Word Series: Who Will Win?

[Supergirl]

Or perhaps the better question is, will anyone watch?

R.I.P. 2008 Sox

[ducks]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—Down to their last chance, the Tampa Bay Rays left no doubt they were World Series-worthy, after all.

The young Rays completed a stunning run to their first pennant, holding off the defending champion Boston Red Sox 3-1 Sunday night behind Matt Garza’s masterful pitching in Game 7 of the AL championship series.

The Rays nearly let it slip away when they blew a seven-run lead late in Game 5 and lost meekly Saturday night. But when rookie David Price struck out J.D. Drew with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning, Tampa Bay showed it had plenty of resolve, too.

Long baseball’s doormat, the Rays were a 200-1 shot to win the le before the season. Now, they’ll host the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 Wednesday night.

[AFBlue]

Or perhaps the better question is, will anyone watch?

R.I.P. 2008 Sox

Rays are the best story in baseball. I GUARANTEE this will get better ratings than a Phils/Red Sox WS would've gotten.

Lots of intriguing storylines...especially on the Rays side (worst to first, quirky manager, young players, CATWALKS! )

[T Park]

Or perhaps the better question is, will anyone watch?

R.I.P. 2008 Sox

Who gives a if people are so narrow minded and stupid that they won't watch two fantastic teams that have great story lines in what will be a very very compe ive World Series!??!



That being said I take the Phillies in 7, Philly BP > TB Bullpen

[ATRAIN]

Rays in 6 and yes ill be watching.

[IronMexican]

Go Rays!

[baseline bum]

I'm guessing it'll be the Rays, but I'll go for Philly since I like National League baseball far more than American League.

[AFBlue]

I'm gonna say Rays in 5....

Rays SP >>>>>>>>>>> Phils SP (except for Hamels). So by the time it gets handed off to the bullpens, I think the Rays offense will have given their bullpen a significant cushion.

I also think the Rays SP have seen power-hitters consistently throughout the year and in this playoff. Guys like Howard, Utley, and Burrell won't intimidate.

[FromWayDowntown]

It is funny to see a media that was foaming at the mouth over an LA/BOS World Series now try to convince people that they should watch a TB/PHIL World Series. Regardless of the sport, I've never understood the media's interest in "selling" certain teams as watchable throughout a season. It seems perfectly understandable, in our lemming culture, that many would decide against watching an event that they would otherwise be intrigued by if they've been told all year that the teams in that event are "boring" or "unwatchable" or otherwise not worthy of anyone's attention. Why not just cover the story without editorializing about the relative sexiness of teams?

With that said, I'm picking the Rays in 6, mostly because I believe in Hamels but think that the Rays, unlike the mostly offensively-challenged Dodgers (save Manny), will be able to score runs against the Phils pitching staff and render Lidge a non-factor.

[JamStone]

Ryan Howard is due to have a few big games. Shane Victorino is one of my new favorite players. I like the Rays pitching staff more, but I like Philly's offense to be able to hit that pitching staff reasonably well. Tough call.

I'd like Tampa to win, but I have a feeling Philly takes it.

[benefactor]

Go Rays! Die Brad Lidge!

[Purple & Gold]

Go Rays!!!

[gaKNOW!blee]

Keep hating on the Phils starting rotation....they arent as bad as everyone makes them out to be. They kept the Phillies in the NL East race while the bats were dead.


I know you Astros fans just keep waiting for Lidge to blow one, but its not gonna happen.

[DarkReign]

I said it another thread.

Same thing that happened to the Tigers and Rockies is going to happen to the Phillies...

When you wait, you lose.

4 or 5 or 6 days is much too long for hitters to keep their timing. Maybe I eat my words, but I am putting money on this.

[lefty]

Rays

They have talent, but they also showed mental strength vs Bosox

[ducks]

Vegas odds favor Rays to win Series over Phillies
By OSKAR GARCIA, Associated Press Writer
7 hours, 33 minutes ago

Buzz Up PrintLAS VEGAS (AP)—Las Vegas sports books favor the Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies and would owe huge payouts if the American League champions prevail.

Oddsmakers say enough bettors took the Rays early in the year at long-shot prices to force books to adjust lines to encourage bets on the Phillies.

Sean Van Patten at Las Vegas Sports Consultants says the Rays are favored at minus-$1.35, meaning a gambler would need to bet $1.35 to be paid $1 if Tampa Bay wins.

