Hinske gets final spot; spring finale a loss

Update 4:07 Eric Hinske didn't just get a spot on the team, he'll be in the starting lineup on Monday in Baltimore. Manager Joe Maddon unveiled his lineup Saturday and it will look like this:
Akinori Iwamura, 2b
Carl Crawford, lf
Carlos Pena, 1b
B.J. Upton, cf
Cliff Floyd, dh
Willy Aybar, 3b
Eric Hinske, rf
Dioner Navarro, c
Jason Bartlett, ss
James Shields, rhp

Also, here are the Rays final planned moves to get down to the 25-man roster limit by the 3 p.m. Sunday deadline:

And here’s how they got there:

Designated for

assignment

RHP Grant Balfour

Optioned

INF Joel Guzman, to Triple-A Durham

RHP Juan Salas, to Class A Hudson Valley

Placed on 15-day

disabled list

LHP Kurt Birkins, left elbow neuritis

RHP Chad Orvella, right shoulder tendinitis

Reassigned to

minor-league camp

INF Andy Cannizaro

C Mike Difelice

RHP Scott Munter

INF Chris Richard

OF John Rodriguez

OF Jon Weber

Released

C Josh Paul

Selected from Durham

OF Eric Hinske

Update 3:59 Rays lose 8-4. If the A's lose their game this afternoon, the Rays, at 18-8-2, can clinch the best spring record in the majors.

Update 3:26 With a cast of thousands playing that even the press box crew is having trouble keeping up, the Rays trail 8-4 going to the ninth.

Update 2:56 The Rays, with a chance to clinch the best spring training record in the majors, took a lead into the sixth but Scott Munter gave up a three-run home run to ex-Ray Javier Valentin, and it's now 5-4 Reds.

2:22 The Rays pulled all their starters are three innings and are leading 3-0. Edwin Jackson worked through the fourth, and gave one run back so it's 3-1.

Update, 12:52 It's nearly game time, and it's very hot, in Sarasota. The Rays will play their regulars for a few innings, then turn things over to the reserves and minor-leaguers, with the idea of getting their 25 rostered players ready to go to Baltimore on Sunday. There is expected to be an official announcemet after the game regarding the roster:

Here is the Rays lineup, with DH Cliff Floyd and 3B Willy Aybar playing again in minor-league games:
Iwamura, 2b
Crawford, lf
Pena, 1b
Upton, cf
Hinske, 3b
Gomes, rf
Navarro, c
Bartlett, ss
Jackson, rhp




ROSTER MOVES
The Rays picked Eric Hinske over Joel Guzman for their final roster spot Saturday morning, unofficially setting their 25-man roster.
Hinske, who came to camp on a non-roster deal, made the team based on a strong spring, his experience and the versatility to play the four corner spots - first and third base, left and right field.
Guzman was optioned to Triple-A Durham.
The Rays also made it official that INF Elliot Johnson, C Shawn Riggans and RHP Scott Dohmann - who were all in battles for jobs - made the team.
The roster has to be filed by 3 p.m. Sunday. The Rays will get down to the 25-man limit by placing RHP Chad Orvella and LHP Kurt Birkins on the DL and optioning RHP Juan Salas - who is expected to report to camp next week after a six-week visa delay - to the minors.

Comments

[Shane Doppler]

Yeah man, I used to puff the chiba with Hinske in college. That dude sure can pull a 4 footer. He used to get blazed and then go out and play a game on cloud 9 and still kill the ball. He's the greatest athelete ever man

[MLNFL]

I like the look of the new BIG BOY Rays.. got some real beef on this team. Hinske/Gomes will make a real nice rivalry all year from which the
team can only benefit.

[Originality]

So "Bodog" and "raysfan" are original? One is stolen straight from the most popular online betting site in the world. The other is used on every fan board on the net. Just plug in the name of the team, soxfan, jaysfan, yankeefan. Really original.

Bodog, you are insane if you really think Wade Davis, Jake McGee, and David Price will be on the major league team before the all star break. Not a chance. The only way Brignac and Ruggiano see the majors before the break will be due to injury.

