Rivalry renews in the shadow of the Rays
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jul 03, 2008 
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American League East Standings
Tampa Bay Rays 52-32
Boston Red Sox 50-37 -3.5
New York Yankees 45-40 -7.5
Yeah, that is about what everybody expected. The Yanks and Sox playing an epic four-game series over July 4 desperate to keep the Rays from pulling away in the division. Remember when we were all making fun of Joe Maddon in spring training?
This is like some science fiction movie when the hero wakes up in the future and looks at the newspaper. “Tampa Bay is in first place? What happened? You damn dirty apes!”
Everybody around baseball figures the Rays will crack under the pressure of playing games that count for the first time. Two things: They may be too young to realize that. The owner also has a few billion. If they want to make a trade, they can make a trade.
But here is how the Rays start September:
Sept. 2 NY Yankees
Sept. 3 NY Yankees
Sept. 4 NY Yankees
Sept. 5 @ Toronto
Sept. 6 @ Toronto
Sept. 7 @ Toronto
Sept. 8 @ Boston
Sept. 9 @ Boston
Sept. 10 @ Boston
Sept. 12 @ NY Yankees
Sept. 13 @ NY Yankees
Sept. 14 @ NY Yankees
Sept. 15 Boston
Sept. 16 Boston
Sept. 17 Boston
16 games in 17 days, nine of them on the road, 13 of them against the Yankees or Red Sox. If the Rays get to Sept. 1 still in the mix, that stretch will make or break them.
Good point about their age not necessarily being a negative. They are essentially playing with house money at this point. Low expectations mean low pressure.
posted in the previous thread too – apparently papi thinks the yankees are the team to beat:
http://www.bostonherald.com/sp.....ition=also
This isn’t without precedent. 2003 Marlins anyone??? Talent and makeup is what matters and it sure look likes the Rays have plenty of both.
That’s a good team and a good manager which are now backed by a strong front office. They even have their own fans showing up for games. They won’t be going away.
I don’t think we should expect an epic collapse from the Rays. They have been a fine hitting team with speed for a few years now, and this year they have the starting pitching and bullpen to go along with it.
Still, to win the division, they are going to have to close out the Yankees and Red Sox. No small task.
My guess is that the Red sox will have their usual second half skid, the Yanks will get stronger and battle the Rays for the division.
I’d say that Stiletto and Lace has changed their ad. Quick, what color are her eyes?
This series against the REd Sox is imporant.Good thing we have Rasner pitching.And good thing Ponson plays the Rays.And maybe JOba can work through he’s pitch counts while facing the Red Sox.
I wonder how long Cashman is gonna keep he’s pride before making a trade.I don’t think we can even trade after all our Carl Pavano farm system are dropping like flies.Freddy Garcia anyone?
Why do I feel a Dennis Green “they are what we thought they were” speech coming on?
Must refrain…..
pink? oops you said eyes
sorry!
I don’t think anyone can make discount Tampa. They’ve got a young, athletic team, with much improved starting pitching that’s finally coming together (pay attention, Yankee fans who might be impatient with 21-22 year-olds).
Though they are clearly playing well, they’ve not yet had any serious injury problems. Given their youth, they may escape that somewhat, but if they should suddenly lose a couple of key starters, or Longoria or Crawford go down (not that I’m wishing that, believe me), we’ll see how well put together as a team they are. Just as Yanks had to cope with key players on the DL, and the Sox, also, it would be and indicator of their team depth. It’s a long season.
“I wonder how long Cashman is gonna keep he’s pride before making a trade.I don’t think we can even trade after all our Carl Pavano farm system are dropping like flies.Freddy Garcia anyone?”
Yeah, Cashman has been a real jerk about this whole trade thing. Every GM out their wants to trade Cashman his best starting pitcher and like the jerk Cashman is he refuses to trade with them.
Stupid Cashman.
Memo to Cash: The Yankees need an Ace. Make it 3 Aces while your at it. I can’t for the life of me understand why you haven’t gotten CC, Webb, and Peavy yet.
