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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Jun 30, 2007
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With the emergence this season of the Rays, where do you see us finishing? At the begining of the season there was a poll floting around asking the same question. Most of the answers had the Rays finishing 5-10 games over .500 but not in the Playoff's. Most people saw the true contenders as the Redsox, Yankees and Blue Jays. Not to toot my own horn but I was one of the hopful few who saw a diamond in the rough, and stabbed at 15 games over and a Wild Card birth for the first time in our young history. I know it is only the mid-way mark ( a little after actually) and I know we are only a game and 1/2 over the Redsox, but how can you deny what is happening here? Evan Longoria is forming before our very eyes into arguably one of the best third baseman in all of the Major Leauge Baseball and he is a rookie. B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford are both doing thier work out in Left and Centerfield and they are only getting better. B.J. Upton is becoming a clutch performer and no one can question the talent between the two. Carlos Pena is coming off an injury and is seeming to return to form. What about our Platoon of Right fielders? Erik Hinske, Gabe Gross, Cliff Floyd and Johnny Ghomes, from this list someone tell me which one of these 4 could not start on almost any team in baseball? We got them all and they are performing admirably.
This is my opinion, but Pennant Race here we come.
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Jun 30, 2007
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Sorry for the typo's its early for me :)
I forgot to mention the stellar performance of our starters and bullpen. Scott Kazmir, James Shields and the recent emergence of Matt Garza. Troy Percival though shaky as of late has been good all year, and Balfour Trevor Miller, and Dan Wheeler have been worth every penny in my opinion. Just need Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine to have a little more consistency and we will have arguably the best rotation top to botton in baseball.
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Reputation:87
Level:All-Star
Since:May 4, 2007
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i for see 2nd place for the Rays, behind the sox and maybe, a wild card run, good luck, its nice to have a different enemy than the yanks
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Oct 27, 2006
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Yeah, I really really really want the Rays to win the East, just because they're such a breath of fresh air for the stagnant AL East, where the Sox and the Yanks have dominated for far too long. Still, I have to side with the Red Sox here. They may not be as talented, but they are a very experienced ball club with a ton of upside and talent that knows what it takes. I'm thinking that the Rays will fade a little down the stretch, mainly because of their inexperience. They'll earn the wild-card. Beyond that, who knows. They've already shown they can play with the best. Can they play with the best in the playoffs? We'll see.
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Reputation:94
Level:All-Star
Since:Feb 21, 2008
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Rays are not going to the playoffs this year. You will finish above .500 for the first time but miss the playoffs. Tampa Bay always plays extremely badly in the second half (2005 aside), in fact, in 2004 they had a pretty good first half but returned to their losing ways which resulted in another bad season. I see Tampa Bay going 88-74, as a poor second half lands them in third place for the year. Sorry but they can't keep this up all season. I predict the Yankees have a good second half that leads them to the division title with a 96-66 record. Red Sox finish 94-68,just out of first, and go to the playoffs as the AL Wild
Card. Rays come back next year by getting a playoff spot, maybe.
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Reputation:90
Level:All-Star
Since:May 21, 2007
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P-I-T-C-H-I-N-G...That is what will tell the tale of the Rays for '08. All that has been posted about their position players coming into their own is true, but it will be Kazmir's health, Shields consistency, Garza (probably the lynchpin) and another 10-12 wins from Jackson and Sonnastine combined, which will spell their fate.
The Red Sox teams in the late 70's had much the same makeup as this Rays bunch...youth, speed, power and versatility...but NO pitching. Thus, they never could overcome the Yankees and Fred Lynn-Jim Rice-Carlton Fish, etc. never won anything.
If I were a Rays fan I would hope and pray that somehow, someway the Rays could get CC Sabithia (even for just the stretch run this year) to give them the staff edge they need to hold off the Red Sox this year...the Yankees; hey I respect them very much, but they don't have the pitching to hang on and they cannot waste quality starts like last night and hang on...the back end of that rotation is not gong to win 5 more games this year-period.
So go get CC (give up a bit of that farm talent), and let the kids put up the runs, and this team will get to the playoffs...if not, lose CC to Boston or NY, and you probably will watch Kazmir go down with another injury and not be able to overcome his loss to hang on...
Either way, best of luck from a Bosox fan who doesn't throw at your head and doesn't want you to throw at mine...
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