[Bodog]

Raysfan I'm not saying JG will be going anywhere anytime soon. I'm saying with his limited defensive skills, free swingings ways, he could become a liabilty. Personally I love the guy. Raysfan, you and I both know as this team gets better, and it will. Those marginal players like JG will be gone. JG has to get better defensively and definitely become more discipline at the plate. Joe knows this team is only a couple of players away from seriously kicking the crap out of the Yankees and Bosox. His tolerant for failure is gonna be very very short. Two other players come to mind Glover and Wheeler in the bullpen. These guys need to show up early

[KyleE]

I like Gomes and I keep hoping he will cut down his swing and make more contact. A 360ft HR counts the same as a 420ft HR and with fewer monster whiffs and more contact he might get 500 ABs and hit 30 or 40 homers. Hinske earned his spot and earned the start.

[raysfan]

guys, gomes isn't going anywhere, don't worry. i think this was the right decision to make with him and hinske... and boy am i glad we picked hinske up!! i remember red sox fans calling for his head when he played with them, but he'll fit in well with us. he's got some of that tough-guy swagger going on, too -- when he was with the bosox, he PLOWED INTO jorge posada at the plate! it was awesome! i remember the NY 'bloids, with the sports on the back cover, showed the picture of the collision, with "welcome to the rivalry, eric."

yeah, gomes is a lot like mike alstott. i think others have compared him to the andre roy of the rays, too!

we have finished out ST with the best record in the majors. man i am excited for the season to start!

[Bodog]

Frantman2 - Gomes is a great teammate....he's a grinder, but I do fear as the Rays get better ( those young lower class ball players get some seasoning, Ruggiano,Perez, Jennings) players like Gomes, Guzman, Hinkse and Aybar, won't make the 25 man squad. Yesterday, I was checking out this site that listed the 25 top Rays prospect in class A, AA, AAA and the first 6 /7 players on that list I look to see at some point on the big league squad no later than before the All Star break.

Longoria
Price
Brinac
Wade Davis
Mcgee
Ruggiano
Jeff Niemann

[frantman2]

Bodog, I definitely see your point. It just seems there's a different feel to the team when Gomes is in there. He's kind of become the Mike Alstott of the Rays, I guess. We get blinded by his passion when in fact he isn't the most complete player (though Alstott was in his prime). I'm glad Hinske made the team over Guzman, though.

[Bodog]

Frantman2 - I'm not surprised Hinske got the start over Gomes. Hinske has a better understanding of the game, a better hitter, and definitely more discipline at the plate. I'm a Gomes Fan but I like winning too and Hinske gives the Rays a better chance. Gomes has tremendous power - he is a slugger, what happens when he isn't slugging. How many times last season Gomes is at bat at critical times of the game, men on base, move a runner over, make contact with the ball, Gomes stikes out swinging or looking. He has no plate discipline. Hinske will do fine hitting in that lower half of the order.

[raysfan]

that's a good question frantman. i'm guessing gomes is gonna be a bench reserve player...

[raysfan]

true enough bo dog. in fact, we've been a little shallow at the C position for a couple years now! ever since toby hall left...

[Bodog]

Gobod - you are a joke - like Raysfan mentioned at least show some originality, come on man! Riggans is not that talented, his worke ethics is gonna get him so far as a big league player. Earlier in the season Joe mentioned it himself "He had to see if Riggans can play on a big league level". I watched Riggans this Spring and last season when he was up. I just don't see this swagger in him that big league players have. He looks like and acts like a player whose just happy to be. At best, he'll be a career AAA ball player.

[frantman2]

Anyone else a little surprised and disappointed Hinske gets the start just like that over Gomes? Gomes worked his butt off and deserves to start opening day. And he appealed his suspension, so he's eligible. I can see him getting tired of this quickly if he doesn't get more playing time.

[raysfan]

oh good gravy! i just looked it up -- riggans is already 27 years old!

