Red Sox Vs Rays:

[tedylb]

2-1 Rays. Great effort by Josh. The TB relievers looked very good. Looks like a horse race to the end.

 

[jmt57]

its not a stretch at all. fla doesnt support major league baseball. the reasons why fla doesnt is another discussion. of course there are reasons. the only time the rays get a good crowd are when the sox or the yankees are in town. cmon. the problem with the marlins is nobody gives a sh!t. I've been in fla plenty . and your right they do have a great youth baseball system but what does that have to do with supporting there major league baseball teams? they dont. the rays have been in first place all year and nobody down there cares. even the rays players have commented on it.

There's multiple reasons but it might be too soon to say with Tampa; we may be over simplifying the attendance issue with broad generalizations. Attendance at Sox games was bad before they started winning and prior to that it was so low for another team they had to leave; before '67 you could say Boston was a bad baseball town but there's been none better over the last forty years.

Tampa has a lot of obstacles to overcome: stadium in the wrong city, has always been a bad team on the field (not previously considered 'cool' to be a fan), no history within families of following the team due to short existence, previous ownership was absolutely awful and turned off fans, most people are from somewhere else (and still loyal to those other teams), below average per capita income in a sluggish economy - coupled with increased gas, food, and homeowner's insurance prices, and an area that offers many other outdoor activities year round due to the climate.

Can Tampa overcome all those obstacles? Maybe yes, maybe no. If that team is good again next year - which they should be - and attendance isn't a lot better, then it's time to seriously think about buying out the lease and moving. Just my opinion, but I think it's still too early to write them off yet though.

 

[patriotspride]

There's multiple reasons but it might be too soon to say with Tampa; we may be over simplifying the attendance issue with broad generalizations. Attendance at Sox games was bad before they started winning and prior to that it was so low for another team they had to leave; before '67 you could say Boston was a bad baseball town but there's been none better over the last forty years.

Tampa has a lot of obstacles to overcome: stadium in the wrong city, has always been a bad team on the field (not previously considered 'cool' to be a fan), no history within families of following the team due to short existence, previous ownership was absolutely awful and turned off fans, most people are from somewhere else (and still loyal to those other teams), below average per capita income in a sluggish economy - coupled with increased gas, food, and homeowner's insurance prices, and an area that offers many other outdoor activities year round due to the climate.

Can Tampa overcome all those obstacles? Maybe yes, maybe no. If that team is good again next year - which they should be - and attendance isn't a lot better, then it's time to seriously think about buying out the lease and moving. Just my opinion, but I think it's still too early to write them off yet though.

im not over simplifying anything. I'm just making a observation. i dont care what the reasons are and I'm not passing judgement. as of right now all fla cares about is football. can that change ? sure it can. people in fla arent showing up for games enough to support a mlb franchise. how is that a over simplification? . that's a fact.

 

[scout]

im not over simplifying anything. I'm just making a observation. i dont care what the reasons are and I'm not passing judgement. as of right now all fla cares about is football. can that change ? sure it can. people in fla arent showing up for games enough to support a mlb franchise. how is that a over simplification? . that's a fact.

Ok, Boston is a baseball town. They don't care about basketball and will not support their team even tho they have won a handful of World Championships in a row. This statement could have been (and probably was) offered in the 60's.

 

[patriotspride]

Ok, Boston is a baseball town. They don't care about basketball and will not support their team even tho they have won a handful of World Championships in a row. This statement could have been (and probably was) offered in the 60's.

im sorry your from fla and it upsets you so much that they are lousy baseball fans. i love the state of fla myself . i plan on moving there very soon.

 

[scout]

im sorry your from fla and it upsets you so much that they are lousy baseball fans. i love the state of fla myself . i plan on moving there very soon.

Where did I say I was from Fl? I believe I said I had lived there.
I've moved in and out of Fl 3 or 4 times, nice place to visit, but gets too boring for me. I'll probably end up buying a condo (right now is an excellent time) for the winter months.
No comment on my Boston Celtics comparison?

