Price Goes Back To AAA

The Rays new superstar pitcher David Price is not going to be on the roster for the beginning of the season. Even though he was ridiculously good during the post season last year as a closer, especially against the Red Sox, manager Joe Madden decided it was best that Price go back to AAA Durham for some extra fine tuning. It isn't the first time the Rays did something like this.
Last year Even Longoria, the new face of the Rays, started the season in the minors for the first month. Longo was eventually called up to take over third base and the rest was history. He was one of the driving forces that led the team all the way to the World Series and racking up some honers as rookie of the year. Would that of happened if he started the season, who knows, but now he is one of the most solid ball players in the league.
What does that mean for Price? My guess is that he will be called up to the show in may and take over the 5th spot on the starting pitching rotation. If the Rays can afford to get Price more work in to improve any weaknesses than I am all for it.

Tired of Bracketology

Its been relatively slow in the world of Tampa sports right now. The time between the end of the NFL season and the beginning of baseball is when I hang up my fandom for a while and relax a bit since I'm not a huge basketball follower. It is march though and all fans of sport knows what that means, March Madness!!! Did you fill out your bracket? I didn't and I could care less. Sure it might be fun to take an educated stab at who's going to win the NCAA men's basketball tournament, and then compare your bracket with the secretary down the hall who made her picks based on what mascot she likes the most, but id rather catch some more zzzz than listen to any ones attempt to predict the future. Of course there will always be the 'bracket guy' who informs you to know end on how his ten brackets he filled out are doing. There should be a rule that only allows one bracket per person. Any more than that is pretty much cheating. This whole bracketology craze is getting bigger and bigger every year. Even the white house is infected. Although I am bashing the people who cling to their picks as feverishly as fantasy football geeks, I do give credit to President Obama for filling on out and letting ESPN run the hell out of it. I heard people say that he shouldn't be waisting his time on trivial things, but it makes him seem more like a cool human being rather than some robotic tool that runs our country. I cant wait for this March Madness to be over and baseball season to start , but until them Ive got Uconn taking the title over North Carolina 81-79.

Never bad to spring for last minute game tickets

Wednesday was one of the best days I have had in a long time. I don't know if the stars and the moon aligned the night before or if devine intervention smiled down upon me for once, but finding sweet tickets for the Rays home opener in my hometown the night before the game and actually having the day off of work and school made the 100 mile trip south just so worth it. I have recently discovered that waiting for the last moment to buy tickets actually works out.

The day before the official start of spring training baseball the only seats available at the Charlotte sports park in Port Charlotte, at that particular time, were berm seats. Berm seating it like sitting in the lawn section at a Dave Matthews Band concert, with out the overwhelming smell of weed and dirty hippie body odor. My roommate and I decided to purchase tickets later since there didn't seem to be any reason why that section will sell out. Later on in the night after I returned from a late class, we decided to take another peak at the Rays Ticketmaster website. What my friend and I read next made it a night to celebrate. Two tickets, first base line, 15 feet right of the Rays dugout and 2Nd row from the field. Not to shabby since it was stated that the entire spring training season is sold out.

Instead of sitting on a sloped grassy hill by the outfield , we were right up front in reserved seats. Our seats were 100 times better than what we originally thought was possible at only twice as much. The price difference was only nine dollars for the better seats. For that extra nine dollars we were able to be within 2 feet of Evan Longoria. I was about 2 people away from having my hat autographed by the all-star rookie of the year. He was only one of many players that I was able to get close to. It is so exciting to be only feet away from all my favorite ball players and coaches.

Most baseball enthusiasts will either have tickets bought well in advance or settle for crappy bleacher seats when they wait till the last minute. I, on the other hand, was able to receive better tickets than 90% of everyone else less than 24 hrs before a "sold-out game".