tkeith

Thank you, my point exactly. The X-factor being that the Rays don't have post-season experience, and that matters. Dan, your argument might work in fantasy baseball, but doesn't really translate to MLB. Run differential could be skewed if they blowout a lot of teams. Fact is, they're a deep, solid team who went through a lot of nonsense with he-who-shall-not-be-named-in-this-post earlier this season. They're in second place by TWO FRIGGIN' GAMES to, arguably, the best team in the league this year if not all of baseball. In a few weeks, everybody is 0-0, and the Sox carry the lion's share of experience. They're not in bad shape at all, and certainly have not underachieved given the myriad injuries and assorted nonsense. If anything, they have grossly OVERachieved.

Grossly underachieving? Youk is having a career year; Pedroia is being mentioned as an MVP candidate; a rookie SS, injured 3B, insane LF mailing it in to force a trade, aging super-hero catcher with a prescription for Kryptonite. Honestly, Dan, you're quite delusional. How about just giving the Rays credit for having a helluva team and playing really well. Sox have had issues and injuries that would have destroyed most teams. Underachieving... gimme a break.

Not sure anybody called him a shitty pitcher -- if they did, I missed it. But he certainly was not made to look like "Cy Fucking Young." Not getting pulled without getting out of the fifth.

Yeah... sure looked good against Papi in the first.

Do you mean, even in a long series? Sonnanstine wouldn't throw twice in a short series. Fact is, the Rays are a completely unknown quantity in the playoffs. They may clutch up. They may win the whole banana. They've shown they can play lights-out for long stretches, and they can go into the tank for 7 straight games. They can go -- what was it, 2-for-20 something over two games in Boston with runners in scoring position? -- and still have enough pitching and defense to win. It's a complete crap shoot with them in the mix, IMHO. They may just be idiots enough to think they can do it! (I count 6 cliches total. Not too bad.) I meant in a short series. You're correct, he would NOT likely be faced twice in a short series, but in a best case scenario for the Rays, he'd make 2 starts. Three wins are required. You're correct about it being a crap shoot -- they're a near complete unknown. However, over a lifetime of watching this game, I'm pretty confident in my team's ability and experience against an unknown (i.e. -- totally inexperienced) team. Hinske is a big X-factor, but I still like the Sox chances and standing. I'm not ready to leap off the Tobin and/or virtually shout racial criticisms at Daisuke because he loses a game. There's a lot of baseball to play, and NOTHING is settled, yet. All things being equal, I'm very pleased with the Sox chances. That's all I'm saying.

Objection! In fact, even in a short series, they'd only see him twice. He may look like Cy Young in the regular season, but I'll lay odds he's going to look like Matt Young in the playoffs. I remain unconcerned. Neither am I concerned over Anaheim; a completely different team against the Sox in the playoffs.

I understand the firing, though I disagree with it. I find the ESPN comments about precedent rather annoying. It's that parochial attitude that you can't do something that hasn't been done by John McGraw that hurts baseball. Brewers could wind up looking like geniuses. It's pretty well documented that Yost is an intense guy who can pass his tension on to players without intending to, so maybe a more relaxed person at the helm will help. I don't know if Sveum is that guy, but I know he's a helluva lot better choice than Ted Simmons (who should be a perennial contender for the Grady "Gump" Little award). Meanwhile, a virtual tie for first place and a pretty healthy handle on the wildcard. Live is good for those of us who didn't nose-dive off the bandwagon.

First no-hitter in 36 years. Cubs now have a baker's dozen. Man... Lou gets no respect.

Have to agree with you here. If he's going to be an ass-hat and not let Wake finish, at least trot out the other 42-year-old piece of stale luncheon meat and let him try to "build his confidence." Hell, let Alex Fucking Cora finish it.

Nice! Thanks for posting. Loved both those cats. I have something that qualifies as 'as strange' as this: Sammy Davis, Jr., covering Theme From Shaft. I love Sammy, but that's a little tough for me to 'dig.'

Use book stores, my friend. I'm only missing two in the series at this point, and also discovered FLYNN and SKYLER. I didn't realize he had been the author of the books when I "discovered" him. I was looking for books by John D. McDonald (Travis McGhee series) and Ross McDonald (Lew Archer series that became the HARPER movies, starring Paul Newman), and happened upon the Fletch books. Loved the movie, the books may even be better (tough to be better than the first Fletch movie, though).

