Longoria being the cover athlete is a gigantic leap in the right direction for not only putting Longoria on the face of baseball for today’s youth, but also, helping to put Tampa Bay on the map as a fixture in the MLB.

I was concerned at first how the review would go. As a Sony PlayStation 3 owner, I have ALWAYS been a fan of the MLB “The Show” series, largely because I had bad experiences with games freezing when I last owned something from the 2kSports line. However, I figured, I owe it to Rays fans everywhere to review this latest edition, due to the emphasis put on the Rays team by Longoria being a cover athlete.

So, here is what I found…

The Good aspects of MLB 2k10

This is a tremendously feature rich game. I felt that in comparison to “The Show”, that the stat overlay and user interface on the menus was much easier when playing MLB 2k10. I saw very useful statistics come up when I was playing. For example, I was playing an exhibition game as the Rays. In the game, I was playing the Philadelphia Phillies. The game showed me what Jason Bartlett’s numbers looked like against right handed pitching. These numbers change throughout the game obviously to fit the scenario which you are facing. The stat overlays and constant flow of information made me feel like I was REALLY WATCHING a broadcast

Me, being a statistics guy, I LOVED this feature.

Another aspect I LOVED about the game was the living rosters feature. Rosters that sync up with what is actually going on in Major League Baseball may seem rather gimmicky, but for someone like me, who plays through at least one 162 game season each year, it is a pretty neat feature, that adds a ton of realism to the game. I can remember when Pat Burrell first signed with the Rays, I hit about 45 home runs with him in the game, while he proceeded to tank in real life. This always irked me, as I felt that the game was not as “real” as it could be.

Some of the other features ad realism by allowing you to:

Work the corners –This is based on each individual pitcher’s mechanics and official scouting reports. Couple this data with Total Control Pitching which lets you put the ball exactly where you want it. Pitching has never been as realistic as it is in 2kSports.

Work the count – With Total Control Hitting you can time your swing to hit for power, put the ball in play or take a defensive cut. Total control of where the ball heads when it leaves your bat—if you are good enough. You can also use Batter’s Eye. This feature uses a hitter’s real-life eye rating to help you identify Fastballs, Breaking Balls and Off Speed pitches before they get to the plate. Again, more realism makes the game robust and fun to play.

The Best Play Like the Best – You favorite superstars are now even more realistic when portrayed by their digital replicas. The True-to-Life Player Rating System, Signature Styles and a new Motion Model ensure every pitch, swing, catch, throw, steal and slide looks and feels like you’re at the ballpark, again, a step toward realism.

Authentic Presentation – As I mentioned earlier, the stats during the game blew my mind. The MLB Today feature delivers real-time scores, standings, news and stats to ensure timely commentary that reflects what’s actually going on in the Majors—awesome if you take advantage of the living rosters feature.

Knowledge is Power – With a game that has tremendously realistic game play, planning is more important than ever before. Use Inside Edge to scout players, assess strengths, weaknesses and tendencies, and then exploit them to get the upper hand. This is huge if you are into the “GM” side of the game.

The Bad aspects of MLB 2k10

As good as all the new game play enhancements are, and how realistic the stat overlay and actually playing interface is, the fact remains, if the game doesn’t look appealing, it won’t hold the average, casual gamers attention.

My honest first assessment when I put the game in—I thought I had been sent the PS2 version. The stadium designs lack a lot of the detail that makes them so great in MLB “The Show” the players, up close look great, but from a distance, need some work. I did like the crowd animations, and the way the menus and overlays looked, but other than that, I was not impressed.

Little details such as HUGE numbers on player jerseys that were totally disproportionate to the players backs was a huge pet peeve, and lack of detail in jerseys and accessories did not help the games cause either.

It is hard to find a sports game that embodies the great graphics and features that you all want. The Madden franchise does a good job of it. I think, that continued work on the robust features and game play, coupled with a complete graphics engine overhaul, and MLB 2k10 would be unstoppable as a series.

Since these reviews of video games seem to always be quantified with a rating system, I will throw a 6.5 out of 10 stars on MLB 2k10. The great features and enhanced game play really scored this game some points, but the graphics, or lack thereof, really put a damper on the gaming experience for me.

