On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Rays released their 2020 promotional schedule — including six audio bobbleheads — as well as their 2020 Spring Training batting practice hat (seen above).
Since there really isn’t much news coming out of Tropicana Field today, let’s break down some of the highlights.
Audio Bobbleheads and the 2020 Promotional Schedule
The Rays are no strangers to audio bobbleheads, after all, they released the Dave and Andy audio bobblehead a few years back.
They, however, have never released a series of them. This season, Charlie Morton, Willy Adames, Tyler Glasnow, Ji-Man Choi, Blake Snell, and Austin Meadows will get the audio bobblehead treatment complete with audio clips of TV and radio broadcast calls featuring those particular players. Our favorite is Choi’s, which boasts a home run call in his native tongue. You can hear the audio clips below.
https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/1224711098701697024?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwThe audio bobbleheads will be available starting in May, with Charlie Morton’s on May 9, Willy Adames’ on May 30, Tyler Glasnow’s on June 13, Ji-Man Choi’s on June 27, Blake Snell’s on July 28, and Austin Meadows’ on August 29.
Speaking of bobbleheads, Yandy Diaz will get the WWE-themed treatment, sans audio, on March 31.
You can see the full promotional schedule, featuring the bobbleheads and more, below.
The team also announced the Devil Rays throwback jersey nights: April 25, June 13, July 11, August 8, and September 19.
Rays 2020 Spring Training Batting Practice Hats
This season, all 30 teams will boast their own alternate Spring Training batting hats featuring a design bursting from the main logo.
In-kind, the Rays’ caps will feature a starburst breaking through the TB logo, as well as a smaller starburst on the side of the powder blue hats. These hats look pretty cool, although you might want to purchase some Scotch Guard before sporting one of your own; I imagine these will easily show dirt and grime.
Noteworthiness
— As a means of shedding payroll, the small market Red Sox parted with former Ray David Price and Mookie Betts for OF Alex Verdugo and SP/RP Brusdar Graterol. The Twins were involved as well.
That move has many, including Jason Collette, sarcastically questioning the decision:
— Rays principal owner Stu Sternberg released a statement on James Click’s departure to become the Astros GM:
On one hand, I agree with Sternberg. Yet, on the other hand, Stu could have blocked the interview process from the beginning and/or locked Click up by, you know, having him sign a contract.
Whatever the case, as Jeff Todd (MLB Trade Rumors) noted, the Rays have moved ahead with some internal promotions to account for Click’s departure. … Former MLB hurler Jeremy Sowers and Sammi Bireley will take over the bulk of Click’s portfolio, with recently promoted VP of development Peter Bendix taking charge of the analytics work. (Bendix was one of the execs elevated after the previous departure of Chaim Bloom.)