Woe unto the Rays

• gorocks99

  

  Through May 23rd:
  Tampa Bay: 32-12
  New York Yankees: 26-18
  Toronto: 26-20
  Boston: 24-21
  
  Since May 23rd:
  Tampa Bay: 10-15
  New York Yankees: 17-8
  Toronto: 12-12
  Boston: 19-7
  
  Is this just a natural "falling back to the pack" or is there something really wrong with the Rays? As of tonight they stand one game back of the Yankees in the AL East and tied with Boston for 2nd place.
• wes_mantooth

  

  Baseball is just such a long season....teams go through bad patches and recoup.
• jordo212000

  

  This is the natural falling back. No team could keep that pace up. They're not going away IMO. Too much offensive firepower and too much good pitching for them not to be in the chase
• wildcats20

  

  Here in lies a problem with baseball.
  
  You have arguably 3 of the best teams in baseball and only 2 of them can make the playoffs. Realignment anyone??
• wes_mantooth

  

  wildcats20;396592 wrote:Here in lies a problem with baseball.
  
  You have arguably 3 of the best teams in baseball and only 2 of them can make the playoffs. Realignment anyone??

  
  Drennan was discussing this today. Apparently, Buster Olney(sp?) has a pretty interesting plan for realignment.
• jordo212000

  

  Realignment isn't a terrible idea, but I would much rather just eliminate the divisions all together. Just take the top 4 teams in each league
• wes_mantooth

  

  ^^^Actually, I think that is pretty close to what Olney wants, but I think he wanted 6 teams....not sure how that would work.
• jordo212000

  

  wes_mantooth;396603 wrote:^^^Actually, I think that is pretty close to what Olney wants, but I think he wanted 6 teams....not sure how that would work.

  
  Yeah I'd actually favor that, I always thought baseball was cutting out a lot of revenue and fan interest by limiting the postseason to 4 teams per league
• darbypitcher22

  

  I think its a natural falling back, although one you wouldn't expect with who Tampa Bay had on the interleague docket(Florida and Atlanta, two teams they are a lot better than)
• Mulva

  

  Before May 23rd, they played the Orioles, Astros, Indians, Royals, and Mariners (5 of the 7 worst teams in baseball) 21 times, and went 16-5.
  
  Since then, they've played those teams 0 times. I'd say that pretty well explains it.
• mucalum49

  

  Mulva;396681 wrote:Before May 23rd, they played the Orioles, Astros, Indians, Royals, and Mariners (5 of the 7 worst teams in baseball) 21 times, and went 16-5.
  
  Since then, they've played those teams 0 times. I'd say that pretty well explains it.

  
  This. Even as a Rays fan the first third of their season was charmin soft. Wade Davis has had some awful starts lately (Jeremy Helickson please!) and the offense is coming back to earth. The starting pitching was on a historical pace and they have leveled off. In 2008 when they were good they still needed to rely on timely hitting and base running. I think they will stay in the race but some adjustments will need to be made.
• darbypitcher22

  

  they'll definately stay in the race, IMO, but I'm not sure the pitching will be able to sustain over the long haul, especially the bullpen. Price has been the only one that's really been consistent to me over the course of the year so far and it'll take more than 1 guy to take the division or the wild card
• karen lotz

  

  darbypitcher22;396670 wrote:I think its a natural falling back, although one you wouldn't expect with who Tampa Bay had on the interleague docket(Florida and Atlanta, two teams they are a lot better than)

  
  lol
• Laley23

  

  Nobody is a lot better than Atlanta in the ML. Maybe you can argue better, but not a lot better. They are the best team in the National League.
• jordo212000

  

  Laley23;397602 wrote:Nobody is a lot better than Atlanta in the ML. Maybe you can argue better, but not a lot better. They are the best team in the National League.

