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1-3) Pitching matchup: Tim Corcoran (5-9 4.38 in 06 for TB) vs. Tomo Ohka (4-5 4.82 in 06 for MIL) Rays Fans Get "Free Baseball" in Loss Box Score ST. PETERSBURG- Coming off a win in their previous game, the Rays hoped to continue the winning against the Blue Jays. Things looked bleak in the 3rd, when Tim Corcoran gave up 5 runs to bring the Jays up 6-0. Carl Crawford came up in the bottom of that inning and hit a 2 run home run, to pull the Rays within 4. Then, in the bottom of the third, homers from Jorge Cantu and Josh Paul brought the Rays within one run. The game was later tied up, and in the bottom of the sixth, Delmon Young hit the go ahead homerun, his first of the year. But the lead was short lived, as Dan Miceli gave up 3 runs in the top of the 7th. No more runs were scored until the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, Ty Wigginton came to bat as a pinch hitter for Akinori Iwamura. It was bombed to left to tie the game up. Then, a single by BJ Upton brought Carl Crawford to the plate. He doubled to tie the game up, but later got picked off to force the game into extra innings. The Jays once again took the lead in the 11th, but the Rays answered that with a Rocco Baldelli solo shot. Things remained scoreless until the top of the 13th, when Vernon Wells drove in Alex Rios on an RBI double. The Rays could not come back and ended up losing in a slugfest, 11-10. It will be Scott Kazmir facing Roy Halladay in the rubber match tommorrow. Clubhouse talk: Ty Wigginton: Well, at least we tried our hardest, this one's a heartbreaker for our team and all the fans at the game. Joe Maddon: It's a dissapointment, but our team worked our butts off, but they worked just a little harder. It was certainly an exciting game. We'll get 'em tomorrow. John Gibbons: The Rays worked their butts off, but we worked ours off harder. Players of the game: Vernon Wells: 3-7, 1 RBI Alex Rios: 4-7, 1 HR, 3 RBI Ty Wigginton: 1-2, 1 HR, 1 RBI Delmon Young: 1-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SB Carl Crawford: 3-6, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 SB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freshprince85 Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 i like this a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 Game 6 coming today or tommorrow, I actually just got done now, but I'll have to do it over since I accidentally quit before I ran the box score extractor. (And it might be a good thing I have to do it over too, b/c Akinori Iwamura tore his meniscus) _____________________________________________________________ Keep sending your mailbag questions though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfgiantsflgators Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Game 6 coming today or tommorrow, I actually just got done now, but I'll have to do it over since I accidentally quit before I ran the box score extractor. (And it might be a good thing I have to do it over too, b/c Akinori Iwamura tore his meniscus) _____________________________________________________________ Keep sending your mailbag questions though! why not just post it without a box score? especially since we now know that something significant happened that, if played again, could change the direction of the team. it would make it more "realistic" as opposed to you creating the outcome you'd like to see... just a suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 20, 2007 Author Share Posted February 20, 2007 I like to keep things uniform.... If I forget next time, I just won't put a boxscore _______________________________________________________ April 8, 2007 Game 6 Toronto Blue Jays (2-3) vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1-4) Pitching matchup: Scott Kazmir (0-1 2.85) vs. Roy Halladay (0-1 3.75) Rays take homestand Box Score ST. PETERSBURG- The Rays won the rubber match of the homestand 8-7, in a rollercoaster of a game. Toronto put up two runs in the top of the 3rd to begin the scoring, and the Rays answered in the bottom of the 3rd with a run. Toronto then scored two more runs to bring the score to 4-1. The Rays shortened the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the 4th. 1 inning later, the Rays tied it up on a 2-run double by Jonny Gomes. The Jays retook the lead in the top of the 6th 5-4. They tacked on another run in the top of the 7th on a Frank Thomas solo shot. The Rays again shortened the Jays lead to one on a Carl Crawford double. The Jays answered again with another one of their own. In the bottom of the 8th, down by 3 runs, Delmon Young and Carlos Pena both singled, and Akinori Iwamura drived them in with a double, making it his first major league extra base hit. Iwamura later advanced to third on a Dioner Navarro groundout and was driven in on what proved to be a game winning sacrifice fly. The Devil Rays will head to Arlington Texas where JP Howell will face Vicente Padilla and the Rangers. Clubhouse talk: Akinori Iwamura: I finally feel like I've made myself worth the money this team spent on me. Seth McClung: I'm glad I could get my first save of the year. Players of the game: Akinori Iwamura: 2-3, 3 RBI Delmon Young: 3-4 Carl Crawford: 3-5, 2 SB _______________________________________________________________________________________ Minor Leagues: VB 1 - SLM 3 MNT 5 - HUN 0 DUR 3 - CLS 0 ________________________________________________________________________________________ Around the Division: BAL 4 - NYY 6 BOS 3 - TEX 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfaninfla Posted February 21, 2007 Author Share Posted February 21, 2007 Well, game 7 gets to the loading screen and crashes, so this dynasty is on hold. (Help would be appreciated!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mav3rek Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 why are all the stadiums empty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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