****OFFICIAL WORLD SERIES THREAD 2008****

[EagleKeeper]

Please keep all relevant Series topics in here.

This thread is a tribute to long time Phillies fan - Perknose, of whom I have merciless teased about the quality of Philadelphia sports teams over the years that I have been acquainted with him.

 

[SirStev0]

Let me start off by saying I am a Phillies fan.
With that said, I have accepted the fact that we will most likely chock in the big show. It is what we do. Sorry everybody.

EDIT: Yeah, spelling error. woooo. don't care.

 

[Jack Ryan]

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/chock

Good for Philly... Phillies fans are the lowest on the scale of "ridiculous Philadelphia sports fans". (Eagles obviously #1)

 

[BrokenVisage]

Phillies vs. WHO CARES! PHILS GOING TO THE SERIES! WOOOOO im tired....

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: SirStev0
Let me start off by saying I am a Phillies fan.
With that said, I have accepted the fact that we will most likely chock in the big show. It is what we do. Sorry everybody.

The Phillies wont choke. Tampa Bay is simply going to crush them. It isn't choking if the other team is a hell of a lot better.

 

[HopJokey]

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: SirStev0
Let me start off by saying I am a Phillies fan.
With that said, I have accepted the fact that we will most likely chock in the big show. It is what we do. Sorry everybody.

The Phillies wont choke. Tampa Bay is simply going to crush them. It isn't choking if the other team is a hell of a lot better.

This was said of the 2006 World Series between the Tigers and Cardinals.

I agree that the Sox/Rays are better than the Phils, but in a short series (yes in baseball terms 7 games is short when you play a 162 game season) all it takes is for a few people to get hot and the other team to get cold for you to win. There is more variance in baseball than say the NBA. So I'll give the Phils a chance; I'd be worried about their middle relief and starting pitching besides Hamels.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: HopJokey

This was said of the 2006 World Series between the Tigers and Cardinals.

I agree that the Sox/Rays are better than the Phils, but in a short series (yes in baseball terms 7 games is short when you play a 162 game season) all it takes is for a few people to get hot and the other team to get cold for you to win. There is more variance in baseball than say the NBA. So I'll give the Phils a chance; I'd be worried about their middle relief and starting pitching besides Hamels.

Yes, and Tampa Bay happens to be really hot against the defending champs.

 

[Nitemare]

Tampa Bay looks really really good.


and basically everyone on the Dodgers except Manny took the NLCS off.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
Tampa Bay looks really really good.


and basically everyone on the Dodgers except Manny took the NLCS off.

And Milwaukee was a joke.

 

[BrokenVisage]

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: SirStev0
Let me start off by saying I am a Phillies fan.
With that said, I have accepted the fact that we will most likely chock in the big show. It is what we do. Sorry everybody.

The Phillies wont choke. Tampa Bay is simply going to crush them. It isn't choking if the other team is a hell of a lot better.

A hell of a lot better?? Hahahaha, OMG I love these people picking against the Phillies and doubting their abilities but that is such a ridiculous thing to say.

First off, as of right now the Phillies have earned themselves a WS spot and the Rays have not. Secondly, the Rays are much younger and inexperienced then the Phillies and even though they are hot right now and have all the momentum in their favor, the Phillies are on a roll themselves and have been hitting HRs like the team was built to do. Pitching? Cole Hamels > ANY RAYS PITCHER and Myers/Moyer/Blanton are all good, crafty starters who can matchup with anyone Tampa will throw at them. Hitting? 1-9 the Phillies have the better squad by far with more professional hitters, they can also match Tampa's speed on the bases and had the 2 best stealing percentages EVER the last 2 years. Bullpen? Phillies had the best bullpen in the NL this year and they are not blowing any big leads in the playoffs, not to mention a PERFECT closer.