[raysfan]

rather than post people's nicknames backwards, godob, why not just post with a real nickname? or even your own name?

don't presume to tell me what i do and don't know, and what i have or haven't heard. there was hype galore over guzman and he hasn't lived up to it. simple as that. many prospects don't live up to the hype that surrounds them and frankly i'm a little worried about longoria in that regard. as far as guzman goes, "potential" doesn't win ball games. at 23 there's no reason a player shouldn't be starting to hit his stride. we're not talking about an 18 year old here.

as far as riggans goes, i don't know if he can be a good backup to navarro at all. scouting reports on riggans have said that the guy lacks extraordinary talent but makes up for it in work ethic. that's fine, but... well, draw your own conclusions.

[ryan callahan]

well, heres my take on difelice. he didnt make the team so that riggans could. the reason riggans needs to make it is to have a starting role for John Jaso at Durham, and have him ready by next season. but in no way should riggans be on this team.

[Godob]

Raysfan and Bodog, you have to be kidding. When did Riggans ever get a chance to show what he can do? 39 major league at bats is not a chance to show what you can do. The guy was hurt most of last year. He has always been a good hitter in the minors, and was named the best defensive catcher in AAA in 2006.

Also, Raysfan, Guzman wasn't a "heralded, amazing, astronomical" prospect anymore when the Rays got him. That's not "all you heard". He was a much bigger prospect a year or two before the Rays got him. Scouts weren't as high on him by the time the Rays got him. But Guzman is still only 23 years old. He still has a ton of potential. He can still be a productive player. And he still has plenty of time to play well enough to earn a roster spot. The Rays did the right thing sending him to AAA. At 23 years old, if he isn't going to start, he needs regular at bats. He isn't done getting better.

[Jeff]

Sigh!!! I attended most of the home Spring games. Every time Jackson pitches this season all will be left as in the past wondering in which of the first six innings he will have a meltdown and give up six runs. In Friday's game Reyes gives up a run in one inning and Perceval gives up a run the next. And, the rest of the bullpen isn't that good. Rays pitching could improve over last year and they could still have the worse ERA in MLB. Everyone knew the Rays needed a first rate catcher last year (i.e., someone who can occasionally throw out a base stealer at second... Oh, Tobi, why couldn't you have kept up a better batting average?) Oh well! At least they will probably be better than last year's team if only because it would be nearly impossible to be any worse.

[Bodog]

I like Hinske over Guzman as well, especially him batting in the lower half of the batting order. I agree with Raysfan, Riggans has shown absolutely nothing as a ball player. As a matter of fact, I would have perferred to see that young kid Hector Gimenez make the squad, lots of talent. Sarasota Ralph - not surprised at all, as a matter of fact, I will agin, predict that the Rays will improve by 20 - 25 games in the won / lost column. Does anybody have the stats of how many games the Rays lost last season when they were leading from the 7th inning on, crappy azz bullpen.

[raysfan]

i don't prefer riggans. we've seen what he can do and it ain't much.

that said, i'm glad we did the intelligent thing and picked hinske over guzman. which brings me to my next point -- ever since being this heralded, amazing, astronomical prospect, when is guzman going to be able to play well enough to earn a roster spot on a ML team? when we traded for him with the dodgers, all we heard was how this guy was so amazing, etc. etc. i'm still waiting to see it!!

[Go Marlins]

Rays suck

[Einhard]

Except for the arrested and convicted part, DiFelice has that in common with the following "losers", many of whom also broke the law on numerous occasions:
Ty Cobb
Babe Ruth
Joe DiMaggio
Ted Williams
Mickey Mantle

And we can throw that "loser" Kirby Puckett into the mix as well.

Incidentally, I prefer Riggans on the roster to DeFelice who I think is a lousy ballplayer, although Josh does have a point about his defense and play calling.

[Sarasota Ralph]

You may find ths hard to believe, but the NY Daily News has an online poll about who will win the AL East. Not surprisingly, the Yankees are in first place, the Bosox are second, but the Rays are ahead of the Blue Jays and the Orioles. As the old Yankees announcer Mel Allen would say..."How bout that?"

[Rodger]

Difelice is a women beater, arrested and convicted a couple years ago. He is a LOSER.

[josh]

A little disapointing that DiFelice didnt make the roster. With his veteran play calling, he could have really helped both Navarro and the young pitching staff