Pena hits game winning home run

The Tampa Bay Rays sure are making every effort to keep us on the edge of our seats this year. The Rays beat the Orioles in the 10th inning with a home run from Carlos Pena. The 8 -6 victory over the Orioles improved the Rays record to 5-3, good for third in the AL East behind the division leading Toronto Blue Jays at 6-2 an the New York Yankees at 5-2. The Rays will look to complete a sweep of the Orioles in the rubber game today at 1:35. The momentum of a sweep could be crucial for the Rays as they will face the Boston Red Sox for the first time this season starting on Friday.

We know that the Red Sox will be tough throughout the season, so wins early in the season while Boston is struggling will be very important for the Rays.

Shoppach sent to the DL

New catcher Kelly Shoppach was placed on the 15 day disabled list with what was termed as a “right knee sprain” following a collision at home plate with the Yankees Curtis Granderson earlier this week.

John Jaso–a personal favorite of mine–was called up from Durham to replace Shoppach.

Shoppach had started the season with the Rays batting .250 in 4 games, with no home runs or RBI’s and four strikeouts.

A prediction…

I think the Rays will earn their first sweep of the year, with today’s game against Baltimore. The Orioles have started the season a very sad 1-6–their only win was against the Rays, but that was what I consider to be an anomaly due to the freak injury to Jeff Niemann. With David Price on the mound today, I expect to see an 8 or 9 strike out game, and home runs from Evan Longoria & B.J. Upton.

Predictions that reign true…

Before yesterday’s games, I made two predictions via Twitter–that Matt Garza would strike out ten , and that Evan Longoria would go yard, again.

Okay, so maybe the Longoria thing was NOT a prediction, and I was one off on the Garza strikeout tally. They say that almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, but dammit, I was close–so I am going to go with it! Follow me on Twitter (@ThomasGemkow) to see what my predictions are for tonight’s game.

A Rays dude worth following

I have always had a load of respect for Cork Gaines over at RaysIndex.com. Having been a reader of his blog prior to starting TampaBayRaysFan.com in January of 2009, I guess you could say he was influential in my development and determination as a blogger.

I have always found his commentary to be insightful an witty, and he is very interactive with his readers. While I encourage you all to subscribe to my RSS feed, and to follow me on Twitter, I also encourage you to do the same with Cork.  Read more about his “Raysheads Army Social Universe“, and be sure to start following him!

Soriano making an impact

Rafael Soriano, the new pitcher that we spent too much money on this off season–has notched a win and save in his first two days. At least he is earning the large payout we gave him (note:if he proves to be the shut down closer that we have not seen since the Roberto Hernandez days, then I will retract my “paid too much” statement, but until he closes out some BIG games, I will just say the Rays are down with O.P.P.–over priced pitcher)

At any rate, read about the start to Soriano’s season here.

Lead by a near dominating performance from Matt Garza, the Rays downed the Orioles in game two of the 2010 season by a score of 4-3.

Garza went 8 strong innings, allowing just four hits and two runs one his way to striking out 9. Newly acquired closer Rafael Soriano came in for the top of the 9th inning, and gave up two hits and one run, but was still able to notch his first save as the Rays closer.

Other news worth talking about, slugging third baseman Evan Longoria hit his second home run of the season, though this one was not as impressive as his 473 foot blast in the season opener on Tuesday night.

Carlos Pena also looked strong at the plate, going 2-4 with a double.

The Tampa Bay Rays will look to close out the series with a win tonight against the Orioles. Last years most solid pitcher for the Rays, Jeff Niemann will look to build off of the success from his strong rookie campaign, as he faces off against Orioles youngster Brian Matusz.

Evan Longoria started the 2010 season with a bang. Predicted by most experts to have an MVP type season, Longoria hit his first home run of the season in the 4-3 Opening Day win against the Baltimore Orioles. But not only was it a homerun, it was the third longest ever hit by a Tampa Bay Ray at Tropicana Field.

Longoria’s 473 foot home run is only bested by Vinny Castilla and his 478 foot monster in 2001 and Jonny Gomes with a 474 foot dinger in 2005.

The upperdeck shot was said to leave his bat at 110 MPH an land 40 feet above the field, according to the team at hittrackeronline.com.

James Shields had this to say about Longo’s long ball:

“That was one of the farthest balls I’ve ever seen hit. I think he hit it five rows up in the party deck. That’s unbelievable. But it doesn’t surprise me, that guy is capable of doing anything. He’s the full package, man. I’m glad he’s on my team.”

Tampa Bay Rays sell out fifth opener

After much debate as to whether or not the Rays would sell out Opening Day 2010, turns out they did–for the fifth consecutive time.

