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2008 Tampa Bay Rays Season
The 2008 Tampa Bay Rays season was the 11th season in franchise history, and the first season in which they were known as the Tampa Bay Rays, formerly being known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. This was the third season with Joe Maddon managing the club. After being plagued by futility as the Devil Rays, amassing just a .398 winning percentage over their first 10 years as a franchise and finishing in last place nine times, the team finished their first season as the Rays with a 97–65 record to win their first American League East division title. In the postseason, they beat the Chicago White Sox three games to one in the ALDS, and beat the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox in seven games in the ALCS to advance to their first World Series in franchise history. They would go on to lose to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games. Summary Spring training The Rays, with their off-season acquisitions and continued prospect development, fostered high hopes both within ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American League East
The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (NL). This division was created before the start of the season along with the American League West division. Before that time, each league consisted of 10 teams without any divisions. Four of the division's five teams are located in the Eastern United States, with the other team, the Toronto Blue Jays, in Eastern Canada. It is currently the only division that contains a non-American team. At the end of the MLB season, the team with the best record in the division earns one of the AL's six Major League Baseball postseason, playoff spots. The most recent team to win this division was the New York Yankees in . History Baseball writers have long posited that the American League East is the toughest division in MLB; during its 50-year existence, an AL East team has gone on to pla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rocco Baldelli
Rocco Daniel Baldelli (; born September 25, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and coach who is the manager of the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Baldelli quickly progressed through the minor leagues and made his big league debut with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, on opening day . Baldelli quickly established himself as an excellent hitter and outfielder, and placed third in voting for American League (AL) Rookie of the Year. In , Baldelli's promising career was derailed by channelopathy, a rare metabolic/muscular disorder which causes frequent soft tissue injuries and severe fatigue. He was unable to play at all in 2005 and missed significant time over the following seasons as doctors struggled to diagnose and treat his condition; from 2005 until his retirement in 2010, the former everyday center fielder spent long stretches on the disabled list and only once appeared in more than half of his team's games. Baldelli signed a free ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Third Baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the third baseman is assigned the number 5. Third base is known as the "hot corner", because the third baseman is often the infielder who stands closest to the batter—roughly 90–120 feet away, but even closer if a bunt is expected. Most right-handed hitters tend to hit the ball hard in this direction. A third baseman must possess good hand-eye coordination and quick reactions to catch batted balls whose speed can exceed . The third base position requires a strong and accurate arm, as the third baseman often makes long throws to first base or quick ones to second base to start a double play. As with middle infielders, right-handed throwing players are standard at the position because they do not need to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melky Cabrera
Melky Cabrera Astacio (born August 11, 1984), nicknamed The Melkman, is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates. While primarily a left fielder throughout his career, Cabrera spent a significant amount of his playing time as a center fielder for the Royals and Yankees. Cabrera signed with the Yankees as an amateur free agent. He made his MLB debut for the Yankees in 2005. After playing as a fourth outfielder, the Yankees included him in a trade to the Braves after the 2009 season. Struggling with the Braves in 2010, he was released, and signed by the Royals in 2011. Cabrera had a strong year with the Royals, and was traded to the Giants for the 2012 season. In 2012, Cabrera made his first All-Star Game appearance, winning the All-Star Game MVP Award. Professiona ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bench-clearing Brawl
A bench-clearing brawl is a form of fighting that occurs in sports, most notably baseball and ice hockey, in which most or all players on both teams leave their dugouts, bullpens, or benches, and charge onto the playing area in order to fight one another or try to break up a fight. Penalties for leaving the bench can range from nothing to severe. Baseball In baseball, brawls are usually the result of escalating infractions or indignities, often stemming from a batter being hit by a pitch, especially if the batter then charges the mound. They may also be spurred by an altercation between a baserunner and fielder, such as excessive contact during an attempted tag out. Few bench-clearing brawls result in serious injury, as in most cases, no punches are thrown, and the action is limited to pushing and shoving. Noteworthy is that players from opposing bullpens run onto the field—often side-by-side, depending on bullpen locations—to join the brawl (which is usually over by the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jonny Gomes