“they’ve not yet had any serious injury problems.”
No Wang-type of season ending injury, but they did lose Pena, Kazmir and their catcher for about a month each and their closer has been DL’d twice.
I just want to point out that the Rays are currently outperfoming their pythagorean record.
These things tend to balance themselves out over the course of a long season.
The pythag records say that the Sox are the better team in the division.
Fredo, you’re right about that, but I don’t think the injury bug has bitten them as bad as Yanks. Not that that’s an excuse for not hitting, occ. spotty pitching, etc. that our boys seem to be afflicted with on occasion.
ray – this will be a real test of the pythag thing. If Tampa outperforms for the rest of the year, it will be a blow to the statistical anaylysis movement, I would think.
That schedule shows the Rays wont be staying on top
“These things tend to balance themselves out over the course of a long season.”
Then look out for the Blue Jays.
i dont think tb can keep this up. garza and sonanstine are pitching in their 1st full season in the majors. they could wear out by august. jackson, like sonanstine, is average.
kazmir is good and innings are below average count due to his earlier injury. shields is usually good.
their hitting is worse than ours, although they get on base almost as much as us. and they steal more than we do. their pitching though is what’s winning games for them.
it will be interesting to see what happens, but we’re never out of it.
kravitz said that he has no affair with c-rod . he is just letting her stay at his house to cool off what is going on with her marrige!
Not to discount what Tampa Bay has accomplished so far this season, but I hope they crash faster then the Hindenburg in the second half.
“Then look out for the Blue Jays.”
I don’t think Toronto has the offense to make a serious move personally.
They have the 3rd best pitching staff and the third worst offense. Can’t see them being able to overcome such a discrepancy.
LOL sure that’s why she left the kids.
If I didn’t know better I’d say Arod setup Cynthia to take the fall (because he’s been unhappily married for awhile). If she commits adultery does she still get paid 1/2 the assets ? If not she may have made the stupidest mistake and to leave the children alone too so she could jetison to Paris w/ Lenny ? Why would Lenny Kravitz a guy that went from Lisa Bonet to Halle Berry now go to Cynthia Rodriguez ? Smells real fishy to me.
Im not saying Tampa winds up collapsing Mets style and then finishing 81-81, but with that Sept schedule, its seriously hard to think they will come out of that with a playoff spot.
why cant a-rod come out with a comment oneway or another! just say true or not true!! why is he playing with us! or maybe he loves when we talk trash on him!
I think Peter Gammons may be pissed that David Ortiz is still counting the Yankees as a threat
“its seriously hard to think they will come out of that with a playoff spot.”
its seriously hard to believe they’d have been in this spot to begin with though, no?
to me, when you look at the construction of the team, how the pitching has performed, id say they have a better chance right now of sustaining their lead than the yankees have of coming all the way back, esp if Cashman doesnt bring in any pitching to fill out the back end.
“That schedule shows the Rays wont be staying on top”
How exactly does it do that??? They’ve played 22 of their 38 games vs the Yankees and Red Sox and held their own (11-11). They are 24-15 within the division while nobody else is better than .500.
I think everybody should play a division heavy schedule in September.
Why should the Rays be the only ones subjected to it?
Isn’t that why they made the unbalanced schedule in the first place?
Interview with Hal..
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com.....8;c_id=nyy
why cant a-rod come out with a comment oneway or another! just say true or not true!! why is he playing with us! or maybe he loves when we talk trash on him!
Because it’s none of our business, he can give a middle finger to the media for all I care. Still doesn’t stop me from cheering him on. What’s funny is when Micheal Kay yesterday said the day before when this was coming out Alex went through normal routines and was chipper (happier than ever) It makes me wonder was he happily married or going through the motions just like C-Rod.
“They have the 3rd best pitching staff and the third worst offense. Can’t see them being able to overcome such a discrepancy”
Gotcha. We’re having it both ways today and measuring the Rays against their pythag but ignoring that Toronto’s pythag is better than the Yankees’.