The Rays, who have struggled with attendance every year since they started play in 1998, are hoping that this year, the team can turn the attendance corner, which would help justify a new stadium in the near future.

You can read more about the sell out, plus Stu Sternberg’s thoughts on the teams future here.

Are the Orioles the next Rays?

Lot’s of baseball analysts have had good things to say about the Baltimore Orioles this year, and many people expect them to break out to a certain extent during the 2010 season.

Loaded with young talent, you can’t help but draw comparisons between the Rays of late and the Orioles now.

You can read a bit more about that here.

Longoria stinks…literally

Evan Longoria may stink. Not his play, I mean, he may ACTUALLY stink.

Longoria sat down with Dan Patrick–a sports broadcaster known for his interesting conversations with players. The two got to talking about superstition, and Longoria had this to say :

“I don’t like to think of it as a superstition. I like to think of it as a habit. I even tell the clubhouse guys to not switch out my pants when I get a hole in the them. I just have them stitch them up or patch them up or whatever. I wear the same pair of pants for every game every year – the same undershirt, the same socks unless they get a hole in them.”

162 games is a LONG time…interesting “habit” from an even more interesting guy, but if it works for him, I will not argue. Keep doing what you do Longo.

Upton flashing the glove

B.J. Upton is out to prove something this year–so it seems. After having a solid spring at the plate, Upton proved his glove is pretty stellar too, making an incredible catch at the wall against the Orioles on Opening Day.

Many fans are hoping Upton plays with a motivation we’ve never seen. His younger brother Justin Upton got a hefty contract extension this off season, and the rumors are, B.J. wants some similar money, but he knows he will have to earn it.

More on Upton later this week.

Tampa Bay Rays set home run record

Super star third baseman Evan Longoria and newly acquired catcher Kelly Shoppach both crushed two home runs, and the Rays also got with dingers from Sean Rodriguez, Ben Zobrist and Hank Blalock in an 11-9 split squad victory over AL East rival Boston Red Sox on Monday.

The seven home runs in one game were a record for the Tampa Bay Rays–spring training, regular and post seasons combined.

The offensive outburst is good news for the Rays, assuming they can continue drilling the ball like this once the regular season starts. In an incredibly competitive AL East, the Rays will need all the offense they can get.

You can read more about the game coverage (by the way, James Shields was strong in the start too) by clicking here.

Maddon adjusting the lineup?

Hard to imagine that skipper Joe Maddon would consider touching a lineup that has proven to be effective the last few years, but rumor has it, the wily Maddon may move slugger Carlos Pena down to fifth in the lineup, setting the stage for Ben Zobrist to bat third, and Evan Longoria to bat from the cleanup spot.

This move makes sense to me because Longoria will hit for average way better than Pena. Maddon looks at it like this:

“Zobrist hitting third gets protected by these guys, whereas otherwise if he’s not there there’s really no reason to pitch to him as you might because you don’t want him on base for Longo and Peña,” Maddon said. “Coming off the year that Zobrist had last year, he’s going to get a lot more attention paid to him, so there’s a bunch of little things I’m thinking about there.”

Of course, this will largely be predicated by whether or not Zobrist can emulate his strong break out performance last year that garnered him his first All Star Game appearance.

To read more, click here.

Matt Joyce may start the season on the DL

Matt Joyce may be starting the season on the DL with a nagging elbow injury. The young right fielder has a shot to win the starting spot in right field straight out, after watching most of last season from Durham. Joyce had the chance to win this spot since the Rays traded Gabe Gross to the Oakland Athletics, and while Gabe Kapler isn’t a spring chicken anymore.

TampaBayRaysFan.com will keep you up to date on any news regarding this story.

Each Sunday, TampaBayRaysFan.com will take a look at the Rays and what their effect is on the world of Fantasy Baseball. Matty Richards, Fantasy Baseball expert takes a look at Evan Longoria this week, and how he thinks the young star will do at third base for the Rays in 2010.

Evan Longoria Fantasy Report

Outlook: Evan Longoria‘s second major-league season came with some highs and lows. He came out of the gate swinging like a candidate for the MVP, hitting .327 with 13 home runs and 55 RBI over the first two months. Showing the unlimited potential the Rays’ advertised from their budding young corner infielder.

Then, he looked lost for three months, hitting .229 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI. Causing fantasy players great concern as their star turn into a dud overnight. Longoria is still young, just 24-years-old, so the streaks should have been expected in only his second season.

