July 1st, 2008 and the Devil Rays lead......

[Double G]

the AL East. They are up by four games in the loss column. And before anyone babbles on about how much great young talent they have, spare me. It's a joke, an embarassment to go there and lose two games like they did, leaving what, 9,000 runners on base so far?

And their ace goes tomorrow, wonderful. Let the good times roll in that armpit of a stadium, packed to the rafters with a bunch of front running frauds wearing Rays gear with price tags still on...............

 

[Char2na]

the AL East. They are up by four games in the loss column. And before anyone babbles on about how much great young talent they have, spare me. It's a joke, an embarassment to go there and lose two games like they did, leaving what, 9,000 runners on base so far?

And their ace goes tomorrow, wonderful. Let the good times roll in that armpit of a stadium, packed to the rafters with a bunch of front running frauds wearing Rays gear with price tags still on...............

The only enjoyment Ive gotten out of this series was seeing that dude miss the ball by like 20 yards.

 

[Double G]

You are down in Florida, fill us all in on the mood of the Doofin Ray fans; are they dancing in the streets, lining up for blocks to buy tickets and is every clambrain walking the streets wearing a Doofin Ray hat with the pricetag hanging off the back?

 

[Kontradiction]

the AL East. They are up by four games in the loss column. And before anyone babbles on about how much great young talent they have, spare me. It's a joke, an embarassment to go there and lose two games like they did, leaving what, 9,000 runners on base so far?

And their ace goes tomorrow, wonderful. Let the good times roll in that armpit of a stadium, packed to the rafters with a bunch of front running frauds wearing Rays gear with price tags still on...............

Whoo that is the truth. I've seen more Rays hats down here in the last couple of months than I did for the first 8 years or so of that franchise. It's a joke really. Don't ask Char2na about it because he's in Marlins land but every front running phony from Orlando on north is wearing a brand new Rays hat. It's ridiculous. Here in Jacksonville there are a lot of Rays fans but also a lot more Braves fans as well. If the Rays end up in the World Series and winning it (something I can't see happening), prepare to see Rays hats all over the United States.

 

[Foley]

And exactly how is any of this different for any other team in any other sport?

Every fanbase grows significantly when the team wins, and every fanbase declines when the team loses. This happens in Tampa, this happens in Boston, this happens in every city in the country. Bandwagon jumpers are a huge part of every successful team.

 

[Real World]

And exactly how is any of this different for any other team in any other sport?

Every fanbase grows significantly when the team wins, and every fanbase declines when the team loses. This happens in Tampa, this happens in Boston, this happens in every city in the country. Bandwagon jumpers are a huge part of every successful team.

Exactly. How many Celtics hats did we see in Boston before this year? The Pats weren't exactly selling out the old Foxboro until the Tuna got here. The Bruins....nevermind.

 

[Real World]

BTW, I think their success is good for baseball. I think they may ultimately fade, but they're going up against two juggernaught franchises in their division, who spend a combined $350 million on players. I'm kinda happy for them, even though they're not my team.

 

[jmt57]

Regarding it being an enbarassment for the Sox to lose to Tampa, I respectfully disagree. That's based on past history, which has nothing to do with current ability. Just because the team has been horrible for all of their existence, it does not mean they are bad this season.

Think of BB and the way he looks at players. He didn't hesitate to let Milloy or Law go, because he was looking at this year - and not what they did over the last four years before that.

Compare it to the Impossible Dream Season, the Sox were awful for ten or fifteen years before that. They were drawing 10,000 people to a game. 1967 brought one good player who had been around for a few years (Yaz/Crawford), a good pitcher (Lonborg/Kazmir), a bunch of good young players (Rico-Reggie Smith-George Scott / Longoria-Upton-Shields)

Are the Rays going to win the AL East? No. Look at the depth of the Sox, all the way to Pawtucket. It just doesn't compare. Add to that how the two teams compare at full strength (Ortiz and Dice-K healthy, Manny and Tek not in a slump), and the Sox are better.

However, I disagree with those that assume Tampa will fold soon. Due to superior pitching, both up front and in the bullpen, I am confident that they will finish ahead of the Yankees. They have enough veterans (Floyd, Percival, Hinske) to control the locker room. Their weak link is another power hitter to go with Pena. Thing is now they have new ownership, they may for the first time ever become buyers rather than sellers in July.

Scary thing for the Sox is that MLB has proven that anything can happen once you make the playoffs (Marlins, Diamondbacks, etc.) when you have a decent top-3 starting rotation (Kazmir, Shields, Garza). And that is all that small-market low-budget teams like Tampa is asking for.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

It's good for any pro sport and good for the ailing city itself when a struggling team finally starts to succeed. Supposedly TB's either building or wanting to build a new stadium, and I'm sure their attendance at the Trop has gone way up too.

Over the last few years the Rays (and Toronto too) have had some great players but trying to advance when you've got the Sox and Yankees in your division takes more than being just good. You've always got to be better than one or both of the 2 giants in your division-ouch. You've also got to be patient and wait around and pray that one or both of these 2 giants begins their eventual descent. Now that I think about it, it must really stink to be in this division. The Pats have dominated their division this entire decade but at least it's only been one team-the Pats-who the other 3 need to worry about. Always coming down to the same 2 teams must truly, truly stink, especially for the Rays who couldn't even rival Toronto.

Will TB withstand the playoff pressures? Can they keep it up, stay focused, and close in September? If the Sox come alive and knock off the bs,and the Yankees start getting their act together and make a big surge at the end as they're known to do at times, can TB hold on.

If the Sox end up out of it I'll be rooting for TB ( I can never bring myself to root for the Yankees no matter what) because I respect how they've built their team. The Pesky (Devil) Rays have always been spoilers so if they finally nail this division they've earned the respect.

