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Published: November 17, 2010 BRANDON - Matt Joyce, one of thousands of kids who grew up playing baseball at North Brandon Little League, is returning to his old digs Dec. 4, this time as a big leaguer offering a hand to those who want to follow in his footsteps. The Tampa Bay Rays outfielder, who graduated from Armwood High in Seffner, has teamed up with the Greater Brandon Community Foundation to hold the Sweet Swingin' Baseball Camp at North Brandon Little League. He will be bringing an entourage of coaches and other pro players to teach ballplayers ages 9 to 15 the fundamentals of the game. He also will convey the importance of teamwork and the necessity of good grades. "I definitely want to be a role model," Joyce said. "I think there are a lot of guys nowadays that kids look up to. I just want to be a big part of that. That's where you grew up, that's your home ground. You have to pay respect to it and take care of it." Joyce said he never had a major league player come out to the Little League park and discuss what it takes to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Joyce will lead the camp's coaching staff, along with other Rays players and coaches. The camp, open to the first 100 kids who sign up, is $100 and runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost includes lunch. Click here to continue reading.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Sweet Swingin' Baseball Camp
Friday, May 21, 2010
AL Quick Pitch: Rays win 6th straight, open AL East lead
By Scott Boeck
The Tampa Bay Rays swept the New York Yankees in a two-game series and won their sixth straight.
Yes, the Rays won both at Yankee Stadium. Up until last week, they had lost six in a row in New York.
"This ballpark didn't treat us kindly last year," manager Joe Maddon said after an 8-6 win. "It was important to show that we can win here. It's important in regards to the mental factor."
Maddon has his club in great command of the AL East. The Rays have opened a five-game lead over the Yankees, and they've proven they can win at home and on the road.
The Rays improved to a remarkable 17-4 on the road and 30-11 overall.
"These guys are hot as a pistol right now. Anytime we make a mistake, they are on it," Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez said.
The East division is full of firepower. Four of the five teams - Rays, Yankees, Blue Jays and Red Sox - are above .500. And one of the perennial powerhouses - the Yankees or Red Sox - could be playing for the wild card if the Rays continue their streak.
Also noteworthy in the AL:
- DUEL OF THE DAY: In what was supposed to be a matchup of two premier left-handers - Red Sox's Jon Lester and Twins' Francisco Liriano - it became a runnaway for Lester. Lester threw his first complete game win of the season and needed just 98 pitches. Liriano exited the game with two outs in the fifth inning. With the victory, Lester lifted his winning percentage to .719, the best ever for a pitcher with at least 100 starts.
"That's great," Lester said without a smile. "But that's just a testament to the teams that I've been on. It's easy to pitch when guys score runs."
- Employee No. 24 came through for the Seattle Mariners. Ken Griffey Jr., who according to a report was unavailable to pinch-hit in an earlier loss because he was sleeping in the clubhouse, got his 10th game-ending hit of his career. It was the first game-ending hit of Seattle's disappointing season.
For the rest of the story, visit USAToday.com
http://pjtampabay.com
Monday, May 17, 2010
MLB Odds: Tampa Bay Rays Big Chalk at Home Versus Indians
Tampa Bay remains the top team in the majors with a two-game lead in the tough AL East. The Rays are 200 favorites at home Monday against the Cleveland Indians.
The Tampa Bay Rays (26-11) are 4-1 in their last five games with three of the wins being close one-run affairs. Joe Maddon’s club is atop the American League East standings and opens a two-game set in Monday’s home meeting with the Cleveland Indians (15-20), who are 5-2 in their last seven.
Gabe Kapler’s eighth-inning sacrifice fly gave him the game-winning RBI for the Rays, who cashed as 147 home favorites, in Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. The right fielder struck out twice in his other two plate appearances.
Rays second baseman Sean Rodriguez had his team’s other RBI. The nine-hole hitter’s double in the seventh-inning began the comeback victory after his squad was down, 1-0.
The game’s combined three runs plunged below the ‘total’ of seven, and extended the Rays' ‘under’ streak to 4-0-1.
Starting pitcher Matt Garza went six innings for the Rays and gave up five hits. Dan Wheeler got the win for Tampa Bay in relief to improve his record to 2-0, and Rafael Soriano closed for his 10th save.
For the full story, visit SBRforum.com