So these things tend to even out for the Rays, but not for the Jays, right?
Cool.
11-11 against the Sox and underachieving Yankees.
i read on mlb trade rumors that the Braves are considering sending Jeff Francouer down to the minors. now would be a great time to slide in and perhaps offer the braves a little pitching in an attempt to buy low.
he could be a great replacement for Abreu come season’s end.
“Gotcha. We’re having it both ways today and measuring the Rays against their pythag but ignoring that Toronto’s pythag is better than the Yankees’.
So these things tend to even out for the Rays, but not for the Jays, right?”
I’m not having it both ways. I can’t see the the Blue Jays sustaining their record when they can’t hit a lick.
I never said the Rays couldn’t sustain it. I just said they’re not as good as their record shows.
Toronto may not be as bad as their record shows but not being able to hit makes it awful tough on your pitchers an entire year.
“Why should the Rays be the only ones subjected to it?
Isn’t that why they made the unbalanced schedule in the first place?”
Odd number of teams probably makes it a little more difficult than one might imagine.
“11-11 against the Sox and underachieving Yankees.”
thats what the Yankees teams of the past did, right? beat up on the weak teams you should beat, and play .500 against the good teams, including those within the division.
12 games in September against 2 teams that are pressuring them for the first place of the AL East. You dont see them cracking?
Tampa Bay has the position players to win the thing, but I’m not sold on their bullpen. Percival will breakdown again and Wheeler is pitching way over his head right now. I like their top three of Kazmir, Garza and Shiels, but the others can be had.
Yes they have had some injuries… but nothing like the mess the Yanks and Sawx have been dealing with. If all are healthy and within five games or so September coudl be very entertaining. Til then the key is to not let them get comfortable…
Also they still aren’t drawing well… young, inexperienced players may begin to take offense
“thats what the Yankees teams of the past did, right? beat up on the weak teams you should beat, and play .500 against the good teams, including those within the division.”
Exactly.
“Odd number of teams probably makes it a little more difficult than one might imagine.”
I know it’s difficult but I’m sure it’s possible considering how many scheduling oddities we see every year.
Because it’s none of our business, he can give a middle finger to the media for all I care. Still doesn’t stop me from cheering him on.
youre right brandon he could do what ever he wants , but to me something fishy here all 3 have yhe same maneger she leaves with the kids left behind and she left with a-rods persenal trainer(not macnamy)who is also the godfather of there kids! and lenny kravitz is also an a-rod pal (they made a charity together)
So what the heck is going on!!!!!!!
“12 games in September against 2 teams that are pressuring them for the first place of the AL East. You dont see them cracking?”
Why should we??? There’s nothing there to suggest it.
Any team can under or over perform in a season. While the stats can give you a projection, its only a tool, not gospel.
If you want to root for an athlete that you know will never spend his off time with hookers, strippers, at bars/clubs and/or doing drugs, then go root for Smarty Jones.
At least you know where your race horse is at night… In his stall, at the barn!
NUFF SAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rays Sept.
3 @ NY
3 vs. NY
3 @ Bos
3 vs. Bos
3 @ Tor
4 vs. Min
4 @ Bal
4 @ Det (last 4 games)
All with 2 days off in the month. And end the season with 8 games in 7 days.
NY Sept
1 @ Det
3 @ TB
3 @ Sea
3 @ LAA
3 vs. TB
4 vs. CHW
3 vs. Bal
3 vs. Tor
3 @ Bos
Bos Sept
3 vs Bal
3 @ Tex
3 vs. TB
3 vs. Tor
3 @ TB
3 @ Tor
4 vs. Cle
3 vs. NY
Why should we??? There’s nothing there to suggest it.
-
-
Is there something to suggest they have been in this situation before?
“Is there something to suggest they have been in this situation before?”
there’s a first time for everything.
al arodien this is the best thing I read on the situation from an opinion stand point.