Plus if they finally get some real success it'll make our division one of the best in the league

 

[scout]

What's with the Ray hatred? Yes, they play in the 'Can' (to their advantage). They have a young club with lots of speed and their payroll is about 40 million. I lived in Tampa during the Big Sombreto years, whats the difference?
The one thing I noticed during last nights game, the Ray fans actually could compete on a noise level with the Sox fans. They still are not drawing against teams that are not the Yanks, Sox, Cubs..............and I still haven't figured out the hate factor.
No, in the end, if all the Sox are healthy, the Rays are not beating them out, tho they will be there at the end.

 

[Double G]

Their manager is a total assclown and a fish rots from the head down. His player dropped a knee on Crisp (AND, when the same player did it to the Doofin Rays when he was with the Twins, he got drilled the next time up), so Crisp slid hard into the shortstop next time down. Even steven right; nope, Maddon has to go off on Crisp during a pitching change and drills Crisp the next night, resulting in a brawl and several suspensions.

Nope, they are hateable, so deal with it.

 

[Foley]

Unless you think that barreling into a fielder at the legs is a comparable play to blocking second, then hitting Crisp was completely expected. Knowing that Crisp always slides head first, there was no potential for either the fielder or the runner to be harmed by Bartlett blocking the plate. Taking out Iwamura at the legs when he had no way to prepare for it had potential to seriously injure him.

They shouldn't just call it even when the retaliation is far worse than the infraction that caused it. Crisp overreacted, and Maddon getting pissed off about it was perfectly justified.

 

[Double G]

You're joking right? Dropping a knee when a guy slides headfirst is ok with you? What color is the sky in your world? Crisp hurt his hand on the play.

The Doofin Ray 2nd baseman drops a knee, Crisp retaliates and gets drilled; how is that ok with you?

Christ, buy a clue next time ok?

 

[Foley]

No. Yes. Blue. And he had a little booboo that was fine in no time. Hardly a serious injury like what could occur when barreling into a fielder.

And (as I said in my post but you apparently ignored) thats OK with me because Crisp's retaliation was a far worse offense than the play by Bartlett. There is no reason to run full speed into someones knees on a steal attempt. Blocking second like Bartlett isn't uncommon against runners like Crisp who always dive head first.

And where exactly is the clue store?

 

[scout]

Their manager is a total assclown and a fish rots from the head down. His player dropped a knee on Crisp (AND, when the same player did it to the Doofin Rays when he was with the Twins, he got drilled the next time up), so Crisp slid hard into the shortstop next time down. Even steven right; nope, Maddon has to go off on Crisp during a pitching change and drills Crisp the next night, resulting in a brawl and several suspensions.

Nope, they are hateable, so deal with it.

In other words, your rant (hate the Rays) is do to blocking second base on a Sox player. Yea, that whole town sucks man.

 

[Double G]

"And he had a little booboo that was fine in no time. Hardly a serious injury like what could occur when barreling into a fielder.'

A "boo boo" as you put it to the same hand he broke last year that ****ed up his whole season; way to minimize an injury. If he broke his hand and was lost for the season, would that be ok with you too? I get it, it's not what the guy did, it's the minimal injury that occured.

Brilliant, you'd make a piss poor lawyer; "But your honor, after my client stabbed the guy, he proceeded to take out a gun and shot at my client and wounded him in the process. I mean, it was just a little stab and he really didn't mean it."

And where exactly is the clue store? Just as I thought, your clueless as to where it is.

 

[Double G]

"In other words, your rant (hate the Rays) is do to blocking second base on a Sox player. Yea, that whole town sucks man."

No, it's not "do" to that assclown, but try again genius.........open keyboard, insert foot clambrain.

 

[Foley]

A "boo boo" as you put it to the same hand he broke last year that ****ed up his whole season; way to minimize an injury. If he broke his hand and was lost for the season, would that be ok with you too? I get it, it's not what the guy did, it's the minimal injury that occured.

Two entirely different situations. The injury in 2006 occurred because when he slid he kept his fingers down, and therefore jammed it into the base. That was a bad base running play. The Bartlett play was was the equivalent of a stubbed toe. And no, its not the minimal injury that I'm fine with, it's just that I have no problem with blocking second. Base runners hate the play because it's more difficult to steal on, but most people (outside the Boston media) don't view it as a dirty play.

Had he been injured on the play sure I'd be unhappy about it, but it wouldn't be Bartlett's fault. Plays like that happen frequently without any injury to either party. Had Crisp not overreacted no one would give a crap about the Bartlett play.

Brilliant, you'd make a piss poor lawyer; "But your honor, after my client stabbed the guy, he proceeded to take out a gun and shot at my client and wounded him in the process. I mean, it was just a little stab and he really didn't mean it."

Better than your logic of "He looked at me wrong so I shot him in the face".

 

[scout]

"In other words, your rant (hate the Rays) is do to blocking second base on a Sox player. Yea, that whole town sucks man."

No, it's not "do" to that assclown, but try again genius.........open keyboard, insert foot clambrain.

Ok, since your so very good with words, please inspire us with your gift. Tell us why the manager, the Rays, and the whole town sucks...................................

 

[Double G]

I already explained why the manager is an assclown; he gets upset when one of his players gets taken out due to an action another of his players initiated; he pulled a bush league move which Maddon blew a gasket over when said player pulled the same crap on one of his players when said player was with the Twins.

According to the everyone other than Foley, who goes by the "If I do something bush league to you and you retaliate, it ain't over and I get to retaliate back" school of thought.

Those wonderful non band wagon Tampa fans you speak of packed the Trop last night to the tune of 16,000 paid attendees; nope, they're not band wagon fans at all ...............