White Sox or Twins?

Could be an amazing day today.

1 more game and it's all theirs.....1 pm

FYI...Rays Division tees are locked and loaded...will be in pretty much every retailer tonight following the game (if they clinch).

What's the design? I've been holding out for one of those..

Looks REAL good! Not sure if you've seen the Angels or Cubs in their's...but it's the same "granite" colored tee with the Rays marks in Coastal Blue. Has a nice pop to it.

Here's a shot of the Cubs version:

http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?prod...&cp=3281098

There will also be the following in most major retailers the day after the clinch:

- Division Roster Tee
- Rays Playoff Tees (they will be wearing onfield in the playoffs)
- A hot market tee taking a shot at the Yanks and Red Sox..."We Conquered a EMPIRE and took down RED SOX NATION"
- "Rayhawks" tees

After they clinch, are you willing to post pics of these?

Sure. But how do I post jpgs? MLB.com will be carrying most...could post links.

Kazmir lit up...

Thanks for dropping by with that mind-numbing analysis.

Links would be fine, you can host jpgs on www.imageshack.us and link them here too.

These are your 2008 AL East champs. Unbelievable.


I'm a little drunk. Good times.

:champagne:

I love you man....

Hard to believe...how do you guage a division? It's the toughest thing to do...but means the least?

It's tough to do, clearly, but not the pinnacle. I don't know, it's weird. I think outdistancing the Sox and Yanks over a 162 games is incredible, but winning it all is ultimately what matters. Or at least that's what most will say.

I say we just enjoy it. It's amazing.

And for all you Saux and Yankee fans

I guess we get Garza for 4 or 5 innings tonight, with Hammel caddying for him. Likely Talbot tomorrow.

My ####s and giggles lineup for tonight. I can't imagine many regulars playing:

Aki, 2b
Perez, cf
Johnson, 1b
Baldelli, DH
Aybar, 3b
Zobrist, ss
Gomes, rf
Ruggiano, lf
Jaso, C

I hope they give Jaso a few ABs here at the end. I'd like to see him hit.

Wonder if there's any chance CC gets to the plate?

See this is the funny stuff. PPTS? Sox are in the Playoffs. This coming from a fan of a team that has never sniffed a .500 record. Show some humility dude. You may be exiting first round. I would not want to have to face a hot twinks team in the post season. And if things shake out the way they're supposed to you'll still run into the Red Sox Dynasty in the ALCS.


Anyhow, congrats on a great season

Tampa has the '4 starter' series...this def helps them

this is rich. you guys were all taking turns blowing each other after your first title in 86 years. And now you're the most arrogant fanbase in America. And you're telling the fans of a team with a $40 million dollar payroll that just took down two monsters to show some humility.

Kindly suck it.

Second place is the first loser down? Nice hate coming from a fan base with the most arrogant fans outside of New York.

Congrats to the Rays.

This is my hack at the ALDS roster. I'm going to assume CC does not play. If he does, take Hinske out.

C-Navarro
C-Hernandez
1B-Pena
2B-Iwamura
SS-Bartlett
3B-Longoria
Utility-Zobrist
3B/DH-Aybar
DH-Floyd
DH-Baldelli
OF-Upton
OF-Gross
OF-Hinske or Crawford if healthy
OF-Perez

Gm1-Shields
Gm2-Kazmir
Gm3-Garza
Gm4-Sonnanstine

BP-Balfour
BP-Bradford
BP-Wheeler (closer)
BP-Price
BP-Miller
BP-Howell
BP-Jackson

I think they'll find an excuse to bench Percival, but if not they'll ax Hinske or Perez, hopefully Hinske, especially if CC is ready. I hope they leave Perez in for late-inning pinch-running duties as he is incredibly valuable in that role. I can't imagine him being off the roster at this point. Or I guess they could decide to go Percy over Jackson as he's unlikely to be used in a 5-game series.

Personally, I would leave Hinske in Detroit and certainly off this roster, but we all know they probably won't do that, for some reason.

That allows them to go Balfour-Howell-Wheeler late in games, with Bradford, Miller and Price there to get other guys out.

Locker Room tee

Roster tee

Playoff On Field tee/hoodie

The "We Conquered" graphic is being tweaked. The c###-suckers at MLB don't want us taking shots at the Sox and Yankees, yet they let all the graphics go between the Sox and Yanks. Now this will just open up that market for unlicensed tees like the "Beast of the East".