In the end, he proved he belonged among Fantasy’s elite, hitting .327 with seven home runs in September to finish with 33 homers, 113 RBI and 100 runs scored and fully establishing himself as the second best third base producer behind Alex Rodriguez.

Expect more of the same high-end production in Longo’s third season. He’s a fringe first round pick in a standard 12 team league, but with the potential to be a top 8 batter by seasons end.

Projection: .285 AVG, 36 HR, 117 RBI, 15 SB

Rays Ranking: #1 Fantasy Ray

Overall Position Ranking: #2 Third Basemen

Check back for more from Matty each Sunday, as he will continue to take a look at the Rays fantasy chances for 2010.

More on this game after it is completed.

Now, on to the Daily Mashup

Tampa Bay Rays look to speed and rotation as key in 2010

Tony Lee of NESN takes a look at the Tampa Bay Rays in preparation for the upcoming season.

He says the keys to the teams success this year will be a strong performance from the young pitching rotation which includes James Shields, Matt Garza, Jeff Niemann, David Price and Wade Davis.

Lee also says that the Rays will have to rely on the speed of Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton and Jason Bartlett to do some serious damage on the base paths.

All in a days work for the Tampa Bay Rays, one of the most exciting teams in baseball.

Read the rest of what Lee has to say here.

Topkin’s Top Ten

Marc Topkin of the St Petersburg Times put together a list of the top ten things to look for when watching the Tampa Bay Rays this spring. When this guy talks, you should listen–no one in media knows the Rays better than Topkin, who has covered the team since their inception in 1998.

Topkin notes that we should see an increased intensity at the plate this spring:

2. Intensity at the plate

New hitting coach Derek Shelton believes more is good and plans to increase the number of spring at-bats for certain hitters, such as B.J. Upton and Pat Burrell, who are coming off bad years, and Evan Longoria, in hopes they’ll be more ready for the start of the season. “The benefits are obvious,” Longoria said.

To read the rest of Topkin’s list, check out this link!

Welcome back Rocco!

The guy with arguably the coolest name in all of baseball is back where he belongs. Outfielder Rocco Baldelli is back with the Tampa Bay Rays–but in a role you may not expect. No, Baldelli is not throwing his ring into the hat for a spot in the outfield (yet).

Instead, Baldelli will work as a “roving” advisor, helping out in the minor leagues and occasionally with the big league club.

Baldelli has always been a fan favorite, and a bit of an underdog ever since finishing third place in rookie of the year voting for the American League in 2003.

Baldelli signed with the Boston Red S0x–his home town team–in 2009 following several injury shortened years with the Rays. His most recent injury was a rare mitochondrial disorder that caused the once promising young outfielder to faces bouts of heavy fatigue.

My favorite Baldelli memory is the parting message he left fans after the 2008 season.

This is a story that will be worth watching throughout the year–who knows, maybe we will see Baldelli roaming right field before too long.

The schedule includes 42 dates focused primarily on Friday, Saturday and Sunday games at Tropicana Field.

At Friday games, themed this season as Friday Fests, the first 10,000 fans will receive a collectible T-shirt presented by the St. Petersburg Times. Friday Fests will also include postgame fireworks, drink and food specials, special prize giveaways, postgame parties and much more.

“Friday Fest will kick off the weekend with the same excitement and added value as our Saturday and Sunday games, which have been our best-attended dates,” said Rays President Matt Silverman. “We’ll continue to energize Saturdays with our greatest concert series to date, and Sundays will remain oriented toward families with more affordable pricing options and creative giveaway items for kids.”

Rays Saturday Nights, presented by Bright House Sports Network, will once again feature the Summer Concert Series presented by Hess Express with 10 exciting postgame concerts.

The concert lineup will be released later this month. Since the concert series debuted in 2008, the Rays have gone 16-2 and averaged more than 30,000 fans on those dates.

All 13 Sunday games will feature giveaways for the first 10,000 kids 14 and younger including a bobblehead series of Evan Longoria, David Price, Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza.

The Sunday giveaway schedule for kids also includes:

• April 25 vs. Blue Jays: Zorilla Gorilla Webkinz, a collectible stuffed animal bearing Rays Manager Joe Maddon’s nickname for Ben Zobrist, courtesy of Sun Sports.

• May 2 vs. Royals: Flying Carl Crawford action figure equipped with a parachute, courtesy of RE/MAX.

