Thus far, the ALCS has been captivating to say the least.
Game one was a pitchers’ duel. Dice K looked phenomenal, striking out nine and allowing only four hits in seven innings (Shields didn’t do too badly himself, but the two runs won the game for the Sox).
I fell asleep Friday night, thoroughly convinced that the Red Sox could quiet the bats of the Rays…
Then game two happened, and it was a home run derby. Beckett, who the Sox praise primarily for his postseason dominance, was shelled for eight runs in less than five innings. Kazmir, the heart of the Rays’ rotation, was also abused by the bats of the Sox, namely Dustin Pedroia.
But, after a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11th, I fell asleep Saturday night thinking not only could the Rays' bats easily go shot for shot with the Sox, but they could win this series.
So, I got up this morning getting ready to type a piece about how this series has the potential to be just as compelling as any of the great Yankees vs. Red Sox match-ups over the past decade. Then I started thinking about a bunch of different things currently happening in the AL East.
Pretty much since 2001, the Red Sox have been making more noise in the AL East than the Yankees, even without winning the division crown in the regular season. On the other hand, the Yankees are coming off their worst season in a very long time.
The sports media mill in New York is swirling with rumors and “reliable team sources” who are all saying that Yankees players are less than thrilled with new manager Joe Girardi. A lot of the Yankees' vets are getting hurt, and the younger players didn’t get the time that numerous analysts said they would get this season.
Now we have a situation where Hank Steinbrenner has already said that this team will be much better in their 2009 campaign, and a large part of their success is going to rely on a lot of young players.
In the meantime, Tampa Bay is giving the Red Sox a serious run for a berth in the World Series, and they are doing it with a ton of young players who, unlike a lot of the youthful Yankees, appear to be legitimate with their development years behind them.
And more importantly, Tampa has the overwhelming majority of this team locked down for the next two seasons. So, if you are a Yankees fan, it may be time to get a little nervous. For the first time in more than 15 years, you are the odd man out.
It is funny that the Rays and Marlins both represent the state of Florida and the two lowest team payrolls in Major League Baseball. But baseball fans need to look beyond the surface and see that this is merely coincidence.
Tampa Bay looks like they are ready to make a serious investment in this team, and they have already locked up a number of key components. Now they have a fan following which has responded to their apparent commitment to winning.
Moral of the story: MLB fans should get comfortable seeing Tampa and Boston at the top of the AL East. The pressure is solely on the Yankees to be great again, and more importantly, the Rays don’t look like they are going to slip.
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about 1 month ago
(This is great insight on your part.)
Parity.
I think...that TB has caught lightnin' in a bottle and will not repeat next year...and I say this only because of pitching. I respect their lineup and I'm impressed that they signed these kids for the looong term. I also think that they'll be in the hunt but...
Pitching is the key to winning playoff spots. You've got to be starter strong 1 thru 4, have a sub 3.50 bullpen and a sub 2.00 closer. The trick is to accomplish that 3-4-5 years and now, it's damn near impossible.
Recent examples could be the White Sox, Tiger and Angels pitching staffs. I assumed that those staffs would dominate for a few years...it was not to be.
You are correct, the AL East is THE beast of baseball. Remember, quite a few people picked Toronto to challenge this year and they had pretty good pitching potential. No go this year, but next year? You never know.
My Orioles had the 7th best offense in the AL, 9th in the MLB...if they find pitching? We could have all 5 teams finish over .500 and that would be amazing. But it ain't gonna happen with a 4.80 ERA.
In closing...the Yankees will be back, Toronto will improve, the Sox will be the Sox and Tampa will have to fight like dawgs to stay even. This should be fun.
Wow...I really rambled there didn't I.
from about 1 month ago
I agree with you. I think the big story here is that tampa bay has locked down their pitching staff for the next couple of years.
It's always an adventure though, especially when this league has less teams in the playoffs than any other league in the country.
about 1 month ago
Tampa is definitely gonna be good for at least a little while. Don't want to sound pessimistic, but we never know what can happen in the next few years.
Completely agree with the pitching being there. Even as a doormat in 2007, they had pretty good batting. Just didn't have the pitching to back it up. Now they have this fantastic young staff and look where it got them.
The AL East is by far the best division in all of baseball. LJ is right. It ain't gonna be easy, no matter how good the Rays are.
As far as the payroll thing goes, consider the Rays the anti-Tigers. They have tons of young talent fresh from farm systems. But as soon as they become free agents and realize the Rays can't cough up the cheddar, they're long gone.
from about 1 month ago
I wonder with all the new Tampa management in house, if a lot of these players may turn into serious long term investments
from about 1 month ago
Good point, but immediate money it too important in a player's decision making. I think it's especially true for young players. Hopefully, more people will start attending their games so they can generate the revenue to keep these guys. This is already a feel-good story and it would be great if it continued.
from about 1 month ago
Thanks again for the feedback Michael
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