No doubt baseball can be dull. But Evan Longoria’s at-bat last night in the 7th inning against Cleveland was one of those moments that make the game worth watching.
He crushed two Rafael Betancourt pitches deep into the left field stands, just foul. Longoria’s body language oozed confidence at the plate. I’m thinking, “You should just walk him, pitcher.”
Betancourt didn’t, and the Rays third baseman jacked one far into the leftfield seats, a fair ball this time, homerun. That bomb broke the game open, and the Rays won 8-4, ending a five-game losing streak to the Indians.
As a rookie, Longoria appears to have already become the most popular Ray, not to mention the frontrunner for this year's team MVP (as well as AL Rookie of the Year).
• Jonny Gomes got sent down to the minors yesterday, as he should’ve been. The right-handed power hitter was batting .182 with eight homeruns as a platoon player. He was shaky in the outfield as well.
Gomes said he hopes to get called back up to the majors, but welcomes the chance to play everyday for the Triple A Durham Bulls. Good attitude. He’s always been a team guy.
The Rays should call Gomes up if they sense another impending basebrawl. Did you see him early in the season when the fight broke out against the Red Sox? Gomes was bustin’ heads. No fear. Dude’s a bulldog.
• The Rays’ 2007 No. 1 draft pick (taken first overall), pitcher David Price, is playing Double-A ball in Montgomery, Ala. He has an improbable 10-0 record in 14 starts, with a 1.97 ERA.
They say you have to handle young pitchers with kid gloves, but Price was a superstar pitcher at Vanderbilt for three years and is almost 23. How do you not bring him up to the Big League team and give him a taste, see what he can do?