BonnieGirl Jul 3, 2008 11:30:58 AM
OMG cut me a break Lenny ! She has to fly all the way to Paris to stay with another man to nurse the Madonna rumors ??? Paleeeeeeeeeeeeeze dude !! I know she has family in South Florida because when he wanted to buy a mansion on Star Island, she nixed it coz she wanted to stay closer to her mommy, a whole 45 minutes from Star Island so this is bunk !!! Women in these situations run to other women NOT MEN IN ANOTHER COUNTRY !!
bronxbomber77 “Fear the ‘Stache”
i liked it because you hit it on the button!
Lets just say the Yanks get a miracle and take 3/4 this weekend and then 1/2 from the Rays and 1/1 vs Pit and 2/3 from Toronto and leave us with a 52-43 record. How would you feel then? Would you still think Tampa has the division in wrap?
I do not think the Yankees make playoffs w/o adding a front line starter to current rotation.
Question of the day:
Do you guys think Yankees will make a trade by end of July for a top starter like a Haren or Sabatia?
I don’t get it. Anybody who knows anything about baseball knew the Tampa Bay Rays would be good. Should a team with three very good starting pitchers, a good bullpen, and great defense not be competing?
#9 im sure you meant Harden?
And the Rays have 1 very good starting pitcher. The others are over achieving
Yanks can’t worry about other teams or rely on them to “crack”. They just need to worry about themselves. Their fate is in their own hands. How Jeterian is that?
“Is there something to suggest they have been in this situation before?”
Nope. Doesn’t mean a thing though. If it did, the Yankees would win every year. Rockies were never there before last year. Nor were the Diamondbacks (as they were comprised in ’07). Marlins as comprised in ’03 weren’t there before. Neither were the ’02 Halos, the ’06 Tigers, etc.
“Everybody around baseball figures the Rays will crack under the pressure of playing games that count for the first time. Two things: They may be too young to realize that. The owner also has a few billion. If they want to make a trade, they can make a trade.”
No, not everybody around baseball figures they will crack.
Also, what’s with the meaningless cliche in regards to their age being a factor? It is irrelevant in the way you are using it. Because if they don’t crack, you will say “Oh they were too young to realize they were under enormous pressure.” But if they do crack, then you will say “Oh well that’s because they’re too inexperienced.” You can’t have it both ways. How about actualy analysis. You know, looking at the abilities of the players on the team. The actual talent of the players is a much more critical factor in determining whether they will crack or not.
They have a rotation with a top 3 of Kazmir, Shields, and Garza, which is a very nice top of the rotation. They have a bullpen with Wheeler, Percival, and Howell, which is also pretty solid. Their lineup includes Upton, Longoria, Crawford, and Pena. Navarro may be for real. I tend to think that Hinske is kind of fluky. The defense is a big plus. David Price may get called up late in the year to be their “2007 Joba” in late inning relief. All in all, I expect this team to be in the postseason. They have very very good pitching, very good defense, and good enough hitting. Not much of it looks like a fluke, as opposed to teams like St Louis or Baltimore or Minnesota.
So there you go. If they don’t crack, there are dozens of better reasons you can point to that are much more important than “oh they were too young to realize the games were pressure-packed”. That is essentially a meaningless and lazy way to approach it.
THey wouldnt go for Haren, he just got traded
Actually sorry, 2, Garza is very good.
Very first comment of KLaw’s chat:
Mark Citrone (Parents’ Basement): Is there any way to empirically measure someone’s “game-calling ability” KLaw? Varitek’s recent 2-for-800 streak at the plate is tough to swallow, but the cliche-spewing elite always talk about his Jeteresque intangibles.
Keith Law: (1:06 PM ET ) I’ve never seen an empirical measurement that found a statistically significant benefit. And Varitek looks done at the plate.
James Shields is legit too.
Don’t think Tampa has the division wrapped now. Just see no reason to think they are going away. Yankees will have to win the the division, because unlike the Mets last year, Tampa won’t lose it.
