Comments on: ALDS Preview: Rays vs. Rangers

By: florida727

florida727 — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:27:27 +0000

I’ll root for the Rays but I think in a series, any series, they’ll get exposed because they’re not a great come-from-behind team. Yeah. They did it when it mattered most down 7-zip in game #162, but that’s not who they are. As a rule, they can’t outslug teams. Even Maddon is constantly telling everyone they win with pitching and defense. Unfortunately after 162, pitching gets ‘tired’, and if you’re unable to consistently put up 7-8 runs to offset that, you’re playing golf by the second full week in October.

By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged

churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:27:08 +0000

You think the Tigers will beat the Yanks?

By: Richard In Big D

Richard In Big D — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:40:03 +0000

EDIT FUNCTION!!!! It’s not the

By: Richard In Big D

Richard In Big D — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:39:08 +0000

It’snotthe Yankees they’re gonna have to beat in the ALCS…

By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged

churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:15:10 +0000

Damnit your new tag is confusing me!

By: Chris Fiorentino

Chris Fiorentino — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:01:40 +0000

Must be on the 40-man roster to be eligible not on the active 25-man roster.

By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged

churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:58:33 +0000

Wait what?

FIP:
Rangers – 3.98
Rays – 4.03

xFIP:
Rangers – 3.83
Rays – 4.01

By: paperlions

paperlions — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:59:09 +0000

That comment sucked…it missed the mark…I gave myself a thumbs down

By: El Bravo

El Bravo — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:25:23 +0000

Pouloit is high clearly. Rays will win on vastly superior starting pitching. G’bye Texas. Rays all the way is my prediction!

By: cubsrice

cubsrice — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:57:05 +0000

I can actually imagine the Rays breaking someone’s kneecaps in mid-September just to get Matt Moore on the postseason roster

By: old97

old97 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:31:31 +0000

As a long-suffering Ranger fan, I want your prediction to come true so badly that I’d consider sacrificing a limb to ensure it. The Rangers broke my heart so many times prior to last year. Because of that, it’s taking a LONG time for it to sink in – they are actually pretty good!

Still, I can’t relax at all right now. I will be agonizing over every game, every inning, every pitch. I can take nothing for granted. Tampa has some salty pitchers, they play tough, and I think Joe Maddon is one of the smartest guys in the game.

Rangers in a sweep? Good gosh, I hope so, and so does my cardiologist. But I have to tap the brakes – I gotta see it before I can really believe it!

By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged

churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:30:31 +0000

You can’t pitch around anyone in their lineup. If Wilson and Holland bring their “A” game, the Rangers should walk into the World Series

Team – wOBA – wRC
Yankees – .346 – 113
Rangers – .348 – 113

Team – FIP – xFIP
Yankees – 3.87 – 3.84
Rangers – 3.98 – 3.83

Curious as to why you think they should “walk right into the WS”?

By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged

churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:28:17 +0000

Yeah it involves some shenanigans, but if teams have to they can swap people from one DL to the 60 day to move people around. So essentially all you need is someone to be with the team on September 1st.

By: thefrenchyconnection

thefrenchyconnection — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:11:09 +0000

“But the first 162 games mean nothing now ~ its what happens after the Friday start.”

I wouldn’t say that too loudly around any ATL or BOS players today.

By: cubsrice

cubsrice — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:08:55 +0000

Okay, so he went on the postseason roster as an injury replacement for the ALDS? That’s cool, thanks.

By: churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged

churchoftheperpetuallyoutraged — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:01:25 +0000

Matt’s right. It’s the same thing that happened with Krod in ’02. He replaced someone on the 25 man who went on the DL after the season.

By: cubsrice

cubsrice — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:49:00 +0000

As far as I know Matt Moore was a September call-up. Do you know when he was added to the active roster? Because if it wasn’t before September 1st, my understanding is that he is not eligible for the postseason barring an injury to a pitcher, and even then he wouldn’t be able to begin play until the ALCS. I think he was called up mid-September as all his appearances according to B-Ref indicate.

By: cur68

cur68 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:48:18 +0000

PL; You gotta join us in lobbying for that sarcasm/hyperbole font, man. You gettin' rocked by the thumbs again. Alas, little overstatement/irony, we barely comprehended thee.

By: Matthew Pouliot

Matthew Pouliot — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:41:48 +0000

One doesn’t have to be on the roster before Sept. 1, only in the organization.

By: cur68

cur68 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:36:47 +0000

Agree. Nelson Cruz is a beast, just a one man wrecking crew. Beltre can get a hit anytime he wants, it seems. Hamilton? Forgeddaboutit. I do believe they will beat the Rays. But, the trouble is, the Yankees had those guys beat, and could. not. do. it. You can argue that it was AAA pitching (I mean Scott Poctor? Really?) but the Rays found a way to beat a guy who actually pitched rather well. They found a way to surge all the way back into contention, chase down a faltering Red Sox crew and would have arguably beaten their asses too this evening, if it had come to that. Call it what ever you want, but I call it Mojo, baby. And the Rays have it, in spades. Mojo a funky mistress. Right now, I believe the Rays could surprise us all, which, given what they did in September, shouldn’t surprise us at all.

By: artisan3m

artisan3m — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:35:16 +0000

I really don’t find a weakness in the Rangers ~ anywhere. They have arguably the best defense in baseball, five pitchers with double digit wins, one of the best bullpens ever assembled, and hot bats. You can’t pitch around anyone in their lineup. If Wilson and Holland bring their “A” game, the Rangers should walk into the World Series. But the first 162 games mean nothing now ~ its what happens after the Friday start.

By: cubsrice

cubsrice — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:31:58 +0000

I don’t think Matt Moore was eligible for the postseason roster anyway, unless he was added to the active roster before September 1 and nobody said anything.

I think the Rays can avoid a sweep.

By: miketreedy

miketreedy — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:26:09 +0000

They had a lot of help to get in. You have to take your hat off to them though especially considering all the players they lost as through free agency. The Rangers though are playing as well as anyone in baseball. They won 9 out of last 10 and are crushing the ball.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:25:45 +0000

I predict the Phillies win this series in 4….and it will only take that many games because they aren’t actually playing it.

By: cur68

cur68 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:14:37 +0000

Yep, me too, but it’s not a walk over. The Rays have got winning in long odds nailed down. Rangers 3 games to 2. I will NOT be surprised if I see the Rays get past the Rangers. After this month, could any other team be more fated than they?

By: miketreedy

miketreedy — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:14:02 +0000

The Rangers are a better team this year than last year even without Cliff Lee. The all around pitching is better and the offense is the best in baseball. The Rays are a tough team but the Rangers should win the series.

By: pisano

pisano — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:57:43 +0000

Don’t expect another miracle, the Rays got in because the Yankees didn’t have to beat them. The Yankees pounded their ace and it wasn’t a fluke, they have lit him up before. The Rangers are at full strength now with Beltre and Cruz back. The Rays don’t have enough offense to get passed the Rangers, sure, anything can happen as was seen last night with the O’s, but my pick is the Rangers.