So I ask again.. a hell of a lot better?? You're either biased, clueless, or trolling. The Phillies should be favored no matter who they face, Phillies had an incredible record winning on the road this year and won 3 post-season road games so I don't care about the AL getting home field advantage. Prepare to eat your baseless words.

 

[Baked]

Sox ain't coming back from a 3-1 deficit like last time, Philly's gonna play the Rays, and the Rays are a stronger team. My prediction remains the same, Rays in 6.

 

[evident]

Originally posted by: BrokenVisage

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: SirStev0
Let me start off by saying I am a Phillies fan.
With that said, I have accepted the fact that we will most likely chock in the big show. It is what we do. Sorry everybody.

The Phillies wont choke. Tampa Bay is simply going to crush them. It isn't choking if the other team is a hell of a lot better.

A hell of a lot better?? Hahahaha, OMG I love these people picking against the Phillies and doubting their abilities but that is such a ridiculous thing to say.

First off, as of right now the Phillies have earned themselves a WS spot and the Rays have not. Secondly, the Rays are much younger and inexperienced then the Phillies and even though they are hot right now and have all the momentum in their favor, the Phillies are on a roll themselves and have been hitting HRs like the team was built to do. Pitching? Cole Hamels > ANY RAYS PITCHER and Myers/Moyer/Blanton are all good, crafty starters who can matchup with anyone Tampa will throw at them. Hitting? 1-9 the Phillies have the better squad by far with more professional hitters, they can also match Tampa's speed on the bases and had the 2 best stealing percentages EVER the last 2 years. Bullpen? Phillies had the best bullpen in the NL this year and they are not blowing any big leads in the playoffs, not to mention a PERFECT closer.

So I ask again.. a hell of a lot better?? You're either biased, clueless, or trolling. The Phillies should be favored no matter who they face, Phillies had an incredible record winning on the road this year and won 3 post-season road games so I don't care about the AL getting home field advantage. Prepare to eat your baseless words.

GO PHILLIES! its gonna be a great series no matter who they play. all the haters in here are jealous assholes who just like to harp on philly fans

 

[SoulAssassin]

Phillies in 6, you heard it here first. Rays offense has been putting up numbers but Phils pitching will shut them down.

 

[Anubis]

technicially the rays have not won yet
as a life long boston fan i pretty much always assume they will fail and piss me off, however they came back from 3-0 down in 2004 against NY and last year they were down 3-1 in the ALCS and pulled it out in 7

so as they say it aint over till its over

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Anubis
technicially the rays have not won yet
as a life long boston fan i pretty much always assume they will fail and piss me off, however they came back from 3-0 down in 2004 against NY and last year they were down 3-1 in the ALCS and pulled it out in 7

so as they say it aint over till its over

I love the sox too....but the team this year, especialy in its current state, is not world series built. Really, I am surprised they got this far.

 

[KGB]

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: Anubis
technicially the rays have not won yet
as a life long boston fan i pretty much always assume they will fail and piss me off, however they came back from 3-0 down in 2004 against NY and last year they were down 3-1 in the ALCS and pulled it out in 7

so as they say it aint over till its over

I love the sox too....but the team this year, especialy in its current state, is not world series built. Really, I am surprised they got this far.

Agreed. Just look at the Sox player's faces and you know that THEY KNOW it's almost over.

My prediction: Rays in 6.

 

[Jschmuck2]

Originally posted by: BrokenVisage

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: SirStev0
Let me start off by saying I am a Phillies fan.
With that said, I have accepted the fact that we will most likely chock in the big show. It is what we do. Sorry everybody.

The Phillies wont choke. Tampa Bay is simply going to crush them. It isn't choking if the other team is a hell of a lot better.

A hell of a lot better?? Hahahaha, OMG I love these people picking against the Phillies and doubting their abilities but that is such a ridiculous thing to say.

