Scott Kazmir News: Pro Sports Daily

Shaky Start Mars Otherwise Solid Outing By Kazmir

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October 23

Tampa Tribune

"Scott Kazmir pitched well enough to give the Rays a fighting chance in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. Cole Hamels, who was drafted two spots behind him at No. 17 in the June 2002 draft, was a little better, and the Phillies held on after the two starters departed for a 3-2 victory. As has often been the case in recent months, Kazmir's effort was not a work of art. The enigmatic left-hander, dominant when he's comfortable with his mechanics, gave up a two-run homer to Chase Utley in the first inning, loaded the bases in the second and allowed a run in the third after the first two batters singled. He labored through some type of trouble in almost every one ..."

It's paying off for Rays' Kazmir

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October 22

St. Petersburg Times

columnist Joe Smith

"For Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir, getting a chance to start tonight's opening game of the World Series was worth all the trouble it took to get there. Kazmir, a two-time All-Star, has pitched his share of meaningless games in front of sparse crowds for last-place teams. For a few years, Kazmir, 24, was likely the main attraction for a Rays franchise with little else to celebrate. But when Kazmir takes the mound tonight against the Phillies at sold-out Tropicana Field, he says the moment will be worth the wait. "It's worth everything right now, being in the World Series," he said. "After three or four years of getting everything together." Those close to Kazmir say the 6-foot southpaw has ..."

Kazmir to lead off Rays' Series rotation

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October 22

Philadelphia Inquirer

"Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon announced his World Series pitching rotation yesterday, saying it was based on the rest his pitcher had.Lefthander Scott Kazmir will start Game 1 tonight at Tropicana Field. He will be followed in the rotation by righthanders James Shields, Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine.Kazmir last pitched in Thursday's 8-7 loss to the Boston Red Sox in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. In six scoreless innings, he allowed just two hits and threw 111 pitches.Shields will be on normal rest after throwing 52/3 innings and 108 pitches Saturday. Boston won that game, 4-2. Garza will pitch Game 3 Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. He was the winner Sunday, when the ..."

Hamels, Kazmir on same career path

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October 22

Philadelphia Daily News

"Cole Hamels and Scott Kazmir were born 27 days apart (Hamels is older). They were both chosen in the first round of the 2002 draft, Kazmir 15th and Hamels 17th. They're both lefthanded and chased each other through the minor leagues. Tonight, they meet again on baseball's biggest stage. Hamels for the Phillies and Kazmir for the Rays will be the Game 1 starters in the World Series. "I said 'hi' and 'bye' a couple of times," Kazmir said, when asked if he knew Hamels at all. "But for the most part, we actually have been compared by Baseball America and a couple of other things I was reading as I was coming up through the minors. Seems like we were pretty much in every single league ..."

Rays switch to Kazmir for Game 5

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October 15

MLB.com

"Scott Kazmir will start Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Thursday at 8:07 p.m. ET, switching spots in the rotation with the team's most reliable starter, James Shields, for a myriad of reasons. As late as Tuesday, Shields was on track to be the starter. He started the series opener Friday at Tropicana Field, taking a tough loss despite holding the Red Sox to two runs over 7 1/3 innings. Rays manager Joe Maddon, however, had left himself some room for change, saying previously that Shields was "scheduled" to start Game 5. Tampa Bay's win in Game 4 Tuesday night proved to be the final piece to make the move happen. With a 3-1 lead in the ALCS, the Rays have three chances ..."

Rays debate when, not if, to use Kazmir

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October 13

St. Petersburg Times

columnist John Romano

"Sometimes, a manager is willing to second-guess himself. And so it is Sunday evening inside the visitor's clubhouse at Fenway Park. Joe Maddon walks in, and he walks out. He can't stand to watch, then he can't bear to turn away. His beloved Arizona Cardinals are in the final seconds of regulation against Dallas, and Maddon seems to be debating whether to watch as the Cowboys line up for a potential tying field goal. The bus outside is ready to go, but Maddon stays in front of the big-screen TV, surrounded by a half-dozen of his players. The kick is up, and it is good. Wrong move, Joe. So maybe Maddon is a tad indecisive in matters of the heart, but the Rays manager has no misgivings when ..."