Jonathan Johnson Gomes (; born November 22, 1980) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and coach. He is the minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, and Kansas City Royals from 2003 through 2016. Early years Gomes was born and raised in Petaluma, California. He was an all-league player while attending Casa Grande High School in Petaluma. In May 1997, at the age of 16, he was a passenger in a car accident that killed his best friend, Adam Westcott. Gomes, who was sitting next to Westcott in the back seat, was only slightly injured. Gomes has Westcott's initials tattooed on his right biceps. After graduating from high school in 1999, Gomes went to Santa Rosa Junior College, where he hit .127 with 23 strikeouts in 55 plate appearances. He improved in his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akinori Iwamura
is a former Japanese baseball infielder, who currently is a manager for the Fukushima Red Hopes in Japan's Baseball Challenge League. He made his Major League debut with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2007. He earned the nickname Aki while in MLB. His nickname is Gan-chan in NPB. Early and personal life Iwamura was born on February 9, 1979, in Uwajima, Japan, in Ehime Prefecture. He attended Uwajima Higashi High School. He played in the Philippines on the Japan National high school baseball team. His older brother, Takashi Iwamura, was also a professional baseball player who spent two seasons in the Kintetsu Buffaloes' farm system. Both were drafted in 1997. On July 10, 2007, Iwamura's wife Misaki gave birth to their first son, Taiki. Career Tokyo Yakult Swallows Iwamura was a third baseman for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the Japanese Central League. He played in the Central League from 1998 to 2006 and won six Golden Glove awards at third base. He also hit 106 home runs i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shelley Duncan
David Shelley Duncan (born September 29, 1979) is an American former professional baseball player. He was a left fielder, designated hitter, and first baseman. Duncan played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Tampa Bay Rays. He was the Major League field coordinator for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was also the analytics coordinator for the Chicago White Sox. Personal life Duncan is the oldest son of Dave Duncan, an MLB catcher and pitching coach. His younger brother, Chris, was also an MLB first baseman and outfielder. As of 2018 Shelley married Kirsten Duncan. They both live in Arizona. Baseball career High school Shelley graduated from Canyon del Oro High School, located in the Tucson suburb of Oro Valley, in 1998. While there he was a teammate of former All Star second baseman Ian Kinsler. He played on the school's 1997 baseball team that went on to capture the 5A State Championship title. College career In 1999 he was a Freshman ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Francisco Cervelli
Francisco Cervelli (born March 6, 1986) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball catcher and former catching coach for the San Diego Padres. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, and Miami Marlins from 2008 through 2020. The Yankees signed Cervelli as an international free agent in 2003. He made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2008, and played on the 2009 World Series championship team that beat the Philadelphia Phillies. He also played in the 2009 and 2013 World Baseball Classics for the Italian national team. He was acquired by the Pirates in November 2014. The Pirates traded Cervelli to Atlanta in 2019, and he played for Miami in 2020 before announcing his retirement. Early life Francisco Cervelli was born in Valencia, Venezuela, to an Italian immigrant father, Emanuele Cervelli, and a Venezuelan mother, Damelis. He also has a sister. In Venezuela, Cervelli played shortstop, second base, and sometimes p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher is also called upon to master many other skills in order to field the position well. The role of the catcher is similar to that of the wicket-keeper in cricket. Positioned behind home plate and facing toward the outfield, the catcher can see the whole field, and is therefore in the best position to direct and lead the other players in a defensive play. The catcher typically calls for pitches using hand signals. The calls are based on the pitcher's mechanics and strengths, as well as the Batting (baseball), batter's tendencies and weaknesses. Essentially, the catcher controls what happens during the game when the ball is not "in play". Foul tips, bouncing balls in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. They are one of two major league clubs based in New York City, the other is the National League (NL)'s New York Mets. The team was founded in when Frank J. Farrell, Frank Farrell and William Stephen Devery, Bill Devery purchased the franchise rights to the defunct Baltimore Orioles (no relation to the current Baltimore Orioles, team of the same name) after it ceased operations and used them to establish the New York Highlanders. The Highlanders were officially renamed the New York Yankees in . The team is owned by Yankee Global Enterprises, a limited liability company that is controlled by the family of the late George Steinbrenner, who purchased the team in 1973. Brian Cashman is the team's general manage ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened in 1995. Established as the Durham Tobacconists in the North Carolina League in 1902, the team subsequently disbanded and restarted numerous times. After a 10-year hiatus, it was reestablished as the Durham Bulls and played in the North Carolina State League from 1913 to 1917. The Bulls were members of the Piedmont League from 1920 to 1933 and for a second time from 1936 to 1943. Durham competed in the Carolina League from 1945 to 1971. For the latter part of this stretch, they merged with a team from Raleigh, becoming the Raleigh-Durham Mets (1968), Raleigh-Durham Phillies (1969), and Raleigh-Durham Triangles (1970–1971). The Durham Bulls returned as members of the Carolina League in 1980. They were replaced by an International League tea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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