Yes, America --- The Rays Are Headed to the World Series...

The Rays are in the World Series! If anyone picked them in March to play for it all -- you're lying. It seems like all of America -- aside from Red Sox fans -- were picking them to advance to the promised land, and finally, it looks the doormats of the AL East and the laughing stock of baseball for so many years has made it.

What can we say about David Price! This game was his coming out party, and did he literally save Tampa Bay from eminent disaster by pitching 1 1/3 innings -- striking out J.D. Drew with the bases juiced to the end the 8th -- and struck out two in the final frame to get the save.

Matt Garza pitched the game of his life, earning the win -- along with the second of the ALCS -- and making only one mistake -- Pedroia's first inning solo home run. Aside from that, Garza was a good as you could get. His counterpart on the mound, Lester was good -- going seven strong and giving up three runs -- but, it was not nearly enough.

The Rays were on, and it showed after two devastating losses in the ALCS.

Evan Longoria tied the game in the fourth inning to plate Carlos Pena, and they took the lead in the follow frame as Rocco Badelli plated Wily Aybar with a single. In the bottom the seventh, Aybar hit a solo home run -- an important insurance run -- to put them ahead for good.

Both bullpens kept their team in it, but Tampa held on and got the monkey off their back.

After ten years of futility, being made fun of, and being the doormats of baseball, the Rays have made it to the World Series, and it's just unbelievable.

You've got to give it to the Red Sox -- they took the Rays to the limit and nearly came back, but it was not enough this time around.

The Tampa team making it to the Series gives teams like the Baltimore Orioles and small market hope that if they manage and scout talent carefully, stick to a plan -- your finances and market size should not make being successful insurmountable.

Again, I can't believe I am saying this -- the Rays are the American League Champions and are headed to the World Series.


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The Idiot File: TBS, You Fucked Up

I was at home tonight, and having the world of cable TV available to me, I grabbed my plate of General Tso's Chicken and steamed rice, and headed to my room at 7:50 to prepare to watch the game against the Red Sox and Rays.

Well, when I flip the channel to TBS, they are showing an old episode of 'TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes'.

I was like 'ok', where's game six?

Then at 8:00, expecting to see a game, TBS is showing a classic episode of the 'Steve Harvey Show'. Why? How? What in the hell is going on?

Well, since MLB.TV blocks us here in the United States from watching the game live on the computers, I had to turn into their service.

At this point, the thought in my mind was "what the fuck is going on."

This is the reason:

From Boston.com: Due to what was termed a "router failure" at TBS headquarters in Atlanta, viewers all across America were unable to see the start of tonight's pivotal affair between the Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. Media outlets and cable providers were flooded with calls demanding an explanation as viewers expecting to see the Sox and Rays fight for a trip to the World Series instead stumbled upon the aforementioned network sitcom.

Apparently, nobody was laughing.

Though TBS repaired the problem late in the first inning, viewers missed the first six batters of the game. The game started at 8:08 p.m., but the broadcast didn't begin until 8:28 p.m. By that point, Tampa Bay already had claimed a 1-0 lead courtesy of a colossal, solo home run by Rays center fielder B.J. Upton that struck the "C-ring" catwalk in left center field.

After TBS issued an apology and fairly generic statement during the game, Turner Sports director of public relations Jeff Pomeroy briefly took questions from reporters during the sixth inning of play. Pomeroy said that TBS suffered a failure of both "the main router and the backup router," the latter of which exists exclusively for such instances where the primary source fails.

Said the network statement: "Two circuit breakers in our Atlanta transmission operations tripped causing the master router and its backup -- which are necessary to transmit any incoming feed outbound -- to shut down. This impacted our live feed from being distributed to any of the other networks in the Turner portfolio and caused the delay in our coverage. Both our primary and backup routers were impacted by this problem. We apologize to baseball fans for this mishap that caused a delay in our coverage."

Nice. Considering I had the TV on for 15 minutes before I even saw a warning is completely unacceptable and just makes me wonder if there are monkeys in the TBS network control room.

Down here in Maryland, I was pissed but was able to improvise for about 20 minutes before I got to see the game. Too bad everyone missed the B.J. Upton homer.

I could only imagine the scene in any bar within metropolitan Boston (especially) or Tampa-St. Petersburg for those who wanted to see their teams play.

TBS, you really fucked up on this one.

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The Red Sox Head to A Game Seven Against The Rays; Eh, Could It Be Any Other Way?

I knew it was going to come to this -- the Red Sox are too good and they smell fear. Just a few minutes ago, the Red Sox extended the ALCS to Game Seven as they downed the Rays, 4-2, thanks to a clutch home run by Jason Varitek (did he ever need something to happen), and an insurance RBI by David Ortiz.

B.J. Upton was once again a thorn in the side of the Red Sox, by hitting his ninth homer of the postseason off starter Josh Beckett in the first inning; however, after all that it was all Boston.

