Where do I call Friedman’s moves “lucky”? Show me anywhere I have done so. Please don’t cast me among the more reactionary, less cerebral critics.

Is there some luck involved in some of the moves he has made? Yes. But that can be said to one degree or another about every GM.

Is making the playoffs 3 times and winning a division title over the last 4 years lucky? No.

But since you brought it up let’s look at some of the players you mentioned.

First of all, I completely agree with you on Burrell. I didn’t understand anyone giving him that money.

I thought the Red Sox dumped on Pena way too soon, but based on his previous production he was a no brainer for the Rays. The thing is, you won’t get 46 or even 36 HR HR too many times out of released FA’s for relatively low salary.

- Kotchman: started out like a bat out of hell . . . and reverted back closer to the real Kotchman as the season wore on. I believe he can hit .300, but he is no power guy.

- Farnsworth – there is a reason why Maddon has yet to name him his Closer. The guy is a head case and has ultimately imploded everywhere he’s been. He’s a 50/50 proposition (13th year and had about 6-7 solid seasons) and the Rays I’m sure feel fortunate to have had 1 of them.

- Shields: I love him. Wish he were a Red Sox. Not drafted by Friedman. signing him for 4 years plus options – no brainer that every other good GM in the league does.

- Zobrist: what can I say? One of the great finds in recent memory, if only for his versatility. Big kudos are due to AF, but somehow I doubt he saw two 20+ HR seasons from him.

- Davis: Drafted in 3rd Round (not 4th) and just ahead of Josh Johnson, btw. Finding good or great players in the 4th is hardly unheard of. He’s been good, and his ceiling remains high but he’ll be 27 next year, we’ll see if he finally lives up to hype.

- Chris Archer: everything I’ve read about him hails his raw stuff . . . but his numbers are scarey – as in potential disaster scarey: in 584 minor league Innings his career BB/9 is 5.3 – including this years 5.4 BB/9 to go along with a 4.43 ERA/4.53 FIP/1.61 WHIP – not gonna fly in ML’s.

- Hak Ju Lee: OK prospect with Cubs – suddenly Keith Law has him in mid-season Top 10 Prospects in baseball. Something doesn’t add up. He may have a plus glove, but we’ll have to wait and see if his bat translates to the Majors.

- Jaso: He’s 27, can’t hit and is nothing special defensively. Am I missing something?

- Hellickson and Moore are both studs and will extend the Rays run as they blossum

- Longoria: clearly one of the best young players in the game – and the best 3B in the game at only 25. But, uh, here’s the rub . . . unless Sternberg changes the way he conducts business – Longoria’s departure clock from Tampa is ticking louder and louder. EL hadn’t even played a month in the majors when he signed this deal. Of course he’d commit to a 6-9 year deal that guarantees him $44 million – that’s security almost no young players ever get the chance to earn. For example, who could have known that Baldelli would come down with a mitochondrial disorder?! That guy looked to be on his way to super stardom. But like I said, Longoria’s the best at a very thin position – and if that continues, and I see no reason why it shouldn’t – he will be vastly underpaid by year 6 of this deal (even at $11 mil per for years 8 & 9). If, come the end of 2013, the Rays don’t rip up the remaining 3 years and offer him something approaching what he’s worth things could get ugly real quick.

In summary – here is the perspective that is needed on Friedman and how he goes about his job. Because Sternburg is cheap, pocketing revenue sharing money as profit (that teams like the Red Sox and Yankees earn for them) instead of spending it on payroll and player development, Friedman is forced to forgo elite college talents and target HS School Seniors or 1-year JuCo players with good to high upsides earlier (who would normally be drafted in the teens by other teams).

AF and his scouting staff have done an exceptional job at identifying these diamonds in the rough, drafting them and developing them. The trade-off is they have to wait longer for the pay-off because unlike college players who are far more polished (but also more expensive to sign). HS & JuCo players essentially have to start at the ground floor.

Last night was exciting from a baseball perspective no matter the results. But dramatically overcoming the Red Sox aside, the Rays are one of 8 teams in the post-season. No doubt I’d rather have my team in the playoffs each season, and its a wonderful accomplishment.

But getting to the playoffs and competing for the WS trophy is what the season is all about. What the Rays accomplished in September means almost nothing now. Everything is reset to zero.

No baseball fan will forget this last day of the season for the rest of their lives – especially Rays and Red Sox fans. Ultimately, however, it means very little unless your team wins the World Series (just ask the 2001 Mariners), which by all means, if things break right, the Rays can do.

But no way would I ever place a regular season team accomplishment like winning the Wild Card, over a post-season accomplishment like winning the AL Pennant or World Series.

Baseball: Sport of the Gods

That was very improbable. However, if you gave me one dollar, and I had to bet one team would win team would win 4 in a row, or 1 team would win a game down 7-0 in the 8th , I’d bet the 4 in a row every time.

