ALCS LIVE THREAD: Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Boston Globe ^ | 10 OCT 2008

[Libertarian444]

Next stop....THE WORLD SERIES....

[Reagan79]

It should be one intense series. Sox need Ortiz to heat up.

[Libertarian444]

3 Down, 8 To Go

[Mr. Mojo]

Next stop....THE WORLD SERIES....

Yep, Dodgers vs. Red Sox. Manny will hit the series-winning HR a mile over the green monster in the top of the 9th inning at Fenway in the 7th game, taking about 10 minutes to round the bases. Then, in the bottom of the ninth while playing left field, he'll make a bathroom call through that little door at the bottom of the green monster, holding up the game for 5 minutes. ....just for old time's sake.

[Red Steel]

Thanks for the reminder the Sox take the little rays in 6.

[est1995]

I live in Pittsburgh.
Baseball is over!!!!!
HERE WE GO STEELERS!!! HERE WE GO!!!!

[cripplecreek]

Gotta pull for the Rays in this one. It’s an underdog thing.

[Clemenza]

I’m rooting for the D-Rays. The only cancerous blight worse than Yankee fans are Red Sox fans. ;-)

[romanesq]

Rock on Kazmir and Cliffy Floyd. Rock The Sox Again!

[Mark319]

The Rays are ready to fight for this thing...

http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/?p=1317

GO RAYS !!!

[Red Steel]

The Dodger lose to the Red Sox but Manny still gets a World Series Championship ring.

[raccoonradio]

Will Manny be watching the World Series from the 19th hole at the golf course...?

[Dr. Sivana]

Normally I root for whoever is playing against the Yankees or the NL team. In a non-Yankee AL series, I normally root for the more “traditional” team (Tigers, Indians, White Sox, etc.). However, if a team goes in as a “wildcard” over 162 games, I see no reason for them to be given another shot against the team that beat them for the division. Now you have the reality of the Rays are the best in the division, but the Red Sox might be the best in the league. That is foolishness.

[Travis T. OJustice]

GO RED SOX!

[Corporate Law]

Amen!

[Mase]

[ssaftler]

However, if a team goes in as a “wildcard” over 162 games, I see no reason for them to be given another shot against the team that beat them for the division

However, you should consider that the Red Sox were 7 games better than either the White Sox or Twins, who tied for their division crown. Heck, the YANKEES had a better 162-game record than the White Sox or the Twins!

And let's face it, 18 or 19 games against EACH of the Yankees, Rays and Jays is a lot tougher than 18 or 19 games against the Tigers, Indians, and Royals this year. Not to mention 18 or 19 games each against the Rangers, A's and Mariners, as the Angels faced.

So, if you wanted to go by strength of schedule or just plain total record, I would say that the top two teams in the American League this year are, indeed, facing off for the chance to go to the World Series.

[GQuagmire]

I’ll take that as a complement.

[big'ol_freeper]

Yeah, gotta hate those teams that can actually avoid choking.

[Dr. Sivana]

However, you should consider that the Red Sox were 7 games better than either the White Sox or Twins, who tied for their division crown. Heck, the YANKEES had a better 162-game record than the White Sox or the Twins!

I would be happy to scrap divisions and playoffs. However, since the schedules are not the same between divisions, there is theoretical wiggle room until that day comes. There might be three great teams in the AL East, or there might be two or three complete patsies that allow the other teams to inflate the record. You might also have an utterly dominant team clinching early and resting key players as there is almost no incentive to win at that point. (I grant the NFL a wider berth because 16 games may not be enough tgo determine the best team in a division, but is enough to eliminate the unqualified.)

But I would not quibble very hard with someone who claims that the 1973 NY Mets, with their .509 record, were not an ideal representative of the National League. The present Dodgers, with a .519 record, aren't that much better, except that the addition of that Manny guy makes them a different team.