Category: Tampa Bay Rays

From mlb.com…

NEW YORK — Jackie Robinson’s legacy will be memorialized again today at Major League Baseball parks across North America. From Yankee Stadium to Dodger Stadium, fans will celebrate the 63rd anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier.

For the second consecutive year, Commissioner Bud Selig has invited all players and uniformed personnel to wear the late Hall of Famer’s famous No. 42. That number was retired by decree of the Commissioner throughout baseball on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Robinson taking the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

What once was a voluntary gesture has now become standard fare on the day baseball remembers the great Robinson.

Click here to read the rest of the article at mlb.com.

This is an awesome tribute.

Tampa Bay has the night off, but I’ll be rooting for the Twins, Angels and White Sox tonight.  We can’t let the Yankees, BlueJays or Red Sox climb up the ladder any more.

The Tampa Bay Rays win again, bringing their record to 3 – 1.

The Rays played the New York Yankees at home on Friday, the first of a three game series.  They held of the Yankees until the top of the fourth inning when the Yankees scored two.  But the Rays weren’t having it.

In the bottom of the fourth Carlos Peña started it off for the Rays with a two run homer.  BJ Upton then singled before stealing second (no surprise there).  Dioner Navarro then singled and Upton came home, making the score 3 – 2.  But it wasn’t over yet.  Sean Rodriguez singled, only to have it followed up with Jason Bartlett hitting a two run double, bring the score to 5 – 2.  Two innings later the Rays extended their lead, scoring four additional runs.

In the top of the eight the Yankees scored once more, but it wasn’t enough.  The Rays had this one locked down.

David Price is an amazing pitcher.  He was throwing in the 90’s (mph) even in the eighth inning, and still had complete control.  He only allowed four hits in the first seven innings and threw 110 pitches total.

The Rays host the Yankees for two more games, playing Saturday and Sunday.

The Tampa Bay Rays have won Opening Day 2010.  And boy, what a finish.

The Rays were down 3 – 1 until the bottom of the sixth when Evan Longoria hit a solo homer into the upper deck.  The blast was estimated at 473 feet, the third longest home run at Tropicana Field.  Longoria’s homer brought the score to 3 – 2.

Then with two outs in the ninth they loaded the bases.   That’s when left fielder Carl Crawford hit a single that drove in two runs to beat the Baltimore Orioles 4 – 3.

Here’s something you don’t see every game:  Every Ray got at least one hit tonight, three of them got two hits.

Way to go Rays!

Now rest up.  Game 2 is tomorrow.