I was simply pointing out that it is a mistake to compare the Boston collapse to that of the Dodgers or 1978 Red Sox. Those teams played decently in September and were overcome by teams that played extraordinarily well, better than .700. Had the Red Sox played as well as those two or even as did the Phillies in 1964 they would have run away with the wild card. Had they played .300 ball in September they would have made it to the play-in game.

After the Rays lost last year, I rooted for the Gianst. I liked Posey, Lincicum, Cain, and for a brief moment, I cheered them on. I am glad I had a rooting interst, because unless the game is amazing, I am not entertained. I have been in your shoes though. Many superbowls I couldn’t give 2 flyin f__ks about who won or lst. The times when I had an obvious favorite were a lot more fun.

Rooting for another team when your team essentially no longer exists isn’t the same thing as adultery. Covet thy neighbor all you want. Go Rays!!!!

You talk about luck as if it is only one player. Kotchmann was signed to a minor league deal. Carlos Pena was signed to a minor league deal. Joaquin Benoit: almost league minimum (signed for over 8 mil per year with tigers) Rafael Soriano: low level trade (signed 10+ mil contract) Joel Peralta plus 2 other bullpenners for Jason Bartlett,

Kyle Farnesworth: Tean option for 2012 (Obviously picked up)
James Shields: team option thru 2013 (obviously picked up)
Ben Zobrist: 4.5 mil per thru 2013
Wade Davis: 2.5 Mil thru 2017
James Shiels: team option thru 2013

Unloaded Kazmir’s enormous salary, and actualyy got respectable players in return (Alex Torres, Sean Rodriguez)

In a salary dump: Matt Garza for Chris Archer, Hak Ju Lee(all star mvp) Sam Fuld, Brandon Guyer, Robinson Chirinos. The latter 3 are on the Rays 40 man roster, and the former 2 will soon be stars.

Desmond Jennings, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellikson, John Jaso, Matt Moore: 4th Round or later.

And finally, in my opinion, literally the greatest contract for a team in history, Evan Longoria: Signed thru 2014 for 3 mil per, 2 additional years of a team option: This year Arod made 32 million dollars. By paying him owed money last year, Longoria made less that 900 thousand this year.

Like I say to Hellickson haters: He sure seems to get lucky a lot!!!!

Be a baseball fan, enjoy the playoffs, but to state that you are now fully supporting the Rays – I mean what else does that mean other than you are openly a fair-weather fan?

Enjoy your bandwagon, but I for one will take your Red Sox support with a grain of salt moving forward.

Yeah it stings…but I’ll be over it by Friday and watch the playoffs just like all seasons in the past. Baseball is the best game on the planet.

I have no problem with someone who changes allegiance once or twice in their lifetime. Sometimes people move, sometimes they follow their favorite player.

But over the last week or so, we have watched as you climb up on the fence and position yourself to jump on a bandwagon.

You’d trash the Red Sox, then show support for them if things turned back in their favor even slightly, then support the Sox, then not support the Sox and now you declare that you are rooting for the Rays.

No offense, but you are the worst kind of fan – a fair weather fan – which is no fan at all. You’re either in or your out. And you are clearly out. So enjoy your ride – but don’t expect the welcoming committee when you try to hop back over the fence.

2) Unlike Donnie Moore, Papelbon has closed out must win games and championships.

3) Making jokes about Donnie Moore really isn’t cool, nor is it funny. It’s just sad.

Congrats to the Rays. Guess I’ll root for Detroit.

The Rays scored 7 of their runs on 2 guys who had thrown over 50 innings apiece and had an era under 2. I call bullshit on your part. Absolute bullshit. Girardi wanted to get his studs into a 7-0 game in the 8th, not some scrubs. How could he, you, baseball historians, know the Rays would come up with the greatest comeback in baseball history. He threw Proctor because he had to! There was no one else.

Rivera had been ruled out, and if you think the Sox use Paps, Bard, Beckett or Lester in the same situation you are a liar. That is who the Yankees had left in the pen. Their #1, #2, and closer. None of them Would be unavailable in game 1 of the post season because of a meaningless game in the regualr season.

Complain. Go ahead. Just know this: The team the Rays beat tonight, 7th inning replacements and all, would crush the Orioles, whom you went 2-5 against in the last 2 weeks of the season.

Winners do that themselves. The Sox are what we call “losers” this year.

The Rays are just plain gutsier than we were. We were given EVERY chance imaginable to seal this damned up, and we blew EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

I don’t think it’s undignified to acknowledge that they got outclassed this year.

They’re an epic pain in the butt since 2008, but how can you not respect what Maddon has accomplished?

I want them steamroll their way through the World Series.

The only thing that would add more fire to the rivalry is if the Yankees somehow manage to win the big one.

Of course their formula is only sustainable as long Friedman keeps hitting Home Runs with picks and pick-ups.

Probably a beter choice than fuld right there.