11 and counting.... this team is a mess

[deerayfan072]

The manager thinks they are playing fine, the owners say the manager is doing a good job. Meanwhile, Crawford who has always been silent has said he is beyond embarssed right now and does not leave his hotel room b/c he is so embaressed. When will something be done to tell them this is unexceptable

[raiders_umpire]

What is wrong with the Drays?

The bullpen is absolutely terrible. The starting pitching is not strong enough to go 7 or 8 innings on any given night, which in turn makes our biggest weakness get shown. The injuries have hurt big time. Upton and Baldelli should have been two of our 4 huge stars offensively, but with both down the offense is dragging. The whole Dukes situation has really soured the team to a point. I never thought Dukes would be a star like Upton will be, but he did have the on the field charisma that we desperately need.

What is right with the Drays?

Upton is a future stud. He has shown this year just how good he can be. Crawford is still very good even though he is having a down year. Delmon is getting the experience in that he needs to turn the corner to stardom next year. Shields has been a huge positive in the rotation.

What is up in the air about the Drays?

Will DRO spend money this offseason even though attendance is down so far?
Is Maddon the right manager to lead us for the next 10 years?
Will Baldelli ever be able to stay healthy?

[Brian895]

I really think it would be un realistic to think for just about any manger that there the right one for 10 years 3 to 5 years yeah but unless ur bobby Cox or joe torre there aren't many others that last that long

[raiders_umpire]

I really think it would be un realistic to think for just about any manger that there the right one for 10 years 3 to 5 years yeah but unless ur bobby Cox or joe torre there aren't many others that last that long

If we land a good manager, why shouldn't he stay here 10 years? He will be coming to a team with loads of talent that should be on the upswing. He will be coming to a team that has never won, so if he can make them win, he could very well become an icon in the Tampa area. I am not saying Maddon is not the guy, but if the manager and DRO can get this team to be competitive next year, I could easily see Maddon or whomever the manager is hanging around for many more years. Once we ever get to the competitive point, I think we will be very strong in the AL East for several more years with all of the young kids we have.