Will the Rays morph back into a pumpin?

[363839]

Now tht Evan Longoria is on the 15 dl maybe the Sox can gain some ground.

 

[patriotspride]

Now tht Evan Longoria is on the 15 dl maybe the Sox can gain some ground.

the rays pitching is to good for them not to make the playoffs.

 

[Foley]

Tampa's pitching staff is pretty bad on the road (4.61ERA), and only 19 of their final 45 games are at home. They play 16 games on the road against Chicago, Texas, Boston and Detroit, 4 of the top 5 offenses in the majors. In addition to another 7 games at Baltimore and New York, the 7th and 11th best offenses in the majors.

Their offense was pretty mediocre to begin with (19th in runs scored) and between Longoria and Crawford they have lost their team leaders in 2B, 3B, HR, runs, RBI, OPS and SLG.

Tampa has a brutal schedule, a pitching staff that is poor on the road, and an offense that just lost two of its best hitters. This team has their work cut out for them.

 

[patsfanofNC12]

Well I want to win the division bad, but maybe if we win the wildcard it will remind the Sox that they still have to work hard to win.

 

[WhiskeyBreath]

While the Crawford and Longoria injuries will hurt them they still would have played poorly the rest of the season. Like others have said they have a brutal schedule the rest of the way. Now, if Kazmir or a couple starters went down, they would be screwed no matter what.

 

[tedylb]

My 2nd fav is the ABY's (anyone but the Yanks). So I hope the Rays keep winning, except against the Sox.

 

[Double G]

"Well I want to win the division bad, but maybe if we win the wildcard it will remind the Sox that they still have to work hard to win."

They had better win the division, otherwise they play the Angels in the first round and that would be that.......I think the Rays are going to win the division, they've had a horseshoe up their azzes all year long, plus Ortiz is hurt again and will not be 100% until next year, the wrist will be a problem for the rest of the season and losing Manny, pain in the azz or not, makes them a much weaker team, end of story. If they put up with the guy's nonsense for 7 and 1/2 years, what would another two months have mattered.

 

[363839]

........ plus Ortiz is hurt again and will not be 100% until next year, the wrist will be a problem for the rest of the season ........

I don't know. Big Papi seems to be holding up ok.

 

[patsfanofNC12]

"Well I want to win the division bad, but maybe if we win the wildcard it will remind the Sox that they still have to work hard to win."

They had better win the division, otherwise they play the Angels in the first round and that would be that.......I think the Rays are going to win the division, they've had a horseshoe up their azzes all year long, plus Ortiz is hurt again and will not be 100% until next year, the wrist will be a problem for the rest of the season and losing Manny, pain in the azz or not, makes them a much weaker team, end of story. If they put up with the guy's nonsense for 7 and 1/2 years, what would another two months have mattered.

The fact the he wouldn't have played his hardest those last two months

 

[Double G]

Well boys and girls, looks like the Rays are going nowhere, even with injuries they are actually building on their lead.

They have had a horseshoe up their azzes all year with late inning comebacks, winning in extra innings, etc, etc, this could be their year, I say they hold on to the divisional lead.

Have to tip my cap to them, but it's rather comical a team with what, a 43 million dollar payroll will edge out two teams with a combined payroll TEN times that of the Rays.

Wow, I am speechless.

 

[Foley]

Have to tip my cap to them, but it's rather comical a team with what, a 43 million dollar payroll will edge out two teams with a combined payroll TEN times that of the Rays.

Wow, I am speechless.

When you have a top ten pick in the draft every year your franchise has been in existence, chances are you're going to be good eventually.

 

[Real World]

Well boys and girls, looks like the Rays are going nowhere, even with injuries they are actually building on their lead.

They have had a horseshoe up their azzes all year with late inning comebacks, winning in extra innings, etc, etc, this could be their year, I say they hold on to the divisional lead.

Have to tip my cap to them, but it's rather comical a team with what, a 43 million dollar payroll will edge out two teams with a combined payroll TEN times that of the Rays.

Wow, I am speechless.

