Ekstrom To Tampa Bay, and More

The Rays put two of their starters on the disabled list (former Bulls Jeff Neimann and Wade Davis) and called up Mike Ekstrom to keep Jeremy Hellickson company as the Rays try to sort out some of their pitcher/pitching concerns. Why, you may ask, didn’t they just keep Dale Thayer with them? Or why didn’t they call up Ekstrom in the first place? And are they going to reach down and grab another one of our starters? Or maybe bounce Jake McGee all the way up? Or maybe call Dale back?

We’ll let Joe Henderson of the Tampa Tribune and any number of others meditate and agonize over all of that. As stated many times, this is a blog about the Durham Bulls, and where are we these days?

First, let’s settle the most urgent question before us. What about that dribbler that the Indianapolis Indians blew foul Sunday evening? What’s the rule? A careful reader has has pointed out to me that the call is an “interpretation” of the fair ball rule. And he sent a clip from a respected umpires manual (Jaksa/Roder Rules Manual):

It is a fair ball if any portion of a batted ball
…
(7) is rolling over fair territory and a fielder, without actually touching the ball, intentionally commits an act (such as blowing on the ball, moving or digging dirt, etc.) that causes the ball to roll foul. Further, if a batted ball is moving over foul territory, has a chance to become fair, and a fielder causes the ball to be touched with detached gear, it is a fair ball.

Then there’s the Bulls roster...

This is going to be a moving target for the rest of the year. But just to get ready for tonight, here’s what we’ve got.

• Catchers: Lobaton and Navarro
• Infielders: Luna, Furmaniak, Chavez, Dillon, Richard, Johnson (E.)
• Outfielders: Perez, Ruggiano, Jennings, Anderson

[Note: Richard and Johnson can/have played the outfield. Anderson has played first base.]

• Starting Pitchers: Vasquez, De Los Santos, Phillips
• Relief Pitchers: Downs, Baker, Thayer, Bateman, Abreu, Swindle, McGee, Rodriguez

[Note: Rodriguez and Baker have started for Durham this year. McGee and Downs have started with Montgomery this year. McGee and Thayer are on the TB 40-man.]

So who gets the start against Charlotte tonight? Here’s where Montoyo and Hernandez earn their pay. We can only guess that it will not be Phillips or Rodriguez or Vasquez. Maybe De Los Santos?

In the meantime, thanks to NCSue, here’s a cool video to start the day.



Or here.