“Would you still think Tampa has the division in wrap?”
i never gave them the division to begin with. i just think the yankees are going to have to play balls to the wall, like .700 baseball, and hope Tampa regresses a little bit.
“Do you guys think Yankees will make a trade by end of July for a top starter like a Haren or Sabatia?”
i suppose you mean Harden, not Haren. and no, i doubt they make that type of move. not Cashman’s MO anymore.
the more i think about it, the more Derek Lowe makes sense, though. i just dont think the Dodgers are going to move him while they are as close to the NL West title as they are now.
Kazmir? Shields is better than Kazmir, and Garza is really good. Sorry.
Maybe we could reacquire Scott Proctor as our long man every other day?
How do you know the Rays won “lose” it? They play 16 games in Sept against Playoff hungary teams, 20 if the Twins are still in it
Yea like Craig just said, they have a left handed Joba, I think might be better, coming up as early as this season. They have a McGee who I believe is another left handed #2 or even #1 starter. They have several right handers, they have young position players. They have more than enough pieces to handle any sort or injury. Right now, they have Kazmir #1, Shields #2, Garza #3 and they have quite a few potential #1′s and #2′s coming and have other pieces to trade for a #1. They are built for the long run and they have like four or five #1′s with Kazmir, Shields, Price, McGee, and others.
Now that I think of it, Scott Proctor could be our 4 and 5 starter.
Shields is better than Kazmir? hahaha come on. And I said Garza
But here’s the honest question, assuming the Yankees could finish in the top 2 of the division, who would be the main competitors for the wild card in the A.L. In other words, who should we be preemptively rooting against here?
The black dude on First Take just said Marianos window is closing
For what it’s worth: I fully expected the Rays to finish in 3rd this season. I knew Toronto was over-hyped and the O’s are a fricken AAAA-team this year.
27 this year:
McGee is down for TJ surgery. He’s now a Ray no sooner than 2010. Wade Davis is close. Price might be closer. Dominant stuff. He’ll be up in August the way things sound.
Though KC has lost 2 in a row, they have been playing pretty good as of late. So to think Tampa will sweep them, is crazy talk.
Thanks Fredo
Oh, and it would take a hell of lot to pry Seattle’s face Ichiro lose from a Japanese owner. It would take less to get Sabathia. Realistically, Ichiro is not worth as much as a #1, but to pry him away from Seattle will take too much
“They play 16 games in Sept against Playoff hungary teams, 20 if the Twins are still in it”
doesnt change the dynamic. they still have the pitching and defense it takes to make it thru a difficult sched.
the only chance i see the Rays faltering is if Kazmir maybe goes down for an extended period of time.
“Though KC has lost 2 in a row, they have been playing pretty good as of late. So to think Tampa will sweep them, is crazy talk.”
Probably is. Kazmir won’t start in this series. Meche won’t for the Royals. Greinke is a stud. He’ll be tough on them. Rays should win 3, but you never know.
Rishi,
From Papi’s lips to god’s ears. Thank goodness it won’t be when he’s blowing kisses at the sky crossing homeplate.
Harold Reynolds was on the Dan Patrick show this a.m. and he said that it would still come down to the Sox or the Yankees (going on his preseason prediction that only one AL East team would make it). The Rays are legit, but he said it still comes down to those two.
Now at first thought, you’d say what? Tampa’s hot, they have good pitching, good bullpen, and great hitting. Then if you think about it. Tampa’s never had a winning season (that I know of) and they’re going to come out like gangbusters and win the east or pry the WC out of some veteran team’s hands?
That’s akin to what the Celtics did this year. But baseball’s a different game. You can’t outmuscle teams on your way to the championship.
So, yes they’re good. Yes, they’re for real. But there’s a lot of good teams that are taking them seriously.
So, I still think that 2 out of the 3 top AL East teams will make the playoffs. We still have a real shot.
