Check out the skipper's smirk. I think it's safe to say he is excited about the lineup options. (AP Photo)
Yesterday’s Manny-Johnny event was more Dean Martin roast than press conference. Everyone is happy, Joe Maddon still doesn’t know what he is going to do with the lineup — but Manny wants to hit leadoff because he had 5 triples in 1998 — and everyone thinks the Rays can repeat as AL East Champions.
There is simply nothing left to say about the addition of Manny and Damon until they get to Port Charlotte and start, you know, playing baseball. But, this time of year nothing else is going on so, let’s talk about Manny and Damon some more.
The top item on the list is a nickname. What do you think? RJ Anderson suggested DaManny back when the story first broke. Michael Webber has been using MannysBay in his Twitter feed.
I am lukewarm on both. We need something better. What do you got?
What the crap is happening with the 40-man? I read that the official website had 42 guys on the 40-man roster. I’m not mathematician, but that doesn’t sound right.
I’m also apparently not someone who speaks English as a first language. That should read “a mathematician.”
supposedly the “castoffs” will be announced today. I still think we will see some minor trades to make it work, can you say, “elliot johnson and ruggiano for a prospect and a hot dog”?
Or maybe just for a hot dog.
Classic. I don’t think the signings are “official” even though we had the press conference. They are certain to make the moves today. I still think there is a good chance one of the moves is Elliot Johnson.
on a slightly related note…”i’m not mathematician” is my new frontrunner for fantasy team names.
Even better… Shop-Vac takes his sucking elsewhere and ruggs follows, naturally
Damo and the Man?
CaveManny?
JoMan?
Won’t Run/Can’t Throw? (WR/CT for short)
Manny being Damon?
One vote for CaveManny. That’s excellent.
I like cavemanny as well. I am just concerned about how to use it… do we use the moniker to refer to both individuals as in, “Cavemanny drives in Cavemanny”? or can it only be used to refer to the duo as in, “the Cavemanny deal is really working out”?
Winning the AL East: So Easy a CaveManny can do it.
Captain CaveManny.
This has good possibilities.
+1
“so easy a cavemanny can do it…” i think you’ve found your first TheRayArea t-shirt
Nickname, Schmickname. What are the beat reporters doing when we have 42 guys on our 40-man roster? Report, damn you! What is happening?
Seriously, what the crap is going on with the roster?
Ruggi-angry is calling reporters telling them he has been DFA’d according to Twitter. (how did the world come to a place where “according to Twitter” is acceptable attribution?) That is no skin off my nose. I never really thought he could play and I am not surprised that no other team wanted to give anything up for a flyer on him.
I still think the second cut will be either Eliot Johnson or a catcher.
so, lobaton in the hopes he clears waivers?
The risk with that option is that a catcher will almost never clear waivers in February because everyone needs bodies to handle the burden of spring training.
Topkin keeps saying Leslie Anderson, but that can’t be right, can it?
Like I said, definitely going to be Leslie Anderson.
Nice. You could run for office with that kind of logic.
How likekly is it that Kotchman makes the roster? With the flexibility of SeanJohn and benny boo do we need 5 bench players? when maddon starts working his lefty/righty lineups does Damon get days off against tough lefties? c’mon heilig so much to write about…
There is a lot to write about. I think Kotch starts as the odd man out with a shot at playing his way in. No way they want to use Zobrist or Rodriguez at first. I think they hope that Kotch hits his way into forcing the Rays to make a tough choice on Dan Johnson.
Zobrist might get a look at first, but probably not with kotchman around. the flexibility of Zobrist and rodriguez is that both serve as 4th OF and backup middle INF, at the same time. I am seeing both Dan Johnson and Kotch making it. Fuld, Elliot and backup catcher (please not shopvac) rounding out the bench.
the defector has defected…trade could still be in the works. We have 10 days right?
Yes. Once a player is designated for assignment the team has 10 days to trade, release, or pass him through waivers.