Day 4: Blue Jays-Rays Preview | Stats and tips for fantasy sports

Another day, another spring home opener.

Welcome to Progress Energy Park, home of the new-look Tampa Bay Rays. Located in downtown St. Petersburg this venerable old place, formerly known to longtime Cardinals and Mets fans as Al Lang Stadium, is situated right on the shores of Tampa Bay, so while you watch the game, you can gaze at the pleasure craft in the adjacent marina as well as sailboats lazying through the glass-calm summer like water. Unfortunately it’s the last hurrah for the grand old place as the Rays are moving their spring complex south to Port Charlotte, former home of the Texas Rangers, in 2009. The plan is then to use the current site for the Rays new real home park, a proposed 34,000 seat, retractable roof open air park which would be the smallest in the majors. Judging from the number of folks in the park today, 340 seats might be enough.

This is the second straight day with the Jays for me and I’m a bit disappointed that Toronto didn’t bring Travis Snider with them. I’d love another chance to see his approach at the plate over a full game. However we do get to see Dustin McGowan on the mound today, facing one of the Rays three fantasy-worthy starters, James Shields. Also in the starting lineup is Shannon Stewart, the longtime Jay who is trying to make the club as a non-roster invitee. He ranks in the top 10 in Toronto history in hits, doubles, batting average and OBP and with a platoon of Matt Staris and Reed Johnson planned for left, he has an outside shot to contribute and even become part of that platoon should Johnson be dealt.

However even more of a disappointment is the fact that Willy Aybar IS in the lineup. Nothing against Willy who has had many troubles in the last year and is on the bubble of making the roster, but that means that everybody’s top choice for AL Rookie of the Year, Evan Longoria, is not in the lineup. Really? Isn’t this the home opener for your actual hometown fans (Tropicana Field is a two minute drive west of here). Sure he’s in camp as a non-roster invitee as was Carlos Peña last year), but short of a total collapse, he’s going to make the Rays and Tampa Bay fans NEED something to get excited about. Save Willy’s at bats for road games in Bradenton or Tuesdays.

They’d better bring Eva Longoria out onto the field to make up for it.

More to come after the usual postgame seagull invasion.