Upstart Rays one win from WS!

[Wassit3]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=281014102&prov=ap

[FRENCHREDSOX]

good for them - they desreve it ,although the Sox are "injured" - eg Drew(back),Lowell (out) & Beckett (strain)....

However is anyone gonna watch a Phillies-Rays series ??

[TheNamelessPoet]

good for them - they desreve it ,although the Sox are "injured" - eg Drew(back),Lowell (out) & Beckett (strain)....

However is anyone gonna watch a Phillies-Rays series ??

I debated no because i hate the phillies tht much... but I have had a spot in my heart for the rays for about 4-5 years so I have to watch to pull for them

[HoustonGM]

good for them - they desreve it ,although the Sox are "injured" - eg Drew(back),Lowell (out) & Beckett (strain)....

However is anyone gonna watch a Phillies-Rays series ??

I know i am.

The ESPN poll earlier was "How interested would you be in a Phillies-Rays World Series?" and I just went to check the exact numbers, but apparently ESPN changed the poll in the last like 3 minutes, but, "Very interested" was the leading votegetter of the 4 options, with like 47%.

[dickay]

the red sox have them exactly where they want them

[TheNamelessPoet]

remember... the red sox were 1 OUT from making the WS and the cubs were 5 outs away

[Reade]

although the Sox are "injured" - eg Drew(back),Lowell (out) & Beckett (strain)...

Injuries are part of the game, this excuse is old and pathetic.

[dickay]

Injuries are part of the game, this excuse is old and pathetic.

its not pathetic...as you stated it is part of the game. I don't see anyone whining about it being unfair, its something that happens and teams have to deal with it.

To ignore the fact that a team has significant stars injured is just as ignorant as whining that its unfair because of the injuries. I don't see anyone doing the latter, but I do hear you doing the prior.

[TheNamelessPoet]

with a 130+ million payroll you should have a backup plan ... that is not aimed at just the yanks... its the yanks, mets, angels, dodgers, detroit, etc. all these teams putting 1/2 their payroll into 4-5 players is why they fall apart... the braves were dominant becuae in the 90's their # was spred between about 9-10 guys. You dont have to have the best everywhere just good everywhere... then if 1 guy goes down, lowell for example" you are not killed... it jsut happend that papi has fallen from grace BADLY, manny is gone AND lowel is hurt... thats 3 important guys all not producing, and what the hell happend to elsbury... slumping at the WRONG time

[dickay]

with a 130+ million payroll you should have a backup plan ... that is not aimed at just the yanks... its the yanks, mets, angels, dodgers, detroit, etc. all these teams putting 1/2 their payroll into 4-5 players is why they fall apart... the braves were dominant becuae in the 90's their # was spred between about 9-10 guys. You dont have to have the best everywhere just good everywhere... then if 1 guy goes down, lowell for example" you are not killed... it jsut happend that papi has fallen from grace BADLY, manny is gone AND lowel is hurt... thats 3 important guys all not producing, and what the hell happend to elsbury... slumping at the WRONG time

Lowell, Beckett, and Drew would do nothing to stop the rays from scoring 10 runs per the last couple games (i know beck's a pitcher but it wasn't his turn in the rotation).

Yes the sawx aren't hitting, but the runs there giving up is outrageous.

The backup plan thing......really kind of misconstrued. Regardless of how high your payroll is, losing 3 of your top stars is going to hurt. However these three injuries as I mentioned have little to do with whats happened to the sawx the past couple days.

As for Ellsbury, he's been slumping/inconsistent all year. Varitek is a significant liability at the plate which I could overlook if our pitching staff wasn't getting clobbered. Add Papi's lack of performance, and there are just too many holes in the lineup to get anything going. But aside, its the pitching!! I dont' care how good the sawx hit, 10-11 runs per game isn't realistic.

Game 2 is what pissed me off....wtf is Timlin even doing on the roster, he's gotten nobody out all year!?!?

[RedsoxRockies]

Boston hopefully will come back. They are used to this

[TheNamelessPoet]

Boston hopefully will come back. They are used to this

agreed... about hte used to it... but I dont want them to come back

[filihok]

Naw...the Rays are awesome. The Red Sox now=Yankees Lite. The Rays are refreshing. Once...er...IF the Dodgers get eliminated, I'm all about the Rays.

[OregonDuck1989]

I think the Sawks will win game five but there is no way they can steal two straight in the Trop.

Rays for the title!

[TheNamelessPoet]

Naw...the Rays are awesome. The Red Sox now=Yankees Lite. The Rays are refreshing. Once...er...IF the Dodgers get eliminated, I'm all about the Rays.

lol. I agree.

it IS refreshing the playoffs this year. as mich as I ate the phillies its goo dto see relativly new teams in there. Even the Dodgers since there are not hre EVERY year. Whire Sox, Brewers, Tampa, Phillies, Cubs even, all there 1st or 2nd time in a few years (White Sox were a fluke I think). We KNOW the Angels will be there tho I LOVE the way Soccia manages the team... Sox/Yanks... both always thre and I HATE it... In the same way for all those years you KNEW thebraves would find a way to make it...

All in all... I think it was an AWESOME year this year in baseball, GREAT races with so many chances for sooo many teams... the play in game (possibility of multiple)

I overall (aside from my braves being DECIMATED by injuries (3/5ths of pitching staff and 1/2 bullpen) EVERYWHERE and lack of Francouer doing ANYTHING usefull this year) I think it was a GREAT year for baseball...
Brewers made strides towards respectability,
Tampa is a GREAT story.. I predicted 85 wins this season but certinly not playoffs, and what they did was just UNBELIEVABLE,
Minny Proved you CAN give up a top 5 pitcher in baseball for spare parts if those spares fit your system
Yanks Proved 209 Million does NOT buy you the playoffs,
Florida proved you can win with 20 Million (not a lot but you can do it)

just an all around good year in my opinion