First off, as of right now the Phillies have earned themselves a WS spot and the Rays have not. Secondly, the Rays are much younger and inexperienced then the Phillies and even though they are hot right now and have all the momentum in their favor, the Phillies are on a roll themselves and have been hitting HRs like the team was built to do. Pitching? Cole Hamels > ANY RAYS PITCHER and Myers/Moyer/Blanton are all good, crafty starters who can matchup with anyone Tampa will throw at them. Hitting? 1-9 the Phillies have the better squad by far with more professional hitters, they can also match Tampa's speed on the bases and had the 2 best stealing percentages EVER the last 2 years. Bullpen? Phillies had the best bullpen in the NL this year and they are not blowing any big leads in the playoffs, not to mention a PERFECT closer.

So I ask again.. a hell of a lot better?? You're either biased, clueless, or trolling. The Phillies should be favored no matter who they face, Phillies had an incredible record winning on the road this year and won 3 post-season road games so I don't care about the AL getting home field advantage. Prepare to eat your baseless words.

Quoted for posterity and imminent humiliation when the Phils get crushed.

I'm not really invested either way. In fact, as a Giants fan I've been rooting for the Phillies all week and it was fantastic to see them crush the Dodgers into a fine dust. Especially last night when it was Bad News Bears style - at the beginning of the movie, not the end.

So, let's break this down, shall we?

First off, as of right now the Phillies have earned themselves a WS spot and the Rays have not.

Well, fair enough. I'm not quite sure how this is totally relevant to this discussion but alright, let's move on. Congrats to the Phils by the way, they played very well.

Secondly, the Rays are much younger and inexperienced then the Phillies and even though they are hot right now and have all the momentum in their favor, the Phillies are on a roll themselves and have been hitting HRs like the team was built to do.

Periods are your friend. Yes, the Rays are younger but one could argue that that only serves to isolate them from the pressure of the playoffs. One could also argue that their youth keeps them energized and motivated on a more consistent basis than an older team.

The Phillies have slugged .431 in the postseason and the Rays have slugged .533 - 100 points higher. 100 points. That's a huge margin. You can't build a team around homeruns - ask the White Sox. The Rays have enough speed to manufacture runs on a pretty consistent basis. With a few notable exceptions, the Rays have speed from top to bottom. They also have more speed on the bench than the Phillies do, plain and simple. Sure the Phillies have turned it on a little bit lately and it's good news that Ryan Howard is trying to use all fields again but I don't think it's going to make much of a difference.

itching? Cole Hamels > ANY RAYS PITCHER and Myers/Moyer/Blanton are all good, crafty starters who can matchup with anyone Tampa will throw at them.

Yes, Cole Hamels is a legitimate ace. You know who else is a legitimate ace? James Shields. Scott Kazmir, when healthy, is absolutely filthy. Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine have dominated the entire season. Hell, even Edwin Jackson won something like 14 games this year. There is no way that Blanton/Moyer/Myers stand up to Garza/Sonnanstine/Kazmir. No way.

Hitting? 1-9 the Phillies have the better squad by far with more professional hitters, they can also match Tampa's speed on the bases and had the 2 best stealing percentages EVER the last 2 years.

/boggle

Really? Really, really?

Bullpen? Phillies had the best bullpen in the NL this year and they are not blowing any big leads in the playoffs, not to mention a PERFECT closer.

You know who had the best bullpen in the AL (arguably a tougher league) the Rays. Just because you seemingly haven't heard of their pitching staff doesn't mean they don't exist. JP Howell, David Price, Grant Balfour - the fightingest Australian since Russel Crowe - hell, even Dan Wheeler has been on shutdown mode since Troy Percival got hurt.

Take a step back from your Phillies fan-dom and get a little perspective.

 

[Balr0g]

Originally posted by: BrokenVisage

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: SirStev0
Let me start off by saying I am a Phillies fan.
With that said, I have accepted the fact that we will most likely chock in the big show. It is what we do. Sorry everybody.

The Phillies wont choke. Tampa Bay is simply going to crush them. It isn't choking if the other team is a hell of a lot better.

