October 17, 2020

"Today, I Consider Myself . . . The Biggest Tampa Bay Rays Fan On The Face Of The Earth"

I am not pleased with the progression of the 2020 American League Championship Series.

Game 1: Rays 2, Astros 1
Game 2: Rays 4, Astros 2
Game 3: Rays 5, Astros 2
Game 4: Astros 4, Rays 3
Game 5: Astros 4, Rays 3
Game 6: Astros 7, Rays 4
Game 7:

A wise man once said: "Anything can happen in a Game 7."

This is some serious shit.

Look, I don't have a problem with another major league baseball team (not named the Yankees) coming back from 0-3 and winning a best-of-7 series. Truly, I don't. But if it happens, I want it to happen only after I'm dead. Let's say 35 years from now, to be safe. So not before 2055.

Of course, the 2004 Red Sox will always be the first team to accomplish that particular feat and nothing can (or will) ever diminish the mind-blowing fucking awesomeness of that comeback (and the corresponding choke by the Yankees). Accomplishing the impossible* against the Yankees was somehow made even better by the fact that it happened in the season directly following (I'll speak only for myself here) the worst trauma this Red Sox fan ever experienced.

*: There's actually a book out there that says Boston's 2004 postseason was "impossible" right in the title. Which frankly doesn't seem wholly accurate, but it's still a hell of a book. Makes a great Christmas gift, too. I'd suggest ordering now because mail service during a plague can be a little wonky.

The Astros have already encroached on our turf, by being the second team to battle back to a seventh game after being down 0-3. That's bad enough. This must stop now.

The Rays' Charlie Morton, who was the winning pitcher for the 2017 Astros in both Game 7 of the ALCS and Game 7 of the World Series, will face Lance McCullers at 8:30 PM ET tonight. McCullers also pitched in both of those games. Elias says McCullers and Morton are the first pair of players in postseason history to pitch in the same winner-take-all game as teammates and then later start against each other in a winner-take-all game.

The Rays lost more than three consecutive games only once in 2020, dropping five straight from July 29 to August 2 (Games 6-10 on the schedule). The Astros finished 29-31. Two games under .500! They have no goddamn business winning this series.

5 comments:

Paul Hickman said...

Allan ,

Here's why it won't matter :

They may not win Gm 7 today

They may not win the World Series

Even if they do, this season was anything but ordinary & there was no crowds, no travel, 7 straight days etc.

Lastly, tongue in cheek, let me be the first to speculate ...... How did they cheat this time ?

Given the last few years, as an achievement it would never be fully recognised & THAT is the very minimum justice they deserve !

Having said all that .....

Go The Rays - Fuckin' Torch The Cheats !!!!!!

Jere said...

While I also never wanted to see it happen again, and while I also knew we were the *first* no matter what, consider this:

Assuming Yankee fans wanted to see it at some point to make themselves feel better, the team that has the chance to do it right now is possibly their most hated non-rival team ever. This team right here, the 2020 Astros. The ones who cheated better than them to keep them out of the World Series in 2017 and last year, and who got to then skate through what would have been the roughest ride for any team in any sport in a long time this year, due to no fans in the stands. This is the ONE scenario (again, other than if it were the Red Sox or Mets) where Yankee fans *wouldn't* want it to happen again.

And from a strictly Red Sox perspective: Pandemic, doesn't count.

Jake of All Trades said...

Amen! Tonight, consider me the second biggest Rays fan...

John F said...

The ‘04 Sox should emulate the ‘72 Dolphins. Whenever someone goes down 3-0 in a best of 7 Curtis Leskanic, Lenny DiNardo, Cesar Crespo and Adam Hyzdu can sit behind home plate and drink champagne when the 3-0 team gets eliminated.

laura k said...

I maintain we will never see it happen again in our lifetimes. Some of you young'uns might, but not us geezers.