Here to stay
The Rays and Red Sox, after a season of circling one another, neither able to shake the other, will commence the most important set of games they’ve played tonight. The Red Sox know and understand this time of year better than any team in the league. The Rays are here for the first time. It may still be difficult to believe the traditionally inept Rays are here. But, given their young talent, it will not be the last time.
The team with more wins than any of the surviving four clubs is also the youngest in the major leagues. The Red Sox-Rays rivalry, more intense this season than ever before, could become a commonplace occurrence, the next Red Sox-Yankees postseason feud.
“Well, I don’t really know about a rivalry,” David Ortiz said. “It’s their first year in the playoffs. I know one thing: If those kids stay out of trouble, they could do a lot of damage in this division.”
Baseball has been trending toward youth for a few seasons now, and the Rays have navigated in that direction better than any other team. The average age of the Rays' players who appeared in an ALDS game was 27.6. The Red Sox aren’t far behind – their average age in the ALDS was 28.5.
Seven of the eight scheduled starting pitchers are 28 or younger. (Only Tim Wakefield, 42, breaks the trend.) James Shields, at 26, is the grand old man of Tampa Bay’s starting rotation.
“Hopefully this isn’t the only time we’re going to meet in the playoffs,” Dustin Pedroia said. “It’s definitely fun playing these guys during the year. It’s going to be a dogfight.”
The teams never strayed more than a handful of games away from one another in the American League East standings all season. The Red Sox fought to hold on to their supremacy. The Rays fought for inclusion. Sometimes, they just fought.
“Someone is going to get the upper hand this series,” Tampa Bay outfielder Jonny Gomes said. “It’s going to be talked about when we play each other in spring training again.”
But first, starting tonight, they’ll play some slightly more meaningful games.
“It’s official,” Gomes said. “It’s not going away.”
True, the Rays are going to be a force for awhile. Years of inept seasons are finally paying off with outstsanding drafting. But unless the team actually draws more than they are now ( they have sold out very few games this year), the team will be the Las Vegas Rays or they will lose the core of this magnificent talent base. True, they loaded with top picks on the team and in high minors. With MLB titles will come lower draft picks. The talent they boast of right now will dwindle unless they are paid market value by ownership. Unless the area of Tampa Bay decides to support this team properly,....the Lightning drew a whopping thousand or so fans when they won the cup....the Rays stay will be a bit shorter than expected.
I love how the Rays are trying to make this a rivalry . . .
Two gramatical errors in the first 2 paragraphs?! Is the editor out for the long weekend already?
"The Rays and Red Sox, after a season of circling one another, neither able to shake the other, will commence the most important set of games they’ve played tonight. The Red Sox know and understand this time of year better than any team in the league. They Rays are here for the first time. It may still be difficult to believe the Rays here. But, one would assume, it will not **(BE)** the last time.
The team with more wins than any of the surviving four clubs is also the youngest in the major leagues. The Red Sox-Rays rivalry, more intense this season than every** (EVER, NOT EVERY, EVER)** before, could become a commonplace occurrence, the next Red Sox-Yankees postseason feud.
The Rays even have so many young guys in the Minor leagues that they received from deals and draft. The only thing they are really in need of is the young closer, thats a huge part to be without.
*They* Rays are here for the first time.
Hey Grammar Nazi....it's a blog entry, not a pulitzer piece. I highly doubt there are any editors.
go ahead and worry about grammar....the rest of us will focus on what should be a terrific series between two very talented teams. It will come down to who can win on the road. I'll say Sox in 6.
Dr. Grammar: How do you spell the word grammatical? One m or two?
Dear Dr. Grammer,
Ya just can't leave it alone?
It's a blog dude! Lighten up. I think we can all fill in the blanks.
Ya know, these guys are trying to get us new news ASAP! Stop being so critical man!
Signed
Miss. Spelt
rays suck
go red sox!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would not say that neither has been able to shake the other, given that the Rays beat us for the division title! They shook us, let's just admit it.
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