So do you feel that the Redsox have a horseshoe up their azz when they win games in a come from behind fashion? The point is that good teams win games in all kinds of ways, while bad teams find a way to lose them. The Rays are a talented team. They have on of the best bullpens in the league (4th a couple of weeks ago), and have 5 quality starting pitchers in their rotation. Good pitching will always give you a chance to win.

The Rays season will be made, or broken, in the next month. 27 of their next 30 games are against teams with a winning record.

 

[Double G]

The Rays have been playing WAY above their heads all year long and even with their injuries, they are winning games by the skin of their ballbags, so yes, they have a horseshoe up their azz.

So much for the Angels being the dominant team in the AL, the Rays should have swept them..................

 

[Double G]

"When you have a top ten pick in the draft every year your franchise has been in existence, chances are you're going to be good eventually."

If that is the case, why do the Pirates, Royals, Lions and Bengals continue to suck decade after decade............

 

[Foley]

Because those teams haven't had top 10 picks year after year. There is a difference between mediocre and miserable, and Tampa has been miserable while the Royals and Pirates have been mediocre. And mediocre doesn't dictate a top 10 pick.

Since 1992 (the last time the Pirates won their division) they've had 1 season with a winning percentage lower than .400. The Royals have been miserable for about 5 years, but prior to 2003 the Royals had a total of 2 seasons with a winning percentage lower than .400 in their franchise history. Since coming into the league in 1998, the Rays have had a record lower than .400 5 times. A team can be mediocre for decades, but rarely can a team be in the running for worst in the league year after year without eventually turning it around. Draft picks are the major reason why.

 

[363839]

So do you feel that the Redsox have a horseshoe up their azz when they win games in a come from behind fashion? The point is that good teams win games in all kinds of ways, while bad teams find a way to lose them. The Rays are a talented team. They have on of the best bullpens in the league (4th a couple of weeks ago), and have 5 quality starting pitchers in their rotation. Good pitching will always give you a chance to win.

The Rays season will be made, or broken, in the next month. 27 of their next 30 games are against teams with a winning record.

That's a good point RW. You can't have it both ways. We won with a lot of comebacks and also came up with the close victories in the championship seasons.
I feel that if the Rays take the division they will have very well deserved it. They've absorbed some injuries and still beat the Angels.
Got to tip your hat.
But that doesn't mean I'm giving up on the Sox just yet.

 

[Real World]

The Rays have been playing WAY above their heads all year long and even with their injuries, they are winning games by the skin of their ballbags, so yes, they have a horseshoe up their azz.

So much for the Angels being the dominant team in the AL, the Rays should have swept them..................

As a fan of the Yankees, I can tell you that the horseshoe theory is yahoo'esque. In the 90's when the Yankees won 4 WS, they were constantly winning games in a similar fashion. Good teams take advantage their opportunities. Over a 3, 4, 5 or 7 game series, a team can get "lucky", but over 162 games, it's talent that wins out. The Rays are talented. It's as easy as that. As Foley pointed out, they've been drafting high year in, and year out.

 

[Real World]

Because those teams haven't had top 10 picks year after year. There is a difference between mediocre and miserable, and Tampa has been miserable while the Royals and Pirates have been mediocre. And mediocre doesn't dictate a top 10 pick.

Since 1992 (the last time the Pirates won their division) they've had 1 season with a winning percentage lower than .400. The Royals have been miserable for about 5 years, but prior to 2003 the Royals had a total of 2 seasons with a winning percentage lower than .400 in their franchise history. Since coming into the league in 1998, the Rays have had a record lower than .400 5 times. A team can be mediocre for decades, but rarely can a team be in the running for worst in the league year after year without eventually turning it around. Draft picks are the major reason why.

This is a point that's debated by fans in the NBA. Are you better off sucking royally and drafting in the high lottery for a few years, or playing mediocre ball, and drafting #10-20 for 20 years? All people need to do is look locally at the Celtics as a prime example of this. They went nowhere for 20 years cuz they were mediocre, and never terrible.