SRSLY, Rays or Phillies?
SRSLY, Rays or Phillies?
Last edited by DogtorEvil; 10-22-2008 at 07:53 PM.
I've gotta pull for the NL, so I'm going with the Phils. They have tons of power if they can remember how to hit.
On the other hand, it would be fun to watch a group of young guys win a World Series...especially when they pounded NY and Bahston all year with a team payroll lower than the combined salaries of A-Rod and Jeter.
I can't help but watch the Rays and think of Tech. If the Rays can win the World Series, there's no reason that Tech can't win a National Championship. And if any of you have ever been to Tropicana, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Is this a prediction, or rooting interest? I chose Phillies because they are NL, but I don't care all that much.
I was watching the last game of the ALCS with some friends and a buddy remarked how dead the crowd seemed to be. He was actually appalled that the place didn't seem to be rocking on the cusp of their first trip to the World Series. I speculated that this is kind of new territory for Rays fans so they're still trying to figure out how to act.
Now granted, after watching game 1 last night, that place did seem to loud as all get-out thanks to the help of the artificial noisemakers. Can't say I'm a big fan of the mini cowbells. Even on tv it's pretty obnoxious. This is coming from a lifelong Braves fan who has grown to absolutely despise the tomahawk chop. (Loved it in high school before I knew they stole it from Fla. State).
Senior circuit NL guy through and through....
I would also like to see the City of Brotherly Love actually have something to celebrate...
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
There's a couple of reasons why Game 7 wasn't as loud as you'd expect. First, because we've been bad for so long, there isn't much for a season ticket base. Sometime in August, they closed the prime areas off for season tickets and they've been selling the tickets directly on Stubhub. A great number of those tickets were purchased by $ox fans. Secondly, knowing that $ox fans would pay top dollar, many of the STHs we DO have sold their tickets. Third, you'd be surprised how many people were there that didn't have any interest in either team, but were just in town to see an ALCS game. There were tons and tons and tons of media.
The who-said-anything-about-mini cowbells had a reason. Remember, the Rays are an expansion team and this is an area with a large number of Snowbirds. There are a lot of people in this area who lived in Boston their whole life and then moved here. Those people aren't going to stop being $ox fans while their team is winning. We weren't just bad. We were real bad. Also, please keep in mind, that the $ox and Yankees BOTH have spring training in this area. The cowbells were the only thing that gave us a chance against the larger number of $ox and Yankee fans. I predict that next year is the last year of the cowbell.
Well, a year like this one will really solidify a solid fanbase. Like I told my friend, this is your first time at the rodeo, so there is still alot of things to figure out. Go on a 10 year playoff run like the ATL, NY or Boston and everyone will be in a groove. Hell, you guys came in at the same time as the D-Backs and I sure they've got their groove.
I must say, I would give anything for Austin/San Antonio to have a major league (preferably NL Central) team so that I could be a part of a playoff/world series.
The Marlins will be looking to move soon and I couldn't be happier about it.
You know, I think the Rays could be on the verge of some large growth. First off, we have a minor league system that's pretty well loaded. Secondly, if we're smart, we'll use the current season to get some of the regional tv market built up. If we could include Orlando, the Rays would have one of the larger markets in baseball (which is similar to Tech fans saying, "if we could get Shreveport"). Third, attendance for the Bucs and Lightning was horrible too until their breakout season. The majority of STHs for both teams live on the Rays' side of the bay. Fourth, the new ownership group seems committed to keeping players, but that hasn't really been tested yet. There are several players in the bullpen which will test that out this year, methinks.
On the other hand, in baseball things can change pretty quickly and you just never know.
One key, it seems to me, will be how the management reacts to this run. When the Marlins came into the league, I decided I'd support them (since I'm a Florida native and my primary team is an AL team). But when they did the fire sale after the first WS championship, I realized I coudln't root for a team that where the owner would just throw competitiveness out the window to make money. Tampa doesn't seem to be in that mold. If they remain committed to winning, they could build a fan base -- certainly the Marlins aren't much competition for fans.
...don't care!
I'm an asshole! What's your excuse?
Next year, I plan to take a trip to see the stadium (the ultimate goal is to see them all). Word around here is that their open, outdoor stadium is ridiculous hot. I know there are lots of fans that think domes are bad for baseball, but those fans don't have 96 degrees, 90% humidity pouring into the stadium with an evening shower every day in the summer.