Worst to First

 

TB 2nd baseman Akinori Iwamura

So the Tampa Bay Rays are in the World Series for the first time in their short franchise history. Despite the fact that they are a one of the youngest clubs in the majors (their have 5 players on thier entire roster over the age of 30) they are just damn good. They are an extremely aggressive team. They run well and play sold defence and have the 2nd best team ERA in the American League. But what is most impressive about this years Rays, is that last year they posted a dismal 66 and 96 with a win % of .407. This year they pinned up a 97 and 65 record. Talk about a swing in baseball fortune! I thought these kind of swings were not supposed to happen in baseball. What about the years of big-market clubs like my beloved Yankees dominating the scene with all the best players and the biggest crowds. I was inclined to think the "worst to first" phenomenon was limited to the NFL and maybe the NHL.  

It is difficult to watch the Rays play in the "worlds biggest game". They are a regular season rival of my beloved Yankees and a fixture team of any fan of the AL east division. Years and years of watching the Yankees steam roll the Rays are apparently over, for now. 

As for the World Series, In the words of Michael Vick, "I don't have a dog in this fight". I would like to see the Phillies victorious if it were up to me. At least, the Red Sox are out of it...

For the World Series of 2007, I was lucky enough to be in a place where baseball does not exist... Europe. As the dreaded Sox captured the championship I was happily sipping a strong Belgian ale in the quiet medieval town of Leuven, without a baseball fan in site. It was glorious. I am not so lucky this year.