 

[JAYHAWKS34]

Well we're constipated tonight but we squeezed 1 prune out ... 1-0 Sox

To bad they couldn't provide the offense for Josh

 

[jmt57]

im not over simplifying anything. I'm just making a observation. i dont care what the reasons are and I'm not passing judgement. as of right now all fla cares about is football. can that change ? sure it can. people in fla arent showing up for games enough to support a mlb franchise. how is that a over simplification? . that's a fact.

Let's look at it another way: if any other city - including Boston - had a history of ineptitude in the front office as well as on the field that was as bad as the Devil Rays' from day one until this year, would you expect everybody in the area to suddenly drop everything and show up?

Now Miami, I would tend to agree that they won't support baseball. There's a separate group of reasons for their problems, but I won't waste your time listing them.

Just my opinion, but generalizations such as "all Florida" or "all northeast cities" often are off base. The observation that the two Florida teams do not have great attendance is correct. However, in my opinion the jury is still out in regards to whether or not Florida (or at least Tampa) can support a baseball team.

There were a few good lines in this story from today's Globe, such as how a winning season normally pays off in attendance in future years and Sox attendance when they first started winning. Tampa Bay Ray's attendance is up 27% over last year even if they are still only drawing more than two other teams.

 

[scout]

Let's look at it another way: if any other city - including Boston - had a history of ineptitude in the front office as well as on the field that was as bad as the Devil Rays' from day one until this year, would you expect everybody in the area to suddenly drop everything and show up?

Now Miami, I would tend to agree that they won't support baseball. There's a separate group of reasons for their problems, but I won't waste your time listing them.

Just my opinion, but generalizations such as "all Florida" or "all northeast cities" often are off base. The observation that the two Florida teams do not have great attendance is correct. However, in my opinion the jury is still out in regards to whether or not Florida (or at least Tampa) can support a baseball team.

There were a few good lines in this story from today's Globe, such as how a winning season normally pays off in attendance in future years and Sox attendance when they first started winning. Tampa Bay Ray's attendance is up 27% over last year even if they are still only drawing more than two other teams.

The New England Patriots fit the description of ineptitude by the front office and a horrific product on the field back in the day. The Boston Celtics were about as perfect during the 60's as any sports franchise in the history of sports and did not draw.
Definitely an oversimplification of Florida not liking baseball. Anyone who has ever tried to drive to St. Pete would be enough to warrant a no-show for the big show. Tampa is a sprawling city with huge housing developments going up rapidly. Contrasty, St. Pete does very well with retirement homes and funeral parlors. But hey, lets build a stadium there before we get a team which will be obsolete before we even play a game. Then, we can find out how f'd up the blue print was for a baseball stadium.

 

[patriotspride]

i didn't say Florida didn't like baseball. i said fla doesnt support there mlb baseball teams period. [support = buying tickets to the games]. that's not a over simplification or a sweeping generalization . what ever the reasons that's a fact. I'm not disputing the reasons to why they dont show up because i dont care. you guys are arguing with yourselves . unless your saying that fla does support there mlb teams. a example of a sweeping generalization is saying something like all old people dont like baseball. are there people in fla who like baseball? yup. are there people in fla who go to marlins and rays games? yup. just not enough to support there teams. could that change ? how the hell would i know.

 

[scout]

spring training is full because its filled with people from the northeast who are redsox fans. most baseball fans in fla are northeast people in my opinion.

Oh, I thought this is what you said. Do not really want an argument on this, but you did go a little bit beyond 'support'.

 

[patriotspride]

Oh, I thought this is what you said. Do not really want an argument on this, but you did go a little bit beyond 'support'.

so your disagreeing with what i said? are the rays spring training games full? the redsox spring training games are sold out with redsox fans not rays fans. are you suggesting that fla supports the marlins and the rays because redsox spring training games are sold out? i didn't go beyond support. i gave you some reasons why they didn't support the rays and marlins. I'm not arguing anything unless your saying that fla supports the marlins and the rays.