James Shields -- dubbed 'big game James' -- was not as sharp as he went a little over five innings and surrendered four runs (three earned) for the loss. Beckett, who has struggled in the '08 postseason got his mojo back by going five innings, giving up two runs and earning the win. The Red Sox bullpen anchored by Okajima, Masterson -- and ugh, as always Papelbon kept things in order.

Well, after assuming the Rays would dispose of the Sox in Game Five, the boys from Boston have stormed back and showed why they were the favorites all year long to win another title.

Meanwhile, you've got to think that the loss from Game Five is in the heads of Tampa Bay. Literally, they have not looked the same since then, and seem to be pressing; thus, perhaps their inexperience and ability to handle pressure is showing.

Jon Lester is on the mound in Game Seven, and one has to think now that Boston has the undeniable advantage -- but let's remember what happened in Game Four.

For the Rays, the pressure is now on them. Please win.

Playoff Reflections: What An Ugly God-Damn Game last Night; All is Written For The Dodgers To Take Game Three...

Well, the Rays won last night in a long, ugly, but exhilarating game in the Tropicana Dome. The game didn't end until long after 1am, as B.J. Upton plated Fernando Perez -- who was even gutsy for even attempting to score -- on a sacrifice fly to end the contest.

Dustin Pedoria -- all five-foot-right (I say five-foot-six) -- hit two homers and showed why he's an MVP candidate plus giving all short guys hope that they can make it in Major League Baseball, along with homers from Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay.

Meanwhile, for the Rays, Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton both homered for Tampa.

Josh Beckett nor Scott Kazmir looked good, as each got touched up -- and touched up badly. it looks like both men are tired, needless to say. Both need to be on their game to really help out their teams, for sure.

Tampa had a 8-6 lead, until allowing the Red Sox to come back late. Rookie call-up David Price got the win, while long-term veteran Mike Timlin took the loss.

It's needless to say that the Rays needed to take Game Two and tie the series heading into Boston. I think the Rays will make this a close series by taking at least one game in Boston (most likely Game 4 when they face Wakefield), but the Red Sox right now seem to have a killer instinct and determination on their side.

The Rays, no doubt, are inspired to win too; however, it looks like the Red Sox are playing like men possessed...


Ah, Game three of the NLCS is upon us -- this is all tailor made for the Dodgers to whoop up some Philadelphia arse. Moyer is on the mound versus Manny and company at home -- I say L.A. wins big -- in a huge blowout.

The Manny factor will be too much, and the troops will help him out on Sunday.

NLCS Thoughts and Playoff Reflections; Markakis & A New Contract...

The 2008 playoffs resume tonight as game one of the NLCS is played in the City of Brotherly Love.

Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers take on the Phillies; thus, for me, although I am a fan of the Orioles, the NL style of baseball appeals to me a lot more. That being said, I am very interested to see how this series turns out.

Both teams match up well with their lineups, as well as their pitching staffs although I think Philadelphia might have a slight edge with their bullpen (because of Brad Lidge). I think the starters for the first three games are suitable, there’s a significant drop-off from there with their starting rotations for both teams.

That’s why I see things so even matched up.

Right now, I am picking the Dodgers in seven games for the upset.

Why?

I think the Dodgers have been greatly underestimated, and obviously Manny in that lineup makes the difference; however, I think Joe Torre has also been a calming influence on this team as well by virtue of his experience dealing in New York.

Again, there’s the Manny factor. They look and play like a different team from the one we saw from April to the end of July. If the Dodgers go down 2-0 when they return to California, I think they are as good as done. I don’t think the Phillies can stop Manny based on how well he’s doing right now -- (but I think Ramirez only has a career batting average of .200 versus the Phillies) -- but shutting down the rest of the offense is ey.

However, if the Dodgers can touch up on Cole Hamels, Brett Myers and Jamie Moyer, the Phillies are in trouble. As well, if Howard and Burrell are shut down, it’s too curtains for them.

Although I think the Phillies have the superior hitting lineup, I think there’s an upset.

I would so love to see a Dodgers-Red Sox World Series. Just imagine all the story lines, drama, and I'm sure MLB would be happy with the ratings as it would be a blockbuster.

***

While a handful of teams are still in the playoffs, teams like the Baltimore Orioles are stuck in watching it from home and face the prospect of a long, hard winter.

That being said, now is the time to sign Nick Markakis to a long term deal. I have said over and over, I have full faith in Andy MacPhail and I more or less said last year that the right fielder not being signed to a long term contract isn’t an issue — however, if it’s not done this off-season it will be.

After seeing his peers like Ryan Braun, Evan Longoria, and Troy Tulowitzki signed to healthy contracts, after the progress Markakis has shown, he deserves the same.

At this point, if they go through arbitration process, Markakis will get a huge pay day indeed; however, the longer the team waits to sign him to a deal, the higher his price will go and the greater the likelihood that he’ll bolt.

Considering the Orioles are rebuilding, and it may be a while before they start to win, now is the time to sign Nick.

Let’s avoid Pandora’s Box from opening when it does not need to be the case.

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