The easy thing to say is that the Red Sox will just roll through the Cigar City and make a return visit to the World Series. What we witnessed in Spring Training is that this young Tampa Bay Rays squad is a fiery bunch. Thanks go out to Shelly Duncan for the spikes up play . That play brought this team togther and showed that this year would be different. That was followed with the Rays coming into the Bronx Bombers home and completely making them look like the doormats of the American League East
Even early on with the Rays leading the division, everyone in the media and beyond said that it was the Red Sox who would eventually take the division crown. This Rays put an end to that and went out and won 90s plus games. They are used to being thought of as soft based on the franchises track record.
That is the thing with the playoffs. Its a gut wrenching display of wills and desire. There will be ups and down and the teams that get to this point have heart and substance. This weekend and tonight will be a defining moment on Rays history.
For comparisons, you could look at Bobby Cox who made it look so easy with all those back to back division crowns, but found out it takes some luck to nail down the championships. Or, you could look at the Cleveland Indians from a few years ago who were staked to a 3-1 lead and looked like they would take down the Yankees.
Time will only tell how this story plays out. The Rays seem to be in a favorable position playing at home with their star pitcher in James Shields taking the hill. The fans will be out in full force. The Heckler will be out as well. Besides the high performing Upton and Longoria, this game might come down to those role players like Rocco Baldelli or Willy Aybar. Or, it may be the talented Carl Crawford who puts on another hitting clinic. I can’t wait
Filed under: American League, Rays, RedSox, Yankees, world series
