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TAMPA — Brandon Lowe was hot Friday night after being called out on a swing that appeared to be checked during a key eighth-inning situation, and you didn’t need advanced lip-reading skills to get a sense of just how mad he was.
It was a rare show of anger from the most veteran Ray, though the type of reaction some fans — frustrated by the team’s extended offensive malaise — would like to see more of from players if they’re not going to see hits and runs.
Handling failure and frustration is an individual thing. But Lowe said it would be wrong to assume a calm reaction is a reflection of acceptance or complacency.
“Just because you don’t see somebody snap a bat over their knee or whatnot, it doesn’t mean they don’t care,” he said. “That just plays to that you can’t please everybody. If I go and slam a helmet, one person is going to say, ‘Oh yeah, he’s showing his emotion.’ The next guy is going to go, ‘Whoa, he’s showing his (bad attitude), and I don’t like that.’
“So, there’s no pleasing the entire crowd. I think the biggest thing is just understanding that there’s not a guy in here that’s complacent with what’s going on. Every single guy has a drive and the aspirations to be better and play to a higher standard, and each guy is working to get there.”
Some players seem to simply shrug off a bad game or a rough stretch in interviews by saying some version of “that’s baseball,” which can further annoy fans (and disappoint reporters looking for a more colorful answer).
But, Lowe said, if anything the players are tougher on themselves than the fans are.
“I don’t know that there’s a negative thing that people could say about you that you probably haven’t already said to yourself in the mirror at times,” he said. “So, there’s no one harder on a player than themselves. Every single guy in here, they’re hyper-competitive perfectionists in a game of failure. So, those things really don’t mix.
“But it’s the reason why if you’re in this clubhouse, if you’re out on that field, to call yourself one of the best baseball players in the world. It’s not an easy sport, and it’s not an easy game. And, you know, guys in here are constantly working, trying to get better and making sure that next week we’re talking about how good the offense is.”
The MLB Pipeline crew’s first mock version of the July 13 draft has the Rays using the No. 14 pick on Mill Creek (Georgia) High shortstop Daniel Pierce and FSU/Tampa Jesuit lefty Jamie Arnold going No. 5 to St. Louis. … Keith Law’s first look for The Athletic has the Rays — in what admittedly is “pure speculation” — taking Great Oak (California) High shortstop Gavin Fien, with Arnold going fourth to Colorado. …. Baseball America in mid-April had the Rays taking Hewitt-Trussville (Alabama) High shortstop Steele Hall, with Arnold going second to the Angels.
A slow start in Triple A — .179 average, .687 OPS, 53 strikeouts and nine walks in 132 plate appearances through Friday — knocked Durham shortstop Carson Williams from 10th on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list to 21st. Rays infielder Brayden Taylor (hitting .152 with a .597 OPS at Double-A Montgomery) slid from No. 61 to 80, and pitchers Trevor Harrison (85th) and Gary Gill Hill (89th) dropped off the list.
The Rays have a significant interest in Wednesday’s NFL schedule release, as they have Sept. 7 and 21 home games (slated to start at 12:10) and are hoping their requests to avoid conflicts with Bucs home games across the street at Raymond James Stadium are granted. … Per updated fangraphs.com projections, the Rays have a 15.7% chance to make the playoffs and will finish 78-84. … Boosters of the effort to get a major-league team in Raleigh, North Carolina, are aggressive on X, including posting what they considered big news — that developers of the Gasworx Tampa project in Ybor City said there is no room for a stadium under the heading: “The top land option for the Rays in Tampa? Off the table. #RaleighOnDeck.” … An advanced stats-heavy story in The Athletic on potentially concerning early season numbers included Rays starter Taj Bradley dropping from 109 to 100 in Stuff+, a metric said to evaluate physical characteristics of pitches such as release point, velocity, spin rate and movement (horizontal and vertical). … The same article noted that Steinbrenner Field has been among the most homer-friendly during day games but neutral at night and, like the A’s home at a minor-league stadium in Sacramento, California, “will have the wildest swings in home run environment depending on that day’s weather” due to lack of structure blocking the wind. … In three-plus weeks since his debut, outfielder Chandler Simpson is the fourth choice in betonline.ag’s board to win AL Rookie of the Year as an 18-1 choice. … When closer Pete Fairbanks said after Thursday’s blown save that he let his “frustrations out in a very healthy manner,” it meant his usual therapeutic actions — going to the batting cage and taking aggressive swings. How many? “Enough,” he said. … Among activities featured in a series of recent Instagram posts, Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who faces a June 2 trial on several charges stemming from a relationship with a minor, brought supplies and food to a Dominican Republic orphanage. … Some necessary context for however you interpret the Rays selling out 25 of their first 26 games at Steinbrenner Field with a capacity of 10,046: They averaged 16,515 last season at Tropicana Field, and their smallest crowd was 10,531. …Ex-Rays lefty Colin Poche, who was dropped by Washington after posting an 11.42 ERA with 12 walks in 8 ⅔ innings, signed a minor-league deal with the Mets. … Wool E. Bull, mascot for the Rays’ Triple-A Durham team, is among 28 candidates for the Mascot Hall of Fame, with fan voting through May 24 at mascothalloffame.com a small part of the selection process.
