Posted tagged ‘Tampa Bay Rays’

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The fall classic…

October 23, 2008

World Series or not, most folks in the Tampa area still aren’t really into their baseball team yet.   In fact, when a local newspaper asked residents what they thought about the Rays,  the most common response – “It’s best to use sunscreen. ” 

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How can you tell a  Rays bandwagon fan?

They’re at the game.

How can you tell a Phillies bandwagon fan? 

They actually cheer.

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By the way, thanks to reader Mike Bush of Santa Barbara who reminded me that  they are the Tampa Bay Rays, not the Tampa Rays, and that Tampa Bay is not a city.   It’s the Tampa -St. Pete -Clearwater area.    And having just been to the stadium this summer, I know it’s in St. Petersburg.    But Tampa is easier to write. 

Of course, they aren’t the Miami Marlins either.  Or the Denver Rockies.  Or for that matter the Phoenix Diamondbacks.   What is it about expansion teams.  One city’s not enough, they have to claim the whole state?   

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The Republican National Committee spent $150,000 on campaign clothes and accessories for Sarah Palin.    $150,000!   For about two months.  Who was selling them the clothes?  Scott Boras?

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Actually for as poorly as the campaign is doing in October, you’d expect most of the outfits to have pinstripes. 

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In related news, the Obama campaign admitted spending about $50  recently on accessories for Joe Biden.   All on rolls of duct tape.  For his mouth.

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And this from Nick Coombs:  Senator John McCain chided Barack Obama for saying nice things about the Rays while having previously said he was rooting for the Phillies.  Actually McCain was disappointed the A’s didn’t make it, he would have loved an all-Philadelphia world series.

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Congrats to the Rays…

October 20, 2008

The Tampa Bay Rays, who went from the worst team in baseball in 2007, to the World Series now in 2008 by beating the Boston Red Sox in game seven of the ALCS, 3 to 1.

The save went to rookie David Price, who just last year was pitching for Vanderbilt University.   So I guess the headlines tomorrow “The Price is Right?”

 

Until this year, Tampa was known as the “Devil Rays,” but they dropped “Devil” from their name in the offseason.   Might be one of the most sucessful exorcisms in recent history.

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Coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose Duke team has not won a NCAA basketball championship since 2001, is reportedly considering renaming the team the Duke Blues.

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The Rays had a 2008 payroll of just under $44 million.  For those of you scoring at home,  less than the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers combined to pay Barry Zito, Andruw Jones and Jason Schmidt.

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And for San Francisco area football fans,  the Stanford Cardinal 23-20 lost to UCLA Saturday.  UCLA won the game on a late touchdown drive, helped by four Stanford penalties for 35 yards.  For the game,  the Cardinal was penalized 10 times for 103 yards, including some personal fouls.  No word yet on a rumor that the team will change its colors to silver and black.

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Only one more debate to go…

October 15, 2008

Finally, something that both Democrats and Republicans can celebrate together.

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John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate gave the Republican ticket a quick boost,  but the effects seem to be fading.  Can we call it a “dead moose bounce?”

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John McCain is coming up with a new economic plan almost every daily.  Some say the continual change in plans in cynical.  But give the guy a break, maybe he simply can’t remember what plan he prposed yesterday.

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Contrary to what John McCain says, Barack Obama is not “measuring the drapes” in the Oval Office.   Joe Biden, however, has been rumored to be trying to get his draft of  his first speech as vice-president under three hours.

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The Dodgers are still reeling from their eighth inning meltdown Monday night.   And think of how much worse it would have been if their fans had stayed around to see it.

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Sports Illustrated has an online section at SI.com listing their experts’ picks for the World Series.  Excuse me, how many of these “experts” had the Rays anywhere NEAR the World Series?

(let alone the Phillies.)

But before we get too cocky about baseball experts, can we see a show of hands for all those who predicted the last undefeated team in the NFL would be the Tennessee Titans?

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Say Ray!

October 6, 2008

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Rays, who followed their first winning season by winning their first playoff series.    This despite a year where their attendance ranked 26th out of 30 teams. 

Which might explain why when Tampa area residents were asked about their baseball team’s chances to make it to the World Series, the number one response was “We have a baseball team?”

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Barack Obama is moving out to a solid lead in recent polls.  In fact, many pundits say the only way he could lose is if he puts on a Cubs jersey.

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One bit of cheery news for the Angels of Anaheim.  They may be going home after the first round despite the best record in baseball.  But at least they’re going home to Disneyland.

 

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Apparently while Lehman Brothers was pleading for a federal bailout before they went bankrupt, the investment bank was also steering million dollar bonuses  to their executives.  So CEO Richard Fuld and others could face prosecution.  Though they will try to have charges dropped so they can go out and find the real bank robbers.

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