Beyond the news that Longo is engaged (I know, that’s huge news for you and me), not much has gone on in the Rays world this week. Because of it, I decided to put together a Links for Finks post this time around. Here goes:
- We received an email from the folks of the Tampa Baseball Museum, asking if we could help publicize their fund raising campaign. Since I adamantly support their mission to, “Through permanent and rotating exhibits, the museum will include Inter-Social, Negro, municipal, cigar factory and other early leagues, along with Major Leagues, Semi-Pro, Club, College and High School baseball. With a focus on Ybor City, West Tampa and Tampa baseball, it will provide context for more than 125 years of baseball heritage,” I figured it couldn’t hurt to do what I could to spread the word. From their lips (urm, fingers) to your ears, “Here’s how the crowdfunding campaign for the museum will work. The Ybor City Museum Society has already raised $195,000 of the $250,000 they need in order for a $250,000 matching grant to kick in from Hillsborough County. That means that they only need to raise an additional $55,000 in order to build the museum! That $55,000 (+8% in fees) is being raised at citizinvestor.com/project/the-
tampa-baseball-museum where Tampa’s baseball fans can donate, tax-deductibly, to help bring this museum to life. Although citizens are asked to enter their credit card information on the project page, their cards will not be charged unless the project reaches 100% of its goal in the next 90 days.” -
In a tweet from Marc Topkin, “Ex-Rays DH Luke Scott has an interesting new home, signing (for only $300K) to play in Korea for SK Wyverns.” I’m sure his awesome beliefs/moral code will go over real well there.
- Ian Malinowski of DRaysBay writes, “Now that the glow of acquiring the much-loved-in-Cincinnati Ryan Hanigan has dimmed, it’s time to start thinking about what his presence will mean for the Rays. Yes, he’s an expert game-caller, framer, pitch-blocker, and thrower. Yes, he sounds like a fabulous clubhouse presence. Yes, he struggled with injuries last year. That doesn’t change the fact that in 2013 he was a pretty horrible hitter,” in a piece titled Will Ryan Hanigan Rebound? He goes on to assert, “What’s the lesson? Ryan Hanigan knows what he’s doing at the plate, as shown by his career walk rate (12.0%) being higher than his career strikeout rate (10.1%), but baseball is a difficult game, with only a small margin between success and failure. Hanigan’s margin has always been smaller than most, so when age and/or injuries impeded his swing, major league pitchers were about to capitalize. The Rays gave him a three-year deal, so they’re betting it was the injuries and not the age. Hope that they are right.”
- Shots fired?! Is Montreal making a play for the Rays?