RaysUp - Carlson & Uceta thrive, Siri gets off the Bench, Wild Card & Arm Health

 Rays' Current Performance:


The team continues to hover around.500 mark


Low attendance figures in Oakland


2020 season with cardboard cutouts in the stands.


Oakland A’s, and how they manage to stay afloat despite low
attendance, largely through revenue sharing and TV deals.


Rays’ New Stadium Prospects:


Discussion on the upcoming new stadium for the Rays and its
potential economic impact, including year-round restaurants and
businesses around the stadium.


Concerns about the promises made by politicians versus what is
delivered in the final plan.


Local Politics and the Stadium Deal:


Insights into recent local political developments, including
Mayor Ken Welch’s controversial bonuses to city employees who
worked on the Rays’ stadium deal, which were later rescinded.


Wild Card Possibilities:


Mat breaks down the Rays’ chances of making it to the Wild Card,
comparing the American League to the National League in terms of
competition.


The Rays only need to surpass a few teams, and their pitching
staff gives them a fighting chance if they can regain some
momentum.


Key Players and Performances:


Jose Siri’s fluctuating performance and the importance of
maintaining hustle and focus.


Praise for Kevin Cash’s tough decisions to bench Siri to send a
message, which paid off in the form of a game-winning run.


Shane Baz’s recent performance & the potential impact of his
return to form on the Rays' playoff hopes.


Mat provides a hopeful outlook, suggesting Rays can make it into
the playoffs, their strong pitching makes them a dangerous
contender.


Dylan Carlson & Uceta bringing new successes to the team


Proposed Six-Inning Minimum for Pitchers:


Six-inning minimum for pitchers raises concerns about potential
strain on pitchers’ arms.


The implications of forcing a struggling pitcher to stay in the
game when they are clearly not performing well


Mat’s Take on the Rule:


Mat expresses his strong opposition to the six-inning minimum,
stating that he might stop watching baseball if such a rule is
implemented.


He argues that this rule would favor larger market teams that can
afford to pay pitchers who can dominate for six innings and
suggests that this is another example of MLB’s interference to
favor big-market teams.


Strategic and Health Implications:


Proposed rule would eliminate some of the strategy in baseball
and further disconnect the current game from its history.


A better approach to protecting pitchers' arms would be to adopt
a six-man rotation, similar to the approach used in Japan, 


Teams may be prioritizing financial savings over player
health, by overworking young pitchers and avoiding paying them
long-term contracts


Pitchers in Japan are managed differently, often throwing more
pitches in non-game situations to strengthen their arms, but only
pitching once per week in games.


Mark humorously suggests that MLB could learn from Japan by
temporarily suspending a struggling MLB team and replacing them
with a Japanese team to teach the other teams how to manage
pitchers better.


 You can find Mat on Twitter x.com @Mat_Germain_ 
 


 Mark can be found on Twitter x.com  @TheBaseballBiz
& at  http://www.baseballbizondeck.com


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Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music “Rocking Forward"
Notes in part from ChatGPT