Kazmir lifeline for Rays? It left the park quickly

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September 16

St. Petersburg Times

columnist Gary Shelton

"Even with the division lead dwindling, even then, he was the pitcher worth trusting. Even with the most important game of the year on the line, especially then, he was the player who carried the hope. After all, Scott Kazmir is supposed to be the ace, isn't he? He has been on a roll, hasn't he? He is the guy with the live arm, the guy with the great stuff, the guy with the brilliant future. In a game of this magnitude, in a showdown for first place against the vaunted Boston Red Sox, who else would you want on the mound? And then, suddenly and savagely, it was over. Kaz was crushed. Kaz was clobbered. Kaz was clubbed. The disappointment wasn't simply that Kazmir lost a crucial game ..."

Kazmir no Ray of sunshine for floundering A's

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July 22

Contra Costa Times

"A's hitters could use a collective jolt of confidence these days, and Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir is hardly the best source for that. The A's offensive funk showed no signs of vanishing in a 4-0 loss to open a three-game series at Tropicana Field. They registered a season-low two hits in losing their sixth straight game. The problem is obvious to identify — the A's aren't stringing together hits and have scored just five runs in the first four games of this six-game road trip. Finding the solution is a tougher nut to crack."

Rays, Kazmir hold Oakland scoreless as skid reaches 6

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July 22

San Francisco Chronicle

"After the A's traded two experienced starters, Rich Harden and Joe Blanton, along with 2007 starter Chad Gaudin, their pitching remained solid. Their hitting, however, somehow went from bad to worse. In four games since the All-Star break, Oakland has scored five runs, including only once in the past 21 innings. The A's were shut out in a 4-0 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday, with Rays All-Star Scott Kazmir throwing seven innings. It was Oakland's sixth loss in a row, the team's longest losing streak in more than a year."

Take All-Star Game Back To Basics

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July 20

Tampa Tribune

columnist Marc Lancaster

"The Rays have had good reason to complain about the way Scott Kazmir was handled in an All-Star Game before, but not this year. And, to their credit, the Rays not only didn't object to their ace pitching the 15th inning Tuesday night, two days after throwing 104 pitches in a start at Cleveland - but they went out of their way to praise American League manager Terry Francona for the way he handled the situation. "If you're managing that game, it's a bad feeling," said Joe Maddon, who was on the All-Star Game coaching staff in 2003 when he was with the Angels. Francona wasn't at fault for Kazmir pitching even after the Rays had pleaded that he not be used, nor was he ultimately to ..."

Rays' Kazmir still apple of Mets' fans eyes

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July 16

St. Petersburg Times

"Riding in open cars through Manhattan's packed Sixth Avenue for the All-Star red carpet parade Tuesday was quite an experience for the three Rays. Especially LHP Scott Kazmir. Mets fans can't seem to let go of the July 2004 trade that sent him to the Rays, and they let him know it. "They were really passionate, put it that way," he said. "It was crazy. There were guys tossing their Mets caps to me saying, 'Just try it on, see what it feels like, we know you'll come back.' A couple made it (to him) and they were like, 'Just keep it, you'll be wearing it soon.' And they were all asking me when I'll become a free agent.""

Kazmir Unlikely To Toe All-Star Mound

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July 14

Tampa Tribune

"The Rays have made it pretty clear they don't want Scott Kazmir to pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game, and it seems highly unlikely he will take the mound despite some last-minute hedging Sunday. Hours after Manager Joe Maddon said he already had spoken with American League manager Terry Francona and asked him not to use Kazmir in the game at Yankee Stadium, Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said a final decision wouldn't be made until today."

Kazmir: Master Of Deception

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July 13

Tampa Tribune

"As someone who has never stood in the batter's box against Scott Kazmir, it took Dioner Navarro some time to fully grasp how miserable an experience trying to hit the lefty can be. He knew Kazmir was throwing harder than average, but not triple-digits hard, and the pitcher didn't roll out a particularly nasty breaking ball or effective changeup. "I'd be catching back there and I'd be, 'How the heck do these guys keep missing those pitches,' because he just throws fastball after fastball," Navarro said. "I started talking with other guys around the league - 'What do you see?' - and they said that ball gets there so fast, like sneaky fast.""

