Hey Rays, Get Over It!

Ground crew in Boston prepares Fenway Park

Before the ALCS goes to Boston, the Rays must win at home tonight! This is a must win.

You lost by 2 runs...Get over it!

Is he untouchable?

To win tonight and to take the ALCS from Boston, the Rays are going to have to get to Johnathan Papelbon.

Is last night's loss going to put these guys away?

I was very surprised to see the dejection on the faces, in the body language of the Rays from the 7th inning on.

Are they out of gas? This is the true measure of a good team. However they respond tonight will make or break their fabulous season.

Tonight's ALCS Game...

Gotta go with the Rays...7-5 over the Red Sox!

Are The Rays The Best?

The Rays are at least "Evan" with the Red Sox.

Are the Tampa Bay Rays the best team in baseball? Are they better than the Red Sox as their 10-8 regular season record against them suggests? Their ability to overcome a disastrous season in 2007 with the worst record, to leading all of baseball in 2008 in wins has been an incredible turn-around. Is their run nearing an end? Do they have enough left in the tank to win 4 more against their division rivals and go to the World Series?

Emotions run high!

There is an emotional gauntlet that teams run that begins when they realize they are in the hunt for the post season. The emotions rise and fall with each peak and valley as the season progresses through wins, losses, winning streaks, and losing streaks. There is some relief when a playoff spot is secured but it is temporary relief as a new emotional roller coaster begins with a second season. Inexperienced teams may not handle an early loss and fold, or they may have expended all of their energies getting into the playoffs, getting into the second round. Post season experienced teams generally fare better, relying on players with that playoff experience to help the younger players relax and play to their abilities. Then, there are teams that do not seem to be phased by the emotional hype brought on by all of the accompanying drama.

Can Joe Maddon keep this young team pointed in the right direction?

It takes a well-adjusted and talented manager to keep everything balanced. He must be a disciplinarian, father figure, confessor, psychiatrist, psychologist, referee, peace-maker, and, oh yes, a winner.

The Rays have proven they can play with the best of them...and fight with them, too. Early on, this team didn't have respect. They also didn't have time to earn it either. So, they took it and they did it in a very respectable way. It was the only way they could. It was the only way they knew how.

When they got knocked down, they knocked back. When they got shoved, they shoved back. When they got disrespected, they disrespected back, but with an air of respectability.

They quickly became nobody's patsies. They played as a team and they fought as a team. They had fun as well. They won and kept winning. When others waited for them to fold, they toughed it out. When key players went down with injuries, they picked each other up and continued to win. They beat an experienced team in the ALDS, a team that had world championship experience just a short time ago.

The Rays are the best team in baseball. They face another team with recent world championship experience also from just a short time ago, last season. But the Rays took the division from the world champions. They do not seem phased by their accomplishments. They put this Red Sox team in their place, second. They have uncovered kinks in their armor but they do not discount for one second that the Red Sox are a great baseball team. However, they may have shown that the Sox are not quite the team they were last season.

So, after disposing of White Sox, the Rays should put down Red Sox and advance to the World Series. The Rays will not be distracted or detracted. It is their time, it is their season, it is their destiny.

Rays win the ALCS in 6!

American League Honors Scott Lewis

Congratulations to Indians’ pitcher Scott Lewis on being named American League Rookie of the Month for September.
Lewis made his Major League debut in September and started four games for the Indians, going 4-0 with a 2.63 ERA in 24 innings pitched. The left-handed Lewis allowed just 20 hits with six walks, striking out 15 and limiting opposing batters to a .222 batting average.
Lewis' debut on Sept. 10 in Baltimore was a remarkable one. He threw eight scoreless innings of three-hit ball, striking out seven in a 7-1 victory. The only Indians pitcher since 1956 to have a longer starting debut without allowing a run was Luis Tiant in 1965. Lewis didn't stop there. He rattled off six scoreless innings in his next start against the Twins, allowing just three hits with two walks and five strikeouts in a 3-1 win. The 14 scoreless innings pitched to begin his career was the longest by a Tribe starter since 1969.
Scott Lewis answered the challenge with the poise of a veteran. Look for this young pitcher to be a very positive factor for the Cleveland Indians in 2009!

Party On!

Like the outcome or not, this was one helluva 9th inning!

As celebrations go, I've seen better. Why the song, "Dirty Water?"

I may not like the Red Sox, but I gotta admit, they are a very good ball club. However, I think they were better last season.

The Rays' celebration was much more genuine. From worst to first, these guys have a lot to celebrate!

Ex-Indian Terry Francona is starting to resemble Dr. Evil!

Terry is a great manager and his dad, Tito was a very good ball player. He had some fine seasons with the Cleveland Indians.

Joe Maddon has had a magical year...Let's hope it continues for 8 more victories! Joe...what's that in your left hand...a little magical winning potion?

This guy is hard on the eyes and the ears but man, what a ball player!

So, how do you see it?

Better yet, how would you like to see this ALCS come out?

Cinderella is trying to go to the ball but the big, ugly stepsisters in Boston would have it another way.

The Rays have home-field advantage.

Head to head in the regular season;

The Rays have the advantage 10-8.

Boston has scored 71 more runs

Has 122 more hits

69 more doubles

4 less triples

7 less home runs

72 more RBIs

.018% better OBP

.025% better SLG

.020% better Batting Average

.019% worse ERA

Given up 22 more Walks

Struck out 42 more batters

Batting advantage=Red Sox

Pitching advantage=Rays

Take all of the above and throw it out the window, this is the next season, the post season!

Rays in 6 games!

(Cinderella has the killer instinct that the Indians lacked last year!)

Congrats! Who's Next?

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Rays on their ALDS victory over the Chicago White Sox! The Rays defeated the Sox this evening in Chicago by a score of 6-2, giving them 3 victories in 4 games in their very first playoff series.

Now they wait to see if they will face the Red Sox or the Angels. Currently, the Red Sox and Angels are engaged in a scoreless battle in Boston in game 4 of their ALDS, which Boston holds a 2-1 advantage.

Who will be the Rays next opponent? It doesn't matter because the better question is, are the Rays the best team in baseball?

GO RAYS!

RAYS IN 3!!! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

The story above was on the cover of the St. Petersburg Times on Friday, October 3rd, 2008 after the Rays defeated the White Sox 6-2 in Tampa on Thursday night.

The story above was on the cover of the cover of the St. Petersburg Times this morning, October 4th, 2008 after the Rays defeated the White Sox 6-4 in Tampa on Friday night.

The story above will be on the cover of the St. Petersburg Times on Monday, October 6th, 2008 after the Rays defeat the White Sox 8-6 in Chicago on Sunday night!

SWEEP!

Go Rays!!!