F&%-ing morons.

Congrats to the Rays and their fans for finally getting out of the cellar and into the playoffs. It's good to see that a team, after many years of futility and continual high draft picks, can finally get it together to win the divison.

Thanks. It's also refreshing to see a team with a quarter-billion dollar payroll and every advantage in the world fall flat on their face time and time again.

I bought the Tribe's roster tee for last year's team. If you get it, you'll like it. Buy all the gear you can and enjoy the run.

Sounds like CC may be able to go in the divisional series. He hit yesterday and will hit today as well. Really no reason not to put him out there if he's healthy, he HAS to be a better option than Hinske.

No matter which team they play it will likely be a lefty in game 1, but he should be in there for game 2. Wonder how they will adjust the lineup...Pena down to 5th?

He's been mashing in that 3 hole, seems real comfortable there and needs that extra AB a game.

What's Rocco Baldelli's contract status for next year? A friend of mine suggested the Yankees should go after him to play CF. I like the idea.

He's an unrestricted FA.

I don't think he can play CF at all anymore. He could only play RF once a week or so.

The speculation is he'll sign a deal with the Rays, as it's a good fit for both - they don't need him to play every day and he can't do so anyways.

cool thanks. If he cant play CF on a regular basis then that option is out the window for the Yanks

Congrats, Rays. Winning the AL East over New York and Boston was no easy task. If Boston bows out, I hope Tampa goes all the way.

Percy out...Perez in...it looks like.

Today's the day

I guess this is probably a stupid question. But today is the day for what exactly.

1st playoff game for the Rays today at 2:30 ET

Thank You!!! Finally someone who answers a question.

I made a delivery to the Trop around 11...afterward went by Fergs for an hour or so. It was packed, people were tailgating, lots of drunks, and there were young scantilly-clad women everywhere...thought I was at a Rayjay.

Then I went by the downtown Tampa Rays store...and it was packed with rat-racers loading up on playoff gear on their lunch break.

Great buzz around town right now...on both sides of the bay.

Unbelievable

Absolutely incredible.

So what are BJ's options going forward?

Can he get a short-term payraise, or will it be a situation where he either signs a huge longterm deal or leaves in a few years?


Glad to have CC back!

I can't believe the Rays are one win away from the World Series.

It is very hard to grasp the concept...but you know after watching this team as much as we did this year, it's not really that surprising that they are playing this well.

Not really, but still...

Gump - Rays have Upton's rights through the end of 2012. So he'll have the whole arbitration process, etc to go through. I imagine they're going to push hard to lock him up and frontload his salary for the next few years.

When is he eligible for arbitration?

AMAZING!!!!

I just never really thought anything could top the 02 Bucs for me, but I'll be damned. Just the sheer absurdity of the Tampa Rays making the World Series...just blows me away.

Just amazing. I'm not sure when I'll fully comprehend this.

Congrats Rays' fans!! I never thought I would see the day they made the World Series. Unbelievable!

Congratulations to you and all the Rays fans.

My only advice is to be sure to enjoy every last minute of the WS. I've been waiting 11 years for a return trip.

What went different? Player development and solid drafting? I mean the Rays were bottom of the barrel for a decade just like the Pirates and Royals.

Why now and why can't other franchises besides the Marlins figure this out? What will happen to guys like Upton, Longoria, Garza, Shields, Kazmir, Sonnastine, Price, Brignac, Beckham, and McGee? It seems the talent has surpassed the tipping point and they can't possibly lock all of them up. Even Pena and Crawford are going to need to be paid. Not sure how long they're locked up for as well as Kazmir.

So what happens here? Do they decide to spend money? I know nothing about the ownership but I do know I'm not sure I've really ever seen a team in any sport at any time with a collection of that much young talent. It's a bit scary.


Will Desmond Jennings polish well and become a serious 5 tool stud?

I want answers.

ok fin, I'll try and give you some answers.



Better scouting, period. LaMar hit some picks (Upton and trading for Kaz) and Friedman has been unbelievable. All it comes down to sometimes, my guy being smarter than yours.



They have his rights through 2012.



Through the end of 2016



2013



2014



2012 (re-signed this year)



2013



2014