The SB Nation Tampa Bay Rays community DRays Bay is just outstanding. It gives Rays fans unparalleled access and coverage of the team. They keep this up with a great interview with baseball operations assistant Erik Neander today.
Here's a little teaser to whet your appetite:
R.J.: Everyone makes a big hoopla about team chemistry, but how good is the rapport amongst the front office? E.N.: It's great. We get along incredibly well, especially considering the amount of time we spend working side by side. It's a very positive environment with a high level of accountability. There's strong communication and trust within the organization, and that's critical to our operation as we all have to step into the batter's box together; there aren't any individual showdowns. R.J.: When deciding to have B.J. Upton play shallow, to what degree was the team conscious of balancing the subtraction of on-base percentage points even in light of potentially increasing slugging percentage? E.N.: Balancing extra bases against outs is a key concept when determining how to best position defenders. We attempt to account for a variety of factors, but ultimately, any recommended positioning has to fit with a fielder's abilities relative to the demands of the position he's playing.