Q&A with R.J. Anderson from DRays Bay.

by WholeCamels on Oct 21, 2008 2:30 PM EDT

MLB World Series blog coverage on SB
Nation

Once again, we've exchanged five questions with our rival's blog on the SBNation network. I present you my five questions and answers with R.J. Anderson from DRaysBay.com.

Please find our answers to his questions here.

1. At what point in the season did you realize that this Rays team was "for real," and it wasn't just a hot start, a fluke, luck, whatever you want to call it?

Probably after the initial sweep against Boston in St. Pete. Every aspect of the team shined through and from there things seemed to just take off.

2. Which Phillies player is your biggest worry for the Series? How do you suggest the Rays counteract that threat?

Chase Utley, and it might be because of his defense more so than his offense (which is scary as well). I guess not hitting the ball to the right side would help, but the Rays feature a lefty heavy lineup and groundballs to that gap more than likely are not going to get through.

3. There are now zero artificial turf fields in the National League, and no true indoor parks either. What can the Phillies expect at Tropicana Field, and how will the Rays use their idiosyncratic park to their advantage?

Dimming the lights during the top half of the innings seems to work well. Uh, I’m not really sure there’s that much of an advantage, yes fielding the balls on the turf is a bit different, but you don’t seem to see too many hassles with misplayed balls due to the turf.

4. So have the Rays officially made David Price their closer for the Series?

No, and do not expect them to. The Rays rely on a “relief ace” system. Some call it bullpen-by-committee but that name has a negative connotation amongst most fans. If the game is close in the 7^th you will see Grant Balfour or J.P. Howell enter almost certainly, if the starter can last until the 9^th then that’s when you’ll see one of those two enter. Price has been the second to last guy out of the pen most of these games, despite the increased role you have to realize he was not one of the first out of the pen.

5. Are there any areas where you perceive the Phillies holding a significant advantage over the Rays? Where do you see the Rays being clearly superior to the Phillies?

The Phils offense and the Rays starting rotation. Okay, Cole Hamels is really good, and Myers is fine, but Moyer and Blanton against Garza and Sonnanstine are clear Rays advantages.

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Comments

I like that they kept the name “DRays Bay,” honoring their satanic roots even though the team did not.

by dajafi on Oct 21, 2008 2:47 PM EDT reply actions

We can draw from all kinds of evil entities

Not only can we use Satan, but a branch of Xenu-haters is in our own backyard. Can’t forget good ol’ Clearwater Scientologists.

by kericr on Oct 21, 2008 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions

ha

I go down for spring training every year, and one time driving back from Bright House Field we saw a bunch of them—dozens, maybe a hundred—milling through the downtown. Creepy.

by dajafi on Oct 21, 2008 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Can't forget the devil inside!

Well congrats Phils on a making to the series, should be a good one, two great teams.
i think the difference in this series will be the starting pitching. Hamels is nasty and Myers can be great too. But no one expected the Rays to beat Lester twice either. The Rays advantage i think is between Moyer and Blanton against Garza and Sonnanstine.
either way, should be a good one, the big Phil bats scare me, but if upton (6 HR) postseason keeps it going we could match em. So no comebacks in the 9th of Lidge? i’ve think ive resigned myself to that already. Go Rays.

BOHICA

by Mr. Tonight TB on Oct 21, 2008 3:09 PM EDT reply actions

I was thinking at one point that Moyer, who has feasted on the likes of the Marlins (who can hit) and Nationals (who can’t), might be okay against the Rays and their lineup of young fastball hitters. But apparently his career numbers against them are pretty bad. Maybe it doesn’t mean much, since only Crawford and maybe one or two other Tampa regulars (certainly if you count Baldelli) were really around when Gramps was last in the AL, but it’s not ideal. I think they’ve knocked Blanton around fairly well too.

The Rays rotation worries me. Not Kazmir so much—he’s a great pitcher, but generally just for 5-6 innings—as Garza, whose power arsenal and mental toughness reminds me of Curt Schilling in 1993, and Shields, who seems to have wheelbarrow-size balls out there. The Phils probably have a bullpen advantage, but David Price certainly looks like he could be an instant October hero like K-Rod in 2002, Todd Worrell in 1985, et al.

by dajafi on Oct 21, 2008 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions

I think Moyer against Garza is shaping up like a significant mismatch even if Moyer rights the ship. but Blanton versus Sonnanstine doesn’t look particularly intimidating to me.

by perfectdepth on Oct 21, 2008 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Sonnanstine's ERA doesn't do his skills justice

By any fielding-independent stat like FIP, xFIP, or tRA, he’s a 3.75 ERA pitcher. Blanton, on the other hand, is more of a 4.75 ERA pitcher.

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Oct 21, 2008 8:51 PM EDT up reply actions

well, yeah, obvs I’m looking at more than ERA. Sonnanstine is fairly hittable and doesn’t strike out a lot of guys. I wouldn’t really disagree that he’s a better pitcher than Blanton, but I don’t really see it as a significant mismatch.

by perfectdepth on Oct 21, 2008 10:50 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't get this hittable line.

His LD% is average and he gets an average amount of swinging strikes.

by R.J. Anderson on Oct 21, 2008 10:52 PM EDT up reply actions

his line against is .277/.312/.446. I would consider that hittable. compare that to, say Kazmir: .220/.309/.418.

the difference is, I think, pretty immediately apparent.

by perfectdepth on Oct 22, 2008 12:09 AM EDT up reply actions

additionally...

Sonnanstine strikes out 5.77 batters per 9; the AL average is 6.64.

clearly he’s a very solid pitcher. but he’s also not an ace. that’s no insult to him, even if you seem to think it is.

by perfectdepth on Oct 22, 2008 12:18 AM EDT up reply actions

you're not removing the effect of fielding/luck, though

if you’re defining “hittable” as “gave up more hits” then sure. but we’re beyond that with evaluating pitchers these days. look at Sonny’s walk-rate: it’s puny.

by tRA, Hamels’ edge over Sonny is less than Sonny’s edge over Blanton…

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Oct 22, 2008 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions

“Hamels is nasty and Myers can be great too. But no one expected the Rays to beat Lester twice either.”

Hey, no one expected the Phils to beat Sabathia, but we did….and we made sure we made damn sure we wouldn’t have to do it again.

While the Rays definitely have the on-paper advantage, the Phillies have already beaten better. Lowe/Billingsley is at least as good as Shields/Garza, it’s fair to say, and the Phillies beat them all 3 times they faced ‘em. (I know that leaves out Kazmir, but between our patience and our lefty mashers, I’m not worried there, especially with Hamels on the mound). I don’t guarantee a Phils win, but both I and Baseball Prospectus’ magic computer think this is closer than most think.

by bugbear on Oct 21, 2008 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions