The Baseball Chick

(Tropicana Field, in all its glory)

The lack of attendance at home Tampa Bay Rays games is apparently getting under the skin of some of its star players. On a night the Tampa Bay Rays had a chance to clinch a playoff spot, only 12,446 fans – the fourth smallest crowd of the season – showed up at Tropicana Field.  And of that total, who knows how many were actually there to support the Rays.

Evan Longoria was quoted as saying “… You’d pretty much like to think that a team in a playoff hunt, with an opportunity to clinch, that you could at least get 30,000 in here to cheer you on…. We play 155 games of really good baseball, and it’s kind of like, what else do we have to do to get fans into this place? I mean, it’s actually embarrassing to us.”  Longoria, who has missed the last four games with an injury, said the lack of support is “disheartening.”

Moreover, pitcher David Price took to his Twitter account to proclaim, “Had a chance to clinch a post season spot tonight with about 10,000 fans in the stands … embarrassing.”

However, I have been to St. Petersburg (where the Tropicana Field is actually located) and I have to say, are Evan Longoria and David Price just trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest gathering of derelicts in history? They should be happy there are only 12K there per night. Any more “fans” and they would have to enact Hepatitis testing upon entry into the ballpark.

Carl Crawford sustained a testicular contusion on Tuesday night when he was hit directly in the junk by a Jake Arrieta pickoff throw.  He will be out of the lineup tonight against the Orioles.  However, when he does return, Crawford will remain protective cup-less.

“I’m just not going to wear a cup,” he said Wednesday morning. “I don’t think that’s going to happen again. It had never happened in eight years, you know what I’m saying? I’ve got nothing to worry about. [I'm not going to] let that one little incident change the way I do things, especially if I’m feeling better. Just be real careful when I’m out there.”

If I was a major league pitcher, I would always direct my pickoff throws directly at the wang and balls.  It is a great way to get a really good ballplayer out of the lineup.  It’s something the rest of the AL East should keep in mind!

Last week, Tampa Bay Rays’ outfielder Carl Craward shouted at fellow Ray Pat Burrell in the clubhouse prior to a game against the Orioles.  According to the Daily News Wire Services:

Crawford, who had two hits for Tampa Bay but was twice caught stealing by Wieters, repeatedly yelled across the clubhouse at the Rays’ designated hitter. Burrell, in his first year with Tampa Bay after 9 with the Phillies, did not respond.

A teammate then stepped in front of Crawford, trying to calm the situation. Crawford was ushered into a side room.

Carl Crawford is probably just pissed that Pat is getting paid $7 million this season to sit on his loser DH ass and get fat!  Besides the fact that Burrell’s statistics have been steadily plummeting since his rebound 2005 season (.281, .258, .256, .250, .230 anyone?), this once most-eligible-bachelor-of-the-MLB has pulled an old fashioned Britney Spears.  I mean, let’s not screw around kids, I don’t know whether to ask for his autograph or stuff an apple in this mouth and tie him to a roasting spit.  Don’t get it?  I’m calling him a fat pig.

As everyone on the planet already knows, Mark Buehrle pitched only the 18th perfect game in baseball history today.  He is one of only two active pitchers with a pair of no-hitters (Randy Johnson is the other).  The White Sox won 5-0.

The heart stopper occurred in the 9th when Gabe Kapler hit a long ball to center, DeWayne Wise ran to the left-center wall, jumped and pulled the ball back in, juggled it and fell, but held on.  Buehrle then got a strike out and a ground out to end the game.

I think I’m having a caffeine crash right now because I know I should be wayyyy more pumped about this.  History has been made and we will always remember Mark Buehrle because he not only pitched this perfect game, but also had another no-hitter in his career.  There has only been a handful of dudes who have done this…blah blah blah…  Right now all over Chicago, people are pretending to be Sox fans so they can get wasted.  Don’t let it fool you, there really aren’t that many Sox fans.

Here’s a picture of Mark after the White Sox traditional post perfect game bukkake ritual:

Don’t laugh, it’s TRADITION.