 

[jmt57]

Back to the original topic ...... Sox need a win tonight. Reason is that if the Rays win, then Tampa Bay takes the season series, which would be the tie-breaker if the two teams tie for the AL East. In essence it would be like being three games down rather than two due to the tie-breaker.

Would much rather play the White Sox because (a) home field advantage, (b) the Angels are better than Chicago, and (c) a lot less of a grind with the coast-to-coast travel across three time zones.

 

[Run DMC]

Looks like the jig is up. I can't believe we don't smoke this team on a regular basis. Are they really that good? WE are going to be playing LAA in the playoffs. Keep in mind they have beaten us 6 in a row. The only good thing I'm seeing is Papi is waking the F up finally.

 

[WhiskeyBreath]

The Rays end the season with 8 straight road games and the Sox end the season with 7 at home. I like our chances.

 

[Double G]

"The Rays end the season with 8 straight road games and the Sox end the season with 7 at home. I like our chances."

I don't.

Just like the Celtics, these Doofin Rays are going from worst to first and have a great shot at winning the world series.

They manned up and won 4 out of 6 vs us, the backbreaker was last week, we had a shot to go into first place and some assclown who got off a plane 5 minutes before the game starts hits a ****ing home run in the top of the ninth and the Rays win the game, it's been all downhill since, losing 4 out of 5 to them.

They have been the better team all year long, survived injuries and they play in that rinky dink park in front of those fraud fans (imagine a three game series to determine first place and they didn't come close to selling out one ****ing game; they will all be there with their noise sticks in the playoffs though, waving white towels like a bunch of yahoos).


At this point, the sox are better off resting lowell and getting papelbums head screwed on strait and getting their rotation set.

AND, if Francoma puts Gopher Ball Wakefield in the playoff rotation and leaves Byrd out, he should be fired on the spot...................

 

[Run DMC]

damn dude, tell me how you really feel. I hear ya though.

 

[patriotspride]

its a whole new season when the playoffs start. anything that happened in the regular season will be meaningless. it would be nice to come in first but it really doesnt matter. the sox will most likely have to beat the angels . it doesnt matter what round they do it in.

 

[WhiskeyBreath]

"The Rays end the season with 8 straight road games and the Sox end the season with 7 at home. I like our chances."

I don't.

Just like the Celtics, these Doofin Rays are going from worst to first and have a great shot at winning the world series.

They manned up and won 4 out of 6 vs us, the backbreaker was last week, we had a shot to go into first place and some assclown who got off a plane 5 minutes before the game starts hits a ****ing home run in the top of the ninth and the Rays win the game, it's been all downhill since, losing 4 out of 5 to them.

They have been the better team all year long, survived injuries and they play in that rinky dink park in front of those fraud fans (imagine a three game series to determine first place and they didn't come close to selling out one ****ing game; they will all be there with their noise sticks in the playoffs though, waving white towels like a bunch of yahoos).


At this point, the sox are better off resting lowell and getting papelbums head screwed on strait and getting their rotation set.

AND, if Francoma puts Gopher Ball Wakefield in the playoff rotation and leaves Byrd out, he should be fired on the spot...................

You sound like a real jackass by calling him "Francoma".

 

[tedylb]

Back to the original topic ...... Sox need a win tonight. Reason is that if the Rays win, then Tampa Bay takes the season series, which would be the tie-breaker if the two teams tie for the AL East. In essence it would be like being three games down rather than two due to the tie-breaker.

Would much rather play the White Sox because (a) home field advantage, (b) the Angels are better than Chicago, and (c) a lot less of a grind with the coast-to-coast travel across three time zones.

Excellent analysis. Down 8-3 in the 6th tonight, the Sox are looking more like the WC to face the Angels. We've beat them before in te playoffs, andf can do so again. Maybe the Angels have lost some edge after clinching so early.I

I like this Tampa team and will be pulling for them if the Sox don't get past the 1st round. It'd be a great story if they went from worst to first.