• • •
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It was a rare show of anger from the most veteran Ray, though the type of reaction some fans — frustrated by the team’s extended offensive malaise — would like to see more of from players if they’re not going to see hits and runs.
Handling failure and frustration is an individual thing. But Lowe said it would be wrong to assume a calm reaction is a reflection of acceptance or complacency.
“Just because you don’t see somebody snap a bat over their knee or whatnot, it doesn’t mean they don’t care,” he said. “That just plays to that you can’t please everybody. If I go and slam a helmet, one person is going to say, ‘Oh yeah, he’s showing his emotion.’ The next guy is going to go, ‘Whoa, he’s showing his (bad attitude), and I don’t like that.’
“So, there’s no pleasing the entire crowd. I think the biggest thing is just understanding that there’s not a guy in here that’s complacent with what’s going on. Every single guy has a drive and the aspirations to be better and play to a higher standard, and each guy is working to get there.”
Some players seem to simply shrug off a bad game or a rough stretch in interviews by saying some version of “that’s baseball,” which can further annoy fans (and disappoint reporters looking for a more colorful answer).
But, Lowe said, if anything the players are tougher on themselves than the fans are.
“I don’t know that there’s a negative thing that people could say about you that you probably haven’t already said to yourself in the mirror at times,” he said. “So, there’s no one harder on a player than themselves. Every single guy in here, they’re hyper-competitive perfectionists in a game of failure. So, those things really don’t mix.
“But it’s the reason why if you’re in this clubhouse, if you’re out on that field, to call yourself one of the best baseball players in the world. It’s not an easy sport, and it’s not an easy game. And, you know, guys in here are constantly working, trying to get better and making sure that next week we’re talking about how good the offense is.”
Draft breeze
The MLB Pipeline crew’s first mock version of the July 13 draft has the Rays using the No. 14 pick on Mill Creek (Georgia) High shortstop Daniel Pierce and FSU/Tampa Jesuit lefty Jamie Arnold going No. 5 to St. Louis. … Keith Law’s first look for The Athletic has the Rays — in what admittedly is “pure speculation” — taking Great Oak (California) High shortstop Gavin Fien, with Arnold going fourth to Colorado. …. Baseball America in mid-April had the Rays taking Hewitt-Trussville (Alabama) High shortstop Steele Hall, with Arnold going second to the Angels.
Prospecting
A slow start in Triple A — .179 average, .687 OPS, 53 strikeouts and nine walks in 132 plate appearances through Friday — knocked Durham shortstop Carson Williams from 10th on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list to 21st. Rays infielder Brayden Taylor (hitting .152 with a .597 OPS at Double-A Montgomery) slid from No. 61 to 80, and pitchers Trevor Harrison (85th) and Gary Gill Hill (89th) dropped off the list.
Rays rumblings
The Rays have a significant interest in Wednesday’s NFL schedule release, as they have Sept. 7 and 21 home games (slated to start at 12:10) and are hoping their requests to avoid conflicts with Bucs home games across the street at Raymond James Stadium are granted. … Per updated fangraphs.com projections, the Rays have a 15.7% chance to make the playoffs and will finish 78-84. … Boosters of the effort to get a major-league team in Raleigh, North Carolina, are aggressive on X, including posting what they considered big news — that developers of the Gasworx Tampa project in Ybor City said there is no room for a stadium under the heading: “The top land option for the Rays in Tampa? Off the table. #RaleighOnDeck.” … An advanced stats-heavy story in The Athletic on potentially concerning early season numbers included Rays starter Taj Bradley dropping from 109 to 100 in Stuff+, a metric said to evaluate physical characteristics of pitches such as release point, velocity, spin rate and movement (horizontal and vertical). … The same article noted that Steinbrenner Field has been among the most homer-friendly during day games but neutral at night and, like the A’s home at a minor-league stadium in Sacramento, California, “will have the wildest swings in home run environment depending on that day’s weather” due to lack of structure blocking the wind. … In three-plus weeks since his debut, outfielder Chandler Simpson is the fourth choice in betonline.ag’s board to win AL Rookie of the Year as an 18-1 choice. … When closer Pete Fairbanks said after Thursday’s blown save that he let his “frustrations out in a very healthy manner,” it meant his usual therapeutic actions — going to the batting cage and taking aggressive swings. How many? “Enough,” he said. … Among activities featured in a series of recent Instagram posts, Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who faces a June 2 trial on several charges stemming from a relationship with a minor, brought supplies and food to a Dominican Republic orphanage. … Some necessary context for however you interpret the Rays selling out 25 of their first 26 games at Steinbrenner Field with a capacity of 10,046: They averaged 16,515 last season at Tropicana Field, and their smallest crowd was 10,531. …Ex-Rays lefty Colin Poche, who was dropped by Washington after posting an 11.42 ERA with 12 walks in 8 ⅔ innings, signed a minor-league deal with the Mets. … Wool E. Bull, mascot for the Rays’ Triple-A Durham team, is among 28 candidates for the Mascot Hall of Fame, with fan voting through May 24 at mascothalloffame.com a small part of the selection process.
• • •
Sign up for our Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.
Every weekday, tune into our Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast to hear reporter Rick Stroud break down the biggest stories in Tampa Bay sports.
Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on X and Facebook.
Continue reading...
