The Rays busted out the whupping stick Tuesday to beat up the Baltimore Orioles. Brandon Lowe had two big hits in the game, capping what's been a wild couple of days for him off the field. Also, the ace of a division rival needs Tommy John surgery, Blake Snell gets ready for his first Grapefruit League start, and an update on the top prospect in all of baseball and when we could see Wander Franco playing in a Rays uniform
Rays DH Yoshi Tsutsugo's amazing start at the plate continued Monday as he hit his first home run. Steve discusses his plate discipline. Also, the prospect of hitting Astros hitters comes up, and the team's Ballpark Passes sell out in under an hour.
Yoshi Tsutsugo made his debut for the Tampa Bay Rays, and Steve Carney not only breaks down his afternoon, but also tells the story of a family that traveled thousands of miles to see their favorite player's first game. Plus, the good, bad, and crazy stories in Sunday's win over the Yankees, and speculation on when Charlie Morton and Blake Snell get into spring games.
The Rays spent their Saturday in Fort Myers taking on the Boston Red Sox in the first Grapefruit League matchup of 2020. Hear from Rays pitcher Pete Fairbanks about what he thought of his first outing of the spring, good and bad. Plus, Rob Bradford of WEEI talks about the job Chaim Bloom has done since coming to Boston from Tampa Bay
The time for practicing only on the back fields in Port Charlotte is over, and the Grapefruit League gets going this afternoon for the Rays. Steve catches up with today's starter Trevor Richards to find out what he worked on over the offseason, and Oliver Drake has a new pitch he's been trying to develop to make 2020 even better than 2019.
Another day of full-squad workouts is in the books. We talk with Blake Snell, who threw a live batting practice session on how he feels after a rough 2019, and Willy Adames tells us how the annual Rays Idol went Thursday morning.
Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg gave his annual State of the Franchise address to the media Wednesday, and feels like he has a chance to wrest the American League East divisional title away from the New York Yankees. The Rays also unveiled three new ticket plans for Tropicana Field, and Steve discusses the ingenuity of two of them.
The first day of full-squad workouts came Tuesday, and Kevin Kiermaier discusses the message that was delivered by manager Kevin Cash. Richard Justice of MLB.com then joins Steve to talk about the tarnish on his hometown Astros, the moves the Rays made in the offseason, and what it will take to pass the Yankees for the AL East title.
Position players had to report to Port Charlotte Monday, and Steve discusses the significant physical and mental changes of Nate Lowe. Plus, Mike Brosseau talks about the change in mindset between 2019 and 2020, and former Ray Aubrey Huff has become persona non grata in San Francisco.
Report Day has arrived for the Tampa Bay Rays, and Steve Carney talks with a couple of the final guys to arrive early: infielder Brandon Lowe and outfielder Austin Meadows. And MLB commissioner Rob Manfred may be the only person around the league outside of Houston that doesn't want to talk about the Astros sign-stealing scandal, but he reveals that a significant punishment to the team itself was considered.
A slow practice day for pitchers and catchers, but a pair of position players acquired this offseason made their way to Port Charlotte. Hear Yoshi Tsutsugo talk about his excitement in meeting his new teammates, and Hunter Renfroe discuss how he doesn't care where he plays as long as his name is in the lineup
The second day of pitchers and catchers workouts saw Jose Alvarado get on the mound for his first bullpen session of the spring. Steve Carney discusses his importance to the staff with the departure of Emilio Pagan. Mike Zunino also tells Steve what changes he made to his offseason routine to try and fix what went wrong in 2019, and a former Rays Rookie of the Year decided to call it quits.
Steve wanted to spend today's show talking about the first day of workouts for pitchers and catchers, and he does eventually get to what happened on the fields in Port Charlotte, but he has to start dealing with the cringe-worthy press conference that took place in West Palm Beach by the Astros.
Wednesday was the day pitchers and catchers had to report, and Steve Carney gives you his initial impression of the clubhouse in Port Charlotte. Manager Kevin Cash and GM Erik Neander discuss how the moves made in the offseason will set up the team for success, and former Ray David Price changes his number after joining the Dodgers to show respect to a former Tampa Bay teammate.
Season 2 of The Inside Pitch Podcast gets started with the same topics still on the minds of Rays fans: excitement for the product on the field and concern for the long-term future of the team in the region. Steve discusses principal owner Stu Sternberg's comments made at Rays Fan Fest, plus hear comments from Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan on discussions the team had this week with politicians from that side of the water!
Steve Carney wraps things up from the Winter Meetings in San Diego with the third and final top-tier free agent, third baseman Anthony Rendon, signing a seven-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Plus, VP of baseball development Peter Bendix stops by to discuss two things they each have a passion for: math and food.
The Winter Meetings continue from San Diego, and Steve Carney discusses the record for highest contract ever given to a pitcher being broken on consecutive days. Plus comments from Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg on Payroll and the split-city concept, and Tricia Whitaker of Fox Sports Sun on being a first-timer at the Winter Meetings.
Steve Carney is in San Diego for the Winter Meetings, and was there when the announcement was made that Stephen Strasburg signed his new contract with the Washington Nationals. How will this affect the rest of the free agent market? Plus comments from Rays GM Erik Neander and manager Kevin Cash, and VP of Baseball operations James Click tells you who too it the hardest when Tommy Pham was traded to San Diego.
If you've been looking for a Rays fix, it's coming soon, as Steve Carney will be broadcasting from the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego with news, rumors, interviews, and maybe a few surprises.
The 2019 Rays baseball season comes to an end with a 6-1 loss in Houston in Game 5 of the ALDS. Steve discusses the success the team showed all season long, plus announces that the podcast will be switching to a weekly show until the start of Spring Training.
The Rays get ready for another winner-take-all scenario, as they can eliminate the Houston Astros tonight with a win. Hear comments from both Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell.
The Rays send the Houston Astros back to the Lone Star State without getting to celebrate at Tropicana Field. Hear from Tommy Pham and Willy Adames about getting to best Justin Verlander and go back to Minute Maid Park.
The Rays avoid being swept by the Astros by beating up Zack Greinke. We hear from manager Kevin Cash and outfielder Kevin Kiermaier about the win, plus Justin Verlander starts today on short rest, and Steve explains why that isn't a bad thing for Tampa Bay.
After falling behind two games to none to the Houston Astros, the Rays come home needing a win to keep their season alive and will turn of course to Charlie Morton to try and force a fourth game.
The Rays were dominated by Justin Verlander to the point that manager Kevin Cash turned his last name into a verb. We hear the Astros pitcher's response, plus Tyler Glasnow on his mistake to Jose Altuve and Blake Snell gets ready for Game 2 tonight
The American League Division Series between the Rays and the Houston Astros gets going this afternoon, and we hear from manager Kevin Cash as well as today's starter Tyler Glasnow
The Rays advance to the American League Division Series against the Astros and send the Oakland Athletics home for the winter thanks to a 5-1 win in the Wild Card game Wednesday. Hear from Rays skipper Kevin Cash as well as Yandy Diaz, whose big night powered Tampa Bay to victory.
As we get ready for the American League Wild Card game in Oakland, we hear from both manager Kevin Cash and starting pitcher Charlie Morton, who spoke Tuesday afternoon.
The Tampa Bay Rays finish the 2019 regular season with 96 wins, but drop the final two games of the year north of the border. Steve Carney puts a bow on the year and gets you ready for Wednesday's Wild Card game in Oakland
The Tampa Bay Rays fell victim to the post-celebratory hangover on the field, as after their loss to Toronto Saturday, learned they would have to travel to Oakland for Wednesday's Wild Card game.