“Though KC has lost 2 in a row, they have been playing pretty good as of late. So to think Tampa will sweep them, is crazy talk.”
Crazy talk? They just swept the Red Sox.
For all the disappointing play of the Yankees, they are only 3 games behind Boston in the loss column…
“Maybe we could reacquire Scott Proctor as our long man every other day?”
no chance. that would be an awful idea anyway. i think he’s injured actually right now anyway.
“Y’all will think I’m crazy, but the only trade I could see this team making would be for a bat, an OF, especially if Matsui is down for an extended period of time.
Ready?
Ichiro!”
i dont think your crazy… i said the same thing a while ago, and was crucified here by the masses for it.
plus i dont think the Mariners would trade him anyway, or it would take so much to get him, and take on his salary, that it wouldnt make sense.
“The O’s are a AAAA-team?
You’re too nice. They are more like an AA team.”
you realize that they are only like 2 games behind the Yankees in the standings, right?
key to this series keep peridora and ellsbury off the bases
“The O’s are a AAAA-team?
You’re too nice. They are more like an AA team.”
O’s presently sit one game beind the Yankees and are tied in the AILC, no???
They won’t likely finish the year .500, but they now have themselves a legit GM and fattened up nicely in the Bedard and Tejada trades. Some excellent young pitching in that system too.
but according to u guys, we got brett gardner so we are all set.. im not worried about boston now.. feww thank god we brought up gardner
didn’t realize i forgot to put NOT,bc im NOT obsessed..
DRfS
That would make one believe in miracles again, wouldn’t it?
On the other hand if they go 5-5 would a reasonable fan think that is who they are and send Posada to surgery to get ready for next season and let Cashman begin the true rebuilding of the team?
Did anyone see Chris Snyder’s injury?
The Rays will be for real if they bring Price up to be the closer – or take over a late inning role – and if they make a splash in the trade market for another bat or C.C.
Brandon brought this up overnight. I didn’t believe it because I didn’t think you could break one:
Greg (Stratford, WI): What would you rather have as a player-torn labrum or fractured testicle?
———————————————————
Keith Law: (1:22 PM ET ) Couldn’t Arizona have just made something up? How about a pulled groin? Pulled groin sounds fan-freaking-tastic compared to fractured testicle. (Although I do want to know: Did the doctors put it in a cast?)
———————————————————Rich (Cincinnati, OH): No, they had to insert screws to put it back together.
“On the other hand if they go 5-5 would a reasonable fan think that is who they are and send Posada to surgery to get ready for next season and let Cashman begin the true rebuilding of the team?”
thats not going to happen, either.
the yankees would NEVER give up on the season, despite the fact they already have all their games basically sold out no matter what they do, for this year and next year.
whats most likely to happen is cashman keeps picking up bad starters off the garbage pile in hopes of patching together starts until Hughes comes back in Sept, or some of the young pitching comes up to take a shot, and the offense has its really good days, and really frustrating days.
A fractured testicle?
I’m assuming that has to hurt quite a bit…
Aaron,
No one else is obsessed either. A lot of people were excited to see him come up, and it turned into a big joke about how they’re not mentioning him on ESPN. Just people having fun.
Mel that’s not how I posted it via FleeceFactor
In a lot of cases the fractured testicle has to be removed. Yeah, I would say it hurts quite a bit.
If Carl Pavano had a fractured testicle we might cut him some slack!
I didn’t even know you could do that. They aren’t made of bone how can they fracture?
The Rays should trade for Sabathia.
“If Carl Pavano had a fractured testicle we might cut him some slack!”
Instead we sit silently at our computers wondering whether it’s mathematically possible for Pavano to fracture a testicle.
The tissue splits, think of hitting an orange against a countertop. Sort of like that.
Sorry to ask but.. is a fractured testicle possible? I can see torn, strained and even ruptured but what is there to fracture?
That’s not possible, Pavano does not have one to fracture.
