For a couple of years now, I've loved watching the Tampa Bay Rays play baseball, yet could never figure out exactly why. It wasn't their proximity to Atlanta, as I already had a local tie to cheer for. There were no players who I was connected to (sans the twilight of Fred McGriff), though I did appreciate the young players they have on the team. It took an early morning conversation yesterday to realize what it is about Tampa Bay that I really appreciate.
It all started when the Tigers traded Scott Kazmir to Atlanta for Doyle Alexander.
Wait, that's not right at all. Kazmir was traded from the Mets to the Rays for Victor Zambrano. Though the confusion between the two eras is understandable. After all, unless you've graduated college by a couple of years, you're not going to remember the start to the era of the Braves. I was lamentably four years old when the worst-to-first season happened, and it wasn't until 1996 that I was truly able to appreciate the game of baseball. Fortunately, now I can
turn on the television and see the 1991 Atlanta Braves redux.
Consider it: The parallels between Smoltz and Kazmir continue from their transaction history to their pitching style. It also continues throughout the entire pitching staff. Troy Percival worse a shirt preseason that compared Kazmir/Shields/Garza to Glavine/Smoltz/Avery, and while it doesn't work in that order, his prediction was more apt than even he expected. Shields (Glavine) was the more consistent, less flashy pitcher of the staff, and is many ways who you would want starting in a game 7. Whereas Steve Avery (Matt Garza) was wildly talented, but terribly inconsistent. Through in another homegrown pitcher who is prone to throw ridiculously good games despite being overshadowed by his pitching staff (Hiya Andy Sonnastine, may you also be an effective relief pitcher for 28 years like Kent Mercker) and a closer who many considered to already be well past his twilight when the season started (Juan Berenguer, we hardly knew you)
It continues through the offense. Consider this: A second base prospect brought up through the entire farm system, gets to the majors, and lacks a lot of fielding expertise. However, his power/speed capablity is so good, you stick him in the outfield so you don't lose his bat. Obviously people remember B.J. Upton as a second baseman, but not as many realize that Ron Gant started his career there as well. Their replacements in the middle infield were two light-hitting, slick-fielding players. One who started his MLB career with the team (Lemke/Aki), and one who was traded away from a competitor who couldn't stand the lack of offense (Belliard/Bartlett). Gant instead shared the outfield with an electric center fielder who made up for his lack of power by his ability to fly around the bases, and depending on who you prefer to compare him to, either Deion Sanders or Otis Nixon would be an apt comparison for Carl Crawford. I'm not going to push my luck by trying to compare Cliff Floyd to a young Dave Justice (Though numbers-wise, it could work), nor Sid Bream to Carlos Peña (Peña is significantly more mobile). Consider this, though. Tampa Bay was fortunate enough to get their Chipper Jones four years early in Evan Longoria.
The Tampa Bay Rays are a good team. They're a team that was built the way I was taught. Draft young talent, keep them in the system, and build around them with key veteran acquisitions. The only major free agents on that team were not wanted by anybody else when Tampa Bay signed them, very similar to the Pendleton/Bream/Belliard acquisitions of 1991. Of course, in true Atlanta fashion, it looks like the Rays are going to lose the World Series this year. Fortunately for them, however, they're on pace for 4 more in the next decade.
Which brings me to a question: As good as the team is now, what happens when they sign their Greg Maddux?
2 comments:
a picture of smoltzie and olson hugging would have been nice to add to the comparison. Beyond that, as good as a comparison as it is, the rays will not go on to win 14 straight division championships let alone win next seasons division championship. The AL east is too good, and spends too much money, for the rays to be able to stay on top for more than 1 or two seasons at a time. I'm not saying they wont make the playoffs next year (gotta love that wild card), but I doubt that they will finish first in the Al east
I actually half-heartedly looked for a picture of Smoltz and Olsen, but I had to get to work and the Justice picture was the only one I could find from that era (At least, through a quick google for Atlanta 1991 worst to first)
As for the depth of talent, the same could easily have been said about the Braves competing with 33% more teams pre-realignment, with the Dodgers and Giants powerhouses of that era in competition until the last game of the season. For all the money that gets spent, talent is the bottom line, and nobody in the major leagues has more organizational depth in talent that Tampa Bay has.
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