Yesterday, the Tampa Bay Rays succumbed to the Texas Rangers in the playoffs. We're not blaming iPad Farmville clone "We Farm," but David Price, who made a costly fielding misjudgment in that game, is a big fan of the game.
So are fellow starting pitchers James Shields and Matt Garza, who with Price were a combined 0-3 over four starts. Teammates Chad Qualls, Kelly Shoppach, Matt Joyce and B.J. Upton are also We Farm devotees, which was introduced to the clubhouse by Shields' 7-year-old daughter. (Fellow starting pitcher Jeff Niemann, used in three innings of relief, prefers Angry Birds.)
And this isn't some cutesy-poo diversion; they're going whole hog with real money. Price forked up $100 to boost his fake crops' yield. Garza, who owns a real-life grape farm in California, is ranked something like 3,000 in the world.
Price and his fellow virtual farming teammates used the game to break up tension during their run to the American League East division title; now they'll use it to pass time until Spring Training in February.
Rays Cut Tension With iPad Game We Farm [Jeff Passan, Yahoo! Sports]