Fracture, testicular:
a tear of the testicular parenchyma. It is the result of direct blunt injury to the scrotum or straddle injury. Testicular rupture is seen when there are several testicular fractures, associated with a tear in the tunica albuginea. Testicular haematomas and haematocoeles are usually present as well. A testicular fracture usually requires prompt surgical intervention.
http://www.medcyclopaedia.com/.....cular.aspx
Alrighty..
My other post disappeared..lemme try this again..
Fractured Testicle:
http://www.medcyclopaedia.com/.....cular.aspx
“The tissue splits, think of hitting an orange against a countertop. Sort of like that.”
That sounds like a tear or something. When I think fracture I think of a crack or break. I remember in health class in fourth grade a kid asked “can you crack your nuts?” and the nurse said no!
Even if Tampa goes all the way – and while I wouldn’t bet cash on it, I also wouldn’t totally rule it out – its still no reason to bulldoze a minor league catcher for a meaningless run in a meaningless spring training game. We can always make fun of Joe Maddon for that.
Worst case scenario: If it’s not going to be the Yanks this year and I had to choose between the two, I’d still rather see Tampa win it than Boston.
But if it wasn’t the Yanks and I didn’t have to choose between just Boston & Tampa, I’d have to say ‘Go Cubs’.
OK so Tampa has proven they’re not pushovers anymore but the Yanks are still very much in it. Until proven otherwise, I can only say GO YANKS!
Zooboy, that was funny as hell !!!!!!!
And by the way that hurts just from imagining it …
“Zooboy, that was funny as hell !!!!!!!”
Yeah it was. It was true too.
Thanks. I guess I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t imagine it.
OK, this is downright painful to read about fractured, ruptured, strained, or torn testicles.
New topic…
How bout those Yanks?!
like this ?
A lot of people compare the Rays to the 2006 Tigers, but remember last year’s Mariners? They collapsed last season and had a 1-13 stretch from August to September. For every miracle Tigers, there are catastrophic collapses like the Mariners.
The Rays won’t go away easy if at all. They have a no quit attitude as a team with no clear cut dependancy on 1 or 2 players. Every player contributes and they do the little things right. They make things happen with 2 outs and are capable of winning games in later innings.
The only question is how they can handle the pennant pressure of August & September.
Their 1-5 starters are as good as there is. The bullpen while not outstanding is serviceable.
I personally think everybody on the the team and managers should grow a mustache and dye it black!!!!!
Go yankees tonight
I have lived in the Tampa area since 01′ and being a Yankee fan since 63′, I never watched too many Ray’s games prior to May of this year.
Like any team you have to watch them on a day in and day out basis to truly appreciate what they can do.
When they were down last night 4-1 going in to the bottom of the 7th I imagine most casual fans were thinking, ‘well it had been a nice couple of wins in the two previous games against the Red Sox and now it was time for them to lose a game’.
And then BAM just like that they batted 11 men in the inning and scored 6 runs to take the lead.
But the best part was that as the Red Sox tried to chip away at their lead, they kept their wits about them and made two defensive gems (Upton with an over the shoulder catch in deep CF and Nararro throwing out Lowell at second by THREE feet!
Was that a fluke? Nah, they have been doing whatever it takes all year long. Whether its their pitching, defense or timely hitting (they regularly get 2 out hits to score runs and did so again last night).
This is a team that has swept the Cubs, Marlins (not exactly the Astros and Padres I know but I imagine most people would take it, lol) but have also swept the Red Sox and took 3 of 4 from the Yankees when they were last in Tampa.
Yeah, they are a flash in the pan!
I’ve been thinking that Seattle would be a good trade partner (but I’m a Yanks fan living outside Seattle so what else am I going to think). I doubt that Ichiro would be available. Right now he’s the only reason to go to Safeco. It would akin to offering up Jeter. That said they have a pretty deep bullpen, are deep at catcher, have everyone’s favorite utility player and are shopping a front of the rotation starter. Nothing will probably come of it.
Its hard to predict now that there is a (much needed) new GM.