Who will win the World Series?

[phightinphils]

No, they won't. Jeffrey Loria isn't their owner.


I understand that you're a Phillies fan, but maybe you should give Tampa the respect they deserve and stop acting like they're some second-class team that's going to rollover and die against Philadelphia.

There's a reason a lot of people are picking Tampa to win, and it has nothing to do with it being a feel good story.

Am I bashing them? NO! They made it. I am glad they made it. They are a good team. It will be a great series.

Why is it every time I bring up the Phils winning, people consider it bashing the Rays? For the love of everything holy! Everyone has a right to an opinion, except Phillies fans?

[phightinphils]

No, they won't. Jeffrey Loria isn't their owner.


I understand that you're a Phillies fan, but maybe you should give Tampa the respect they deserve and stop acting like they're some second-class team that's going to rollover and die against Philadelphia.

There's a reason a lot of people are picking Tampa to win, and it has nothing to do with it being a feel good story.

At least I am giving them credit for winning two games! A lot of people who get paid money called sports writers are saying the Phillies are going to roll over and die and not win one game. That is a lack of respect! And these are professional sportswriters? Then again, the Dodgers were going to roll all over us and we know how that worked out!

Should I say Phillies win it in 7? Does that make everyone sleep better at night?

[HoustonGM]

Am I bashing them? NO! They made it. I am glad they made it. They are a good team. It will be a great series.

Why is it every time I bring up the Phils winning, people consider it bashing the Rays? For the love of everything holy! Everyone has a right to an opinion, except Phillies fans?

You have a right to an opinion, but when you're whining and making a big stink about people picking the Rays, yeah, it does seem like you're bashing them. You're acting like it's so surprising that people think the Rays will win.

[phightinphils]

You have a right to an opinion, but when you're whining and making a big stink about people picking the Rays, yeah, it does seem like you're bashing them. You're acting like it's so surprising that people think the Rays will win.

So, educate me oh wise one, if my opinion is about the writers, why is it whining?

[HoustonGM]

So, educate me oh wise one, if my opinion is about the writers, why is it whining?

You're whining about both writers and other people on this forum. Because people have picked the Rays, you're claiming that nobody respects the Phillies and we're all "haters."

[phightinphils]

You're whining about both writers and other people on this forum. Because people have picked the Rays, you're claiming that nobody respects the Phillies and we're all "haters."

I guess you are NOT a Phillies fan?

[HoustonGM]

[HoustonGM]

Joe Sheehan breaks down the teams.

[phightinphils]

Joe Sheehan breaks down the teams.

Same story, different writer.

Do these guys use Prepberger or something?

[HoustonGM]

Same story, different writer.

I don't know if you're familiar with Baseball Prospectus, but Joe Sheehan is a MUCH different writer than the mainstream writers you normally think of.

Like I said, there's a reason many people are predicting the Rays to win, and it has nothing to do with liking the feel good story, or hating the Phillies.

[HoustonGM]

From Rob Neyer of ESPN:

You wonder why everyone's picking the Rays to beat the Phillies? Probably because they don't have any glaring weaknesses and they play in the Big Boy League.

Look, it's perfectly fine to disagree on who we think is going to win the World Series. As you can see, you're not the only person who thinks the Phillies are going to win. I just think you're going a little overboard with your reaction to people picking the Rays to win. It's not a crazy idea in the least bit.

[HoustonGM]

Most of the Baseball Tonight guys just now picked the Phillies...so, not "everyone" is picking the Rays.

Although most of them used completely odd (and sometimes flatout wrong) logic in analyzing the two teams and their chances.

[HoustonGM]

Jay Jaffe and Joe Sheehan ran a "draft" of the two teams as a way to compare the talent of the two teams.

The full article is subscriber-only, but here's the conclusion:

In search of that evidence, we came up with an idea. Throw the two teams' rosters into a pool and have a draft. If there was some kind of disparity in talent, it should show up in the process of picking teams.

All of the details are below, but let's cut to the conclusion: the Rays' talent matches the Phillies through about the first nine roster spots, then obliterates it through the rest of the roster. In the draft, six of the first nine picks were Rays, though you could argue that the ninth pick (Carl Crawford) was a mistake. Even at that, it was even through the first 19 picks: ten Rays, nine Phillies. That's the top of a roster, more or less: a lineup, a starter, a high-leverage reliever.

Fourteen of the next 21 selections were Rays. The entire middle of the draft was Rays. By the time we got through 40 picks, the remaining pool consisted of nine Phillies and Michel Hernandez, who hasn't played yet this postseason. As Jay put it, "Even into the bench and the deeper bullpen, the Rays' players generally wound up getting chosen before their Philly counterparts."

That's the reason to pick the Rays in six, if not sooner. They simply have more talent than the other guys do.

[gRYFYN1]

Most of the Baseball Tonight guys just now picked the Phillies...so, not "everyone" is picking the Rays.

Although most of them used completely odd (and sometimes flatout wrong) logic in analyzing the two teams and their chances.

That's a bummer cuz i think i want Philly to win, and if guys liek Phillips and Kruk are picking them I'm not sure i like thier chances ....

But the odd thing is I don't even know anymore... being the Sox fan that I am, after game 7, I wanted the Rays to lose, and nit just lose but lose badly .. however I am now drifting into ambivilance ..

However I am now watching some retarded skit on ESPN about Philly being "cursed" because they built a tall building 1987 ????

Just a note curses are for small minded sports writers to bring up simply beacuse they have now clue what they are talking about.

[HoustonGM]

That's a bummer cuz i think i want Philly to win, and if guys liek Phillips and Kruk are picking them I'm not sure i like thier chances ....

Heh, that reminds me. I was only half paying attention, but when Kruk picked the Phillies, Karl Ravech said something like..."That's not a good thing for Phillie fans since...you're usually...wrong." LOL.

Anyway, Kruk, Eric Young, and Peter Gammons picked the Phillies, while Tim Kurkjian and Steve Phillips picked the Rays (I think).

Just a note curses are for small minded sports writers to bring up simply beacuse they have now clue what they are talking about.

So true.