I’m going to ramble a little more here but I’ll try to make it quick. The first thing up is about the new commercial from Major League Baseball about the postseason. I was watching the new promo about October and it really shocked me when I saw the Rays in there. Has anyone else seen this? I’m a firm believer in the Rays making the post-season, but I was completely shocked when I saw that MLB actually put them in the commercial. Crazy! Anyway, I want to do something here. I have been getting picked on a lot by readers, friends and other people who say I’m too negative. Everyone is telling me that I find too much to bitch about with the Rays doing so good. Maybe, but who wants to read “the Rays are great” everyday, especially when we all know they still have some problems. That being said, I know I do focus on negatives and I know where I get it. My dad. I love my Dad, but he always pointed out the negatives and never emphasized the positives. Most of that was because my Mother never said anything negative. I remember when I was 12 years old I had one of the greatest games of my young life. I pitched a shutout and went 3 for 4 (I sucked as a hitter too) and after the game everyone praised what a great job I did. My Dad came up to me and said “good game, what happened in that other at-bat?”. There it is. I love him for it though. Anyway, since we’ve established all this, I want to praise a couple guys on the Rays. First is Grant Balfour. I think we all can agree that he’s a different pitcher since coming back from Durham. He’s been lights out, and he’s doing it in any situation. Maddon uses him as a closer, setup man, long reliever, whatever, and he comes in and does the same thing every time. He throws angry and has the kind of attitude that we all love to see. He’s an animal out there. The other guy I want to praise I’ll probably get tore up for. Jason Hammel. That’s right, Jason Hammel. He is obviously not the best pitcher on the staff, but he does what’s asked and shuts up. He won’t pitch for two weeks and then get tossed in a game that we’re losing 12-0 or something and have to eat innings. He is a yes man in a league full of “screw you coach” athletes. He is a guy that’s still developing and isn’t allowed to develop. He is a guy that is built to be a starter, yet he’s a reliever. All the while he does what he’s told and shuts the F up about it. I hate guys like Gomes and Upton because they make excuses and they bitch about crap. Hammel never says a word while being thrown into situations where it’s impossible to succeed. I’m not saying he’s great, hell not even good, I’m just saying that he’s one of the few athletes on the planet that goes out and does what he’s told. He doesn’t bitch, doesn’t make excuses, he just pitches when he’s told to the best that he can. That’s a real man for you. If nobody else ever says it, I appreciate you Jason Hammel.

Scott Brannelly