Kazmir rages at umpire's strike zone after Rays lose to Angels

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June 12

St. Petersburg Times

"Manager Joe Maddon made his frustration with home-plate umpire Derryl Cousins very obvious during a seventh-inning pitching change Wednesday, complaining vociferously enough about the strike zone to be ejected. Rays starter Scott Kazmir waited until after the vexing 4-2 loss to share his, complaining not only about missed strike calls during several key at-bats but questioning the veteran umpire's reputation and integrity, accusing him of making certain calls to make up for others."

Kazmir wins sixth in a row as Rays pound Rangers 12-4

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June 7

St. Petersburg Times

"It was plenty hot, 91 degrees with an uncomfortably warm wind. They were pretty tired, after their scheduled late-night arrival became early morning due to plane problems. And a bit ticked off, the result of MLB's discipline for Thursday's brawl. But, still, the Rays couldn't have been happier to be in Texas on Friday. It meant they were finally out of Boston, where they were beat, and beaten up, during an ugly and contentious three-game sweep. And it meant they looked like they did before they went, combining excellent starting pitching and timely hitting to halt a three-game losing streak with a 12-4 win over the Rangers."

Kazmir wins AL pitcher of the month

June 3

St. Petersburg Times

"Scott Kazmir keeps insisting he can pitch better. But what he did his first month after coming off the disabled list was pretty good, going 5-1 with a 1.22 ERA, and Monday he was honored as the American League's best of May, winning the Rays first pitcher (or player) of the month award in the Rays' 11 seasons."

Kazmir: May's Top AL Pitcher

June 3

Tampa Tribune

"The franchise firsts keep piling up for the 2008 Rays. They added another one Monday when Scott Kazmir was named the American League Pitcher of the Month for May, becoming the first Tampa Bay player to earn an MLB monthly award besides Rookie of the Month. Kazmir went 5-1 with a 1.22 ERA in six starts last month, striking out 38 in 37 innings."

Rays' success should boost Kazmir's status as an elite pitcher

June 1

St. Petersburg Times

columnist John Romano

"Until now, we pretty much had him to ourselves. Oh, the seamheads, with their faces buried in record books, knew about him. And opposing teams certainly knew his name. He had made an All-Star team, and he generated a little buzz every now and then. But, until now, he had never been anything more than an ace on a team going nowhere. Sort of baseball's equivalent of a Big Foot, often talked about but rarely seen. Not anymore. Be prepared to share Scott Kazmir."

Rays relievers preserve Kazmir's 2-0 shutout over White Sox

June 1

St. Petersburg Times

"With closer Troy Percival sidelined, manager Joe Maddon said he'd use any and all relievers to finish a game. And Saturday, in a 2-0 win over the White Sox that sent the Rays to another new high of 12 games over .500 at 34-22, he showed that he meant it. After Scott Kazmir's impressive effort in getting the first 21 outs, Maddon used five relievers to get the final six outs before a free-concert night Tropicana Field sellout crowd of 36,048."

Kazmir Caps Amazing Month

June 1

Tampa Tribune

"It's getting a little ridiculous, really. If this keeps up, Rays ace Scott Kazmir might want to consider taking off the month of April every year. That's not to say, necessarily, that the time he missed recovering from a strained left elbow suffered early in spring training is the reason he turned May into one of the best months ever enjoyed by a Rays pitcher. It sure didn't hurt, though, as proven - once again - by a 2-0 victory against the White Sox on Saturday in front of a sellout crowd of 36,048 at Tropicana Field."

Kazmir gaining from struggle

May 20

St. Petersburg Times

"It could happen tonight, the moment when Scott Kazmir rediscovers his proper pitching mechanics, finds the missing couple miles an hour on his fastball and takes off on the kind of powerful run he and the Rays are anticipating. But in the interim, he's becoming a better pitcher. As he feels his way to the proper delivery that allows him to cut loose, Kazmir has had to be more exact with the location of his pitches, and more resourceful with his repertoire, making more use of the changeup since getting some tips from teammate James Shields."

Rays' Kazmir Is Close To Hitting His Rhythm

May 20

Tampa Tribune

"Joe Maddon can see it coming, and so can James Shields. Sometime soon - perhaps tonight, in his fourth start of the season - Scott Kazmir is going to fall into that natural rhythm he has grappled to find so far and everything will come together."