Van Patten puts the Phillies at plus-$1.15, meaning a $1 bet would earn $1.15 if Philadelphia wins.

“What we’re also trying to protect here is even more Tampa Bay money coming in,” Van Patten said. “What we’re trying to do is maybe get a little buyback on the Phillies.”

Las Vegas Hilton race and sports book director Jay Kornegay says before the start of the season the Rays were a 200-1 shot for the le.

“It’s a significant number for a futures book, but it’s nothing that’s going to shut down the book or anything,” Kornegay told The Associated Press. “It might dim the lights.”

Kornegay would not specify how much the Hilton sports book stood to lose if the Phillies win, but said other sports books offered even longer odds on the Rays winning a championship.

The Rays were slightly pricier at the Hilton at minus-$1.40, with the Phillies at plus-$1.20, Kornegay said.

The situation sports books are facing with the Rays is similar to 1991, when sports books lost millions of dollars on futures bets because of the Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins, Kornegay said. Both teams rebounded from last-place showings the year before to reach the World Series. Minnesota won the series in seven games.

“We have learned our lesson that we don’t open these teams at 500-1 until the season starts and we realize what they have and what kind of team they have,” Kornegay said. “This year, I’m going to guess it’s probably in the millions range if you ac ulate all the liability across the state.”

The Rays were heavy underdogs in the American League East mainly because of high expectations for the Boston Red Sox, which swept the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 World Series, and the New York Yankees.

[cherylsteele]

Who gives a if people are so narrow minded and stupid that they won't watch two fantastic teams that have great story lines in what will be a very very compe ive World Series!??!



That being said I take the Phillies in 7, Philly BP > TB Bullpen

Kinda describes the NBA too doesn't it?

[MajorMike]

Seriously, the Red Sox were like a fad. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon when they were trying to break the jinx. Once they did, they weren't the feel good story anymore. Then Mannygate starts happening and people reflect on how Boston treated Nomar the same way and Curt Schilling has nothing to do while he is rehabbing so he keeps opening his yapper and people are just plain tired of hearing about the Red Sox. When 90% of why they were popular in the 1st place (the anti-Yankee) doesn't even make the playoffs, it just isn't a very good story anymore.

[Reggie Miller]

I said it another thread.

Same thing that happened to the Tigers and Rockies is going to happen to the Phillies...

When you wait, you lose.

4 or 5 or 6 days is much too long for hitters to keep their timing. Maybe I eat my words, but I am putting money on this.

Yep. Rest is for football. (Unless you are Tony Dungy's Colts, but that's another story.) Looking back, Piniella probably should have played his starters more the last week. If nothing else, the Cubs would have probably drawn the Mets.

Rays in 6.

It won't be easy. As we have seen, neither team can hit LHP consistently. The Phillies have a better bullpen, but I give Tampa the edge in starting pitching. They'll need it, because their pen could give the Good Humor man an ulcer. That's my big concern; I can easily see Tampa coughing up a game late again.

[Reggie Miller]

Keep hating on the Phils starting rotation....they arent as bad as everyone makes them out to be. They kept the Phillies in the NL East race while the bats were dead.


I know you Astros fans just keep waiting for Lidge to blow one, but its not gonna happen.

If Upton walks up to the plate in an Albert Pujols mask, I guarantee Lidge wets himself.

[AFBlue]

Don't know if it's been posted elsewhere, but Phillies were 4-11 against the AL in interleague play this year. They were 2-4 against AL East opponents (Red Sox and Blue Jays).

Rays on the other hand had winning records against all AL opponents the Phillies faced.

I understand the matchups are different between these two teams than any other, but it doesn't look promising for the Phils.

[deadratsam]

I'm an Astros fan and Brad Lidge is the reason I'm rooting for the Phillies.

[Dr. Gonzo]

I'm an Astros fan and I don't really care about Brad Lidge anymore. I think he has done well for himself after being traded and that's good for him.

I'm going with the Rays in 7 even though I would love to have an NL team win it.

[lefty]

Underdogs calmly, calmly win game 1

[T Park]

Keep hating on the Phils starting rotation....they arent as bad as everyone makes them out to be. They kept the Phillies in the NL East race while the bats were dead.


I know you Astros fans just keep waiting for Lidge to blow one, but its not gonna happen.

The Phillie's rotation is bad outside of Hamels.

Moyer is garbage and Meyers is hit and miss and Blanton is mediocre at best. The Rays are gonna win the next 3 easily.