My beloved Tampa Bay Rays’ season ended moments ago. I wish I could say I am not disappointed. I am. Not only because they squandered the amazing late-season rally that ended in triumph last Wednesday night, but because of how unimpressive they looked in their three losses against the Texas Rangers. The pitching for which the Rays are so famous wasn’t as advertised. True, Moore pitched phenomenally on Friday, but Price was disappointing, Shields didn’t live up to his recent amazing standard, and the young Hellickson surrendered devastating home runs. But even worse, the Rays batters looked downright feeble. Evan Longoria, who won the now-legendary Game 162, went 0-4 today, striking out twice. Upton, who, I will admit has been playing much better this season than last, struck out thrice. Damon, in spite of his amazing hustle, couldn’t come through, either. Sean Rodriguez played his heart out, but that wasn’t enough when the rest of the team was so unproductive. Mostly, I was disappointed with the way my guys just stood there as good pitches went right past them. I understand you have to wait for your pitch, but that looked bad sometimes.
Last year Cliff Lee shut us down. This year the Rays shut themselves down.
Still, I give Texas credit where credit is due. Their bats are dangerous, and their pitching is effective. If Detroit cannot dispatch the Hated Yankees, the Rangers are my team.
Meanwhile, I won’t be all gloom and doom. I am still proud of my guys. They gave me what I always have said I wanted: a winning season. Contrary to what many predicted at the conclusion of last season, the Rays still made the playoffs, and did it without Crawford, Soriano, Benoit, Garza, and others. They demonstrated an astonishing ability to replace big names with nobodies who play hard for much, much less money. Johnny Damon plays with an energy and attitude I love to watch. And this kid Moore who won big last Friday is extremely promising.
Joe Maddon is a remarkable manager. He did what few expected he could do, by taking a team with few recognizable stars, and finishing second in baseball’s toughest division, knocking out a team everyone assumed would win the World Series this year. But I am sorry he couldn’t capitalize on the big opportunity his team had in the post-season. If the Rays could have won the pennant, he’d be a shoo-in for manager of the year. As it is, I fear the Rays’ second-October-in-a-row loss will come to be seen as inevitable, as though the team didn’t belong in the first place. It’s bad enough that the Rays don’t get the respect they deserve considering their do-more-with-less situation – I don’t want to hear people say, “that’s what we expected”. The talking heads on ESPN, MLB-TV, and elsewhere, in a fawning love for New York and Boston that borders on obsequiousness, display demonstrable lack of enthusiasm for the Rays. It would have been nice to rub it in their faces.
So, farewell 2011 baseball. I will eagerly await your 2012 return.
Filed under: Current Events, Musings, Sports on October 4th, 2011 | No Comments »