Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
The Opening Pitch: Now THIS is a playoff series. Red Sox vs. Rays is as compelling a playoff series as baseball has seen in recent memory:
— Defending Champs vs. Worst-to-First
— The “New” Evil Empire vs. Cinderella
— $133M payroll vs. $44M payroll
— "Red Sox Nation" vs. Half-Empty Stadium
— Um, Wild Card vs. AL East Champs.
But Boston cannot play their traditional plucky card — not after two titles in four years. And certainly not against these Rays.
This is nothing less than a battle for the soul of baseball: And you're either on the side of hope or the side of status quo.
Last night's hero: Jed Lowrie! (He could do nothing else in his Boston career, he'll be remembered for Monday's series-clinching hit.)
As for the Angels, their 100-win, best-in-A.L. regular season is meaningless (bunted away on a controversial suicide-squeeze decision*). I'm not sure what they can do in the offseason (CC? Manny?) — aside from ensure they don't play the Red Sox in next year's playoffs.
(* Will have every self-respecting SABR-loving fan weeping — if it wasn't for the fact that most favor the Sox's cerebral style anyway.)
On the other hand, the White Sox's ride feels satisfying: They played and won two play-in games before the playoffs even started, and at least gave their fans a "black-out" win at home before exiting. And it's not like there's any shame in being bounced by Cinderella.
Reggie Bush just defined his career: Ties NFL-record two punt-return TDs? So, he is a glorified punt-return specialist. Plus, he takes the "running" out of "running back" — RB should stand for "receiving back." He’s Devin Hester, but with a way bigger salary-cap footprint.
Most telling, Bush's two fumbles were part of the Saints' game-killing four turnovers that negated their stat dominance. (To be fair, the one Bush fumble the Saints lost was the result of a ridiculous facemasking that went uncalled by — surprise, surprise — Ed Hochuli's crew.) ... (Aha: We now know who the Vikings QB should be — Chester Taylor.)
Brian Westbrook Injury Watch: Two broken ribs? Uh-oh.
"Everybody doesn't have to like me": Would it surprise you to learn that Plaxico Burress isn't particularly sorry for being a pain?
Lions coach Rod Marinelli won't resign: This won't end well, although with the Lions' track record, they'll keep him on for years before finally giving him the axe.
NFL Non-Story of the Day: Kurt Warner pondered retirement after Anquan Boldin's scary injury at the end of Week 4.
CFB: How good is the Big 12? Six teams in the Top 17. And it all starts to shake out this weekend, when Missouri hosts Oklahoma State (over/under: 90-ish?) and, of course, Oklahoma and Texas play for the latest BCS pole position.
NBA Preseason: Kevin Love's debut wasn't quite as dominating as his summer-league performances — 13 pts (6/10 FG) and 5 rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench. But a 38-point T-wolves win.
CBB: Tom Crean needs to stop whining. It's not like he didn't know what he was getting into when he jumped to Indiana.
The Last Word: Curt Schilling coming back in '09? Rather than seeing this as a typical Schilling "wait-look-at-MEEEE!!!" moment, I actually think this makes sense. He can take his time rehabbing, then join a contender as a very effective second-half addition.
Dan Shanoff writes The Wake-Up Call every weekday morning for SportingNews.com and blogs daily at DanShanoff.com. Got any comments, questions or feedback? Email Dan at shanofftsn-[at]-gmail-[dot]-com.
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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Hey Dan,
I know the payrolls are mismatched, but not the payroll on the field. The Sox are doing it this year with a ton of homegrown, cheap, talent:
Pedroia, Youk, Ellsbury, Lowrie, Papelbon, Lester, Delcarmen, Masterson.
This year’s Sox squad is different. It’s about selfless guys who have been through the system. When you look at how Tek has struggled this season, Lowell is out, Beckett is struggling, and Drew is out every other game you can almost negate all those salaries.
This series is between the 2 best in baseball, and it should be a lot of fun. For those of you who haven’t watched the Rays this year, you’re missing out. This is going to be a hell of a series.
by The Ghost of Marty Conlon on Oct 7, 2008 9:10 AM EDT reply actions
After last year’s ratings disaster, I’m sure the networks want the Rays to go to the World Series. Simply stated, not too many people care to watch the Red Sox.
by Hyacinth House on Oct 7, 2008 11:13 AM EDT reply actions
Last years ratings were off because nobody wanted to watch the Rockies-not much of a fan base there. Same thing with Tampa Bay, they don’t draw well either. Now a Dodgers-Red Sox series would be a ratings bonanza.Sounds like you’re just jealous of the Sox’ success.
by pudge57 on Oct 7, 2008 11:34 AM EDT reply actions
Why would I be jealous of a baseball team? It’s a fact: the World Series ratings were horrible last year. And it probably would have been worse without the Rockies. They were the baseball’s biggest story last year. They won 20 games to end the season and win their division.
by Hyacinth House on Oct 7, 2008 2:37 PM EDT reply actions
Besides the Red Sox fans themselves (and they are plenty of bandwagon jumpers out there), I know of NO ONE who isn’t sick to death of the Red Sox and the Yankees. I have lived in five states in the last ten years and people I’ve met in all of those places are suddenly Rays fans because they want to see the Red Sox gone.
While I agree it will be a good series (given the games played in the regular season), I think ratings in baseball are down because we have been seeing the same thing for the last ten years
-- playoffs bouncing back and forth between the Yanks and the Red Sox. While there will always be a strong market for them, I suspect there is even a stronger market who do NOT watch if the Red Sox or Yankees play in the series because they are so sick of them!And don’t get me started on the Red Sox fans themselves. I realize a lot of them have moved to Florida (as have people from all over the US). The first question everyone asks when the meet someone new around here is "And where are you originally from?". I am a transplant from Cleveland. But unless you’re planning on moving back to Boston sometime soon, I believe you should root for you hometown team. If the Tampa Bay region is your home, you should root for the Rays. I did so as soon as I moved here in 2005. I will always have a place in my heart for the Tribe, but the Rays are my home team now.
If you love Boston so much
-take I-95 north!! You live in Tampa Bay now!!Go Rays!!! Feel the heat baby!!
by PinellasParkRaysFan on Oct 7, 2008 4:28 PM EDT reply actions
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