Inside Pitch Podcast

Steve starts the show with the announcement by Commissioner Manfred that Major League Baseball will abide by the CDC advisory against having any gatherings of 50 or more people for the next eight weeks. We then get into the (very) short time Manny Ramirez was with the Rays in 2011. Steve remembers the introductory press conference he had with Johnny Damon, how he liked to mess with certain members of the media, and how he helped the Rays win the American League Wild Card.

Steve Carney remembers how twice in a one month span back in 2013, he saw two different pitchers get hit on the head by line drives at Tropicana Field. Get the inside scoop on what happened to JA Happ and Alex Cobb.

Steve Carney talks about having to ask the difficult questions to players in the clubhouse, and the one time that he asked James Shields the wrong question at the wrong time, and the consequences it brought for him.

With baseball officially on hold, Steve is telling stories from his nearly 15 years with Rays broadcasts. Today, he remembers the night of September 28, 2011, known now by a single two-word phrase: Game 162.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused Major League Baseball to suspend the rest of Spring Training and push Opening Day back a minimum of two weeks. Hear Rays general manager Erik Neander's comments from after the announcement. Plus, Steve has decided the podcast will continue on despite the lack of games, and gives you an idea of what to expect while we wait for the sport to resume.

With the NBA suspending its season, college sports playing in front of empty stands, and other leagues looking at what their next move might be, Steve discusses what Major League Baseball should do with the start of their season.

The Rays had Tuesday off from Spring Training, so Steve decided to take a second crack at trying to predict the Opening Day 26-man roster. How close will he be to getting it right?

Steve begins by discussing what he likes and does not like about the newly-renovated TD Ballpark in Dunedin. Blake Snell also talks about his first start since having a cortisone shot administered to his left elbow. Finally, Major League Baseball has decided to close clubhouses to the media, and Steve explains why that's bad for him and for you.

The Rays finish off an unbeaten weekend with a tie on Sunday with the Pittsburgh. Hear from right-hander Charlie Morton, who threw on a back field. Also, a former big-leaguer finds success in the Tampa Bay region in another sport, and principal owner Stu Sternberg gives us two things to experience in Rye, NY if we had just 48 hours to spend in his old town.

The Rays split their squad and came within an eyelash of two 1-0 shutout wins. We discuss blanking the Orioles and settling for a tie against the Braves. Plus, the coronavirus has sports leagues in a panic, and some leagues are restricting access by the media. Steve discusses why Major League Baseball should follow suit. And we take a look at the future odds for the Rays as a team plus the individual awards for players