I didn't know it in my heart, because I was in bed -- I work for a living. Still, he did his thing in the 14th-inning; your rant fails to address the anemic offense throughout the game, which was my point. Shows what YOU know - that was the same prognosis for Nomar, before he was lost for a season. Swinging a bat isn't Ortiz biggest problem, swinging the fork is. Toronto does not have the staying power and has not all season. They are NOT going to recover this much of a gap in the remaining 2-1/2 weeks; will not happen. They could sweep us, and they're STILL not going to catch us. Hate to rain down positive vibes on your parade of negativity, but the only team to worry about is Minnesota, and I don't think that's a "worry" situation. Nomar had a full tear, this was a partial. HE WILL NOT HAVE SURGERY. And if swinging the fork is a bigger problem than swinging the bat, why are you ranting that he must have surgery as soon as practicable? Say it with me AGAIN: HE WILL NOT HAVE SURGERY. Toronto has won 19 of their last 27. They can't keep it up? They have the best pitching staff in the league, and as you yourself noticed, the bats were anemic, and have been that way since they left behind the worst pitching staff in Texas. You expect the bats to bust out against them? What if they drop eight of the next ten? That is far from impossible, given who they play and where they play them. Tell you what, we've both stated our cases; I'm content to shut up and let them play and see how it pans out. We'll have time to gloat at each other later pending results. I'm confident; et tu, Bruté?

Thanks, big oil!

I didn't know it in my heart, because I was in bed -- I work for a living. Still, he did his thing in the 14th-inning; your rant fails to address the anemic offense throughout the game, which was my point. Shows what YOU know - that was the same prognosis for Nomar, before he was lost for a season. Swinging a bat isn't Ortiz biggest problem, swinging the fork is. Toronto does not have the staying power and has not all season. They are NOT going to recover this much of a gap in the remaining 2-1/2 weeks; will not happen. They could sweep us, and they're STILL not going to catch us. Hate to rain down positive vibes on your parade of negativity, but the only team to worry about is Minnesota, and I don't think that's a "worry" situation.

Rays grew up a little the past two nights, which is good for baseball. I'm not prepared to throw Timlin under the bus when the offense couldn't muster any activity for 14 innings. Yeah, the umps royally fucked two calls, but so what. Ortiz needs to get surgery the day after the season ends and get that wrist healthy. While he's at it, he could back away from the table and save his knees a little, too. Toronto is not to be feared, this is a ridiculous overreaction. Tampa Bay *IS* at least the second best team in baseball this year, so I'm not surprised it was a tough series. What we'll tell me more is what happens when we visit their house. I'm far from panicking. Now, the Matt Cassell issue is another story.

Closer is an overrated position.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. That's cold. A wrong-winged red-neck who uses the f-word to call out teammates in a press conference? Who wouldn't love a guy like that on their team?

Wanna *really* impress me? Find a similar story about a guy named Mitt Romney!!!!

Gotta say, I'll be grabbing this the second it's available on Netflix. Stiller makes me laugh (the way Woody Allen once did) and frankly, all the BS that's been created by the PC Police with regard to this movie makes me want to give them my money that much more. More importantly, my raging movie-on over what's coming this Friday is starting to cause me back pain. I usually won't go to the theater (hate the other people -- passionately), but I just have to see Righteous Kill in the first 12 minutes it's out!

That's okay, Al; they just came through for you today. Out of curiosity, can anybody explain what the hell is going on with Baltimore? I understand yesterday was rained out, but today, on my fantasy live scoring page, it just says "cancelled." But you think ESPN or MLB.com would have the story? No! Baltimore Sun? Uh-uh. WTF?

Of course, he *is* facing a brutal offense in a ridiculous hitter's park, in conditions that will likely lead to a knuckleball doing *nothing*. But then, I'd never want to suggest Dan is prone to overreact.

To my ear, there is no bad Frank Lowe. I'll second the recommendation for Vietnam: The Aftermath, especially Frank's solo on Saigon Phunk. He was a really thoughtful player, but never betrayed the blues.

That's terrible. These guys have no clue. Last I looked, the Yankees had a winning record. They're giving paper-bag headgear a bad name! The bags are because they're afraid to walk around displaying their Sox caps in the Bronx.

In defense of south Florida, nothing happens in a vacuum. 11K tickets were sold to that game, a day game, in a very hot climate at an outdoor stadium. A game featuring one of the worst teams in baseball this season. And, there is the matter that all of Florida is contending with tropical storm season. While they may have had nice weather that day, a lot of people had to prepare for the impending storms. It's abysmal, but there are also militating factors. I don't ever recall calls for contracting Pittsburgh (the "c" word was used earlier in this thread in regards to the Marlins), though I attended some late-season games at 3-River Statdium where the attendance was probably not more than 2000.

Fair enough. I'll just offer what I remember about Vaughan. I remember a guy who K'd better than 150 times (160, I think), didn't hit for as much power with guys on base and/or in late inning pressure situations. I also remember that he couldn't field his position (back then, Albert could) particularly well. Mo was a nice guy and a good community guy, but whenever things didn't go his way, it was "the team's out to get me." I don't mind Belle not winning so much as I do Mo getting the nod. He just wasn't that spectacular, in spite of his inflated stats (and as I said earlier, I actually liked Mo -- reminded me of Boomer).