• May 30 vs. White Sox: Carlos Peña action figure toothbrush holder, the first produced by a major league team, courtesy of Chevrolet.

• Aug. 1 vs. Yankees: Growth chart featuring the tallest Ray, 6-foot, 9-inch Jeff Niemann, courtesy of Grow Financial.

The season-opening series with the Baltimore Orioles includes two popular giveaways. On Wednesday, April 7 the first 10,000 fans will receive a pair of Joe Maddon glasses, a promotion the Rays first introduced in 2006, Maddon’s first season as manager. The glasses are courtesy of Match Up Promotions.

On Thursday, April 8, the first 10,000 fans will receive a Rays Super Cowbell, an oversized version of the Rays signature noisemaker equipped with a special hand grip, courtesy of Chick-fil-A.

Rays season tickets and group tickets are currently on sale. Single-game tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, Feb. 26 exclusively through rays baseball.com and through all other outlets, including the Gate 1 Tropicana Field Box Office on Saturday, Feb. 27.

For more information, contact the Rays at 888-FAN-RAYS or visit raysbaseball.com.

]]> http://www.tampabayraysfan.com/2474/tampa-bay-rays-announce-promotion-schedule/feed/ 1 http://www.tampabayraysfan.com/2466/daily-mashuptop-young-talent-the-battle-for-2b-rf-concerts-more/ http://www.tampabayraysfan.com/2466/daily-mashuptop-young-talent-the-battle-for-2b-rf-concerts-more/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:53:22 +0000 Thomas Gemkow http://www.tampabayraysfan.com/?p=2466 Hey gang! Welcome to March! We are inching closer and closer to the start of live play for the Spring Training of the 2010 season.

Here are some of the best Tampa Bay Rays headlines from across the web today…

Bill James says Tampa Bay Rays are loaded

Bill James writes a piece each year called the “Young Talent Inventory”. Last year, the veteran sports writer listed the Rays as the third most loaded team in baseball (in regards to young talent)

Where do the Tampa Bay Rays rank this season? Check out James’ full post here.

Longoria & 2k10 hits shelves tomorrow!

This has been the talk of the Tampa Bay Rays this past week: Evan Longoria on the cover of 2k10 Sports latest edition of their baseball franchise called Baseball 2k10. Past cover athletes have included Jason Giambi, Derek Jeter (3 times) Jose Reyes and Tim Lincecum.

You can view the first commercial for the game here.

The game is available for sale tomorrow. Do you have your copy reserved yet? If not check out your local Best Buy, GameStop, Target or Wal-Mart to grab your copy.

Kalas compares concerts to Tampa Bay Rays

Todd Kalas takes a look at the acts involved in the Tampa Bay Rays concert series for 2010, and draws some interesting paralells between some of the songs peformed, and specific scenarios the Rays will face this year.

Check out this snippet:

Nelly (May 15 vs. Seattle) “Batter Up”

There are three positions where production in 2009 was disappointing and improvements are expected in 2010; center field, catcher and designated hitter.  When B.J. Upton hit .300 in 2007 with 24 home runs and 82 RBI’s, many projected the former #1 pick to be a perennial All-Star.  After struggling the last couple of seasons with a left shoulder injury and sub-par power production, the 25-year-old center fielder with 513 major league games under his belt is ready for a breakthrough season.  The catching duo of Dioner Navarro and Kelly Shoppach will push each other after both had 2009 seasons they would like to forget offensively.  The battle for playing time behind the dish will be interesting to watch not only in Port Charlotte, but throughout the regular season.  Designated Hitter Pat Burrell is also out to prove that 2009 was an aberration in his career.  The 33-year old worked out hard this winter and hopes to improve on his debut season in the American League.

For more from Kalas, check out the full post.

Three way battle

The Sporting News takes a quick look at the three way battle for a roster spot between Matt Joyce, Reid Brignac and Sean Rodriguez.

One of those three won’t make the opening day 25 man roster, and even then, only one of the two that makes the roster will get a spot in the starting line up.

To me, the most sense is to send Rodriguez down to Durham to start the season. Brignac has been with the franchise the longest, and deserves the first shot–if we are talking about doing what it right for a guy who has put in the work. If it plays out like I want, Brignac would be this years Ben Zobrist. Joyce would rotate with Gabe Kapler in right field, and Zobrist would be the everyday guy at second, with Brignac filling in for him and Jason Bartlett when it’s needed.

Read about what the Sporting News has to say here…