  
  I wouldn't argue that Tampa is "a lot" better than the Braves, but I think when all is said and done the Rays will finish with the better record. Besides, records aside the Braves have a much more difficult division to navigate (top to bottom IMO). Sure the Yankees and Red Sox are tough, but the Blue Jays and Orioles aren't exactly world beaters. The NL East has the 2x NL Pennant winning Phillies, the improved Mets, the young and talented Marlins, and a Nationals team that doesn't play like a last place team.
• gorocks99

  

  I disagree with that assessment. While the O's are pitiful, the rest of the AL East stacks up better than the NL East. Even the Jays are 6 games above .500.
  
  Yankees > Braves
  Rays > Mets
  Red Sox > Phillies
  Blue Jays = Marlins
  Orioles < Nationals
  
  Plus, the NL East gets to play most of their games against the NL, which is easier as well
• Al Bundy

  wes_mantooth;396603 wrote:^^^Actually, I think that is pretty close to what Olney wants, but I think he wanted 6 teams....not sure how that would work.

  
  Sounds like we would be having Thanksgiving baseball with that plan. I really don't see how they could expand the playoffs unless they end the regular season much earlier. In the last 20 years, there have only been 3 World Series where at least one of the teams didn't play in a cold weather outdoor stadium.
• wes_mantooth

  

  ^^^Pretty much. I would think that the season would have to be shortened by quite a bit....and that would never happen. I may have misheard as well....the tv was on but I wasn't really paying close attention.
• jordo212000

  

  gorocks99;397629 wrote:I disagree with that assessment. While the O's are pitiful, the rest of the AL East stacks up better than the NL East. Even the Jays are 6 games above .500.
  
  Yankees > Braves
  Rays > Mets
  Red Sox > Phillies
  Blue Jays = Marlins
  Orioles < Nationals
  
  Plus, the NL East gets to play most of their games against the NL, which is easier as well

  
  You might be right, I don't know.
  
  I think the Yanks and Sawks are great, but not as good as they have been in the past (i.e. last year). Both took steps backward offensively and some of their 'guys' have slowed considerably. The Blue Jays are pretenders IMO and the Orioles are atrocious.
  
  I just see the NL East being the better division the rest of the way and I see the Rays winning the division. I really like the way their team is constructed. Just my $.02
• Laley23

  

  jordo212000;397673 wrote:You might be right, I don't know.
  
  I think the Yanks and Sawks are great, but not as good as they have been in the past (i.e. last year). Both took steps backward offensively and some of their 'guys' have slowed considerably. The Blue Jays are pretenders IMO and the Orioles are atrocious.
  
  I just see the NL East being the better division the rest of the way and I see the Rays winning the division. I really like the way their team is constructed. Just my $.02

  
  But there is no way, at this point in time, you can say the Phils havent taken the BIGGEST step back.
• darbypitcher22

  

  I think after the way the Braves played last night against Chicago, who has been playing better as of late but is still nowhere close to challenging Detroit or Minnesota in the Central, that the Rays are way better.
• Laley23

  

  darbypitcher22;398681 wrote:I think after the way the Braves played last night against Chicago, who has been playing better as of late but is still nowhere close to challenging Detroit or Minnesota in the Central, that the Rays are way better.

  
  You dont think I couldnt pick a random ass game the Rays have played though and say the same thing with the Braves being way better?
  
  I just dont see how, to this point, you can discredit a team with 42 wins and possibly say ANY team in the majors is "way better"
• mucalum49

  

  Desmond Jennings and Jeremy Helickson of the Rays were chosen to the Future's Game on All-Star break. If they were to be called up then they would no longer qualify, correct? After Wade Davis' struggles the last handful of starts I think Helickson (9-2, 2.38ERA in AAA) should get a chance at the 5th starter spot while Davis works out the kinks. Jennings should be up to take out B.J. Upton. From my bragging about so many guys hitting over .300 a few weeks ago that sure turned around to bite me in the ass now that half of our starters are under .230 these days.
• darbypitcher22

  

  look, the bravs may have 42 wins but I'm just not sold, especially on their starting pitching
• karen lotz

  

  darbypitcher22;398681 wrote:I think after the way the Braves played last night against Chicago, who has been playing better as of late but is still nowhere close to challenging Detroit or Minnesota in the Central, that the Rays are way better.

  
  The Braves won two out of three from Tampa last week. Does that not matter?