A hell of a lot better?? Hahahaha, OMG I love these people picking against the Phillies and doubting their abilities but that is such a ridiculous thing to say.

First off, as of right now the Phillies have earned themselves a WS spot and the Rays have not. Secondly, the Rays are much younger and inexperienced then the Phillies and even though they are hot right now and have all the momentum in their favor, the Phillies are on a roll themselves and have been hitting HRs like the team was built to do. Pitching? Cole Hamels > ANY RAYS PITCHER and Myers/Moyer/Blanton are all good, crafty starters who can matchup with anyone Tampa will throw at them. Hitting? 1-9 the Phillies have the better squad by far with more professional hitters, they can also match Tampa's speed on the bases and had the 2 best stealing percentages EVER the last 2 years. Bullpen? Phillies had the best bullpen in the NL this year and they are not blowing any big leads in the playoffs, not to mention a PERFECT closer.

So I ask again.. a hell of a lot better?? You're either biased, clueless, or trolling. The Phillies should be favored no matter who they face, Phillies had an incredible record winning on the road this year and won 3 post-season road games so I don't care about the AL getting home field advantage. Prepare to eat your baseless words.

You do realize that the Rays have played only 4 games vs. the Phillies 5 right? And that by winning tonight the Rays would get to the WS is the same number of games? So I wouldn't go stating that like the Phillies did it faster, because that is yet to be seen.

Rollins and Howard haven't exactly been making big hits in the postseason, if you haven't been watching.

Not saying the Phillies aren't a good team - but don't think you're just going to roll over the Rays either.

Not a huge fan of either team really, but nice to see the Rays beating the Sox.

 

[jalaram]

Originally posted by: BrokenVisage
So I ask again.. a hell of a lot better?? You're either biased, clueless, or trolling. The Phillies should be favored no matter who they face, Phillies had an incredible record winning on the road this year and won 3 post-season road games so I don't care about the AL getting home field advantage. Prepare to eat your baseless words.

Chill out. First of all, TallBill is a White Sox fan, so he isn't biased. And having an opinion after watching the games so far isn't being clueless or trolling. He's simply watching a hot Tampa team beating two good teams in the White Sox and Red Sox.

Who would you say has the better rotation: Hamels/Myers/Moyer/Blanton or Dice-K/Beckett/Lester/(we'll skip Wakefield for now)? Before the LCS, most would've argued the latter rotation and the Rays have done decently against them.

The Phillies deserve to be there and will be competitive, but the fact is that Rays are hot. Plus, if the Red Sox pull it out, they'll be even hotter.

 

[ric1287]

TB is going to smoke the Phils, which is good so I can say at least the palehose lost to the champs

 

[OCGuy]

Philly cant win. Ask Iverson.

 

[Mr Pickles]

Originally posted by: Jschmuck2

Originally posted by: BrokenVisage

Originally posted by: TallBill

Originally posted by: SirStev0
Let me start off by saying I am a Phillies fan.
With that said, I have accepted the fact that we will most likely chock in the big show. It is what we do. Sorry everybody.

The Phillies wont choke. Tampa Bay is simply going to crush them. It isn't choking if the other team is a hell of a lot better.

A hell of a lot better?? Hahahaha, OMG I love these people picking against the Phillies and doubting their abilities but that is such a ridiculous thing to say.

First off, as of right now the Phillies have earned themselves a WS spot and the Rays have not. Secondly, the Rays are much younger and inexperienced then the Phillies and even though they are hot right now and have all the momentum in their favor, the Phillies are on a roll themselves and have been hitting HRs like the team was built to do. Pitching? Cole Hamels > ANY RAYS PITCHER and Myers/Moyer/Blanton are all good, crafty starters who can matchup with anyone Tampa will throw at them. Hitting? 1-9 the Phillies have the better squad by far with more professional hitters, they can also match Tampa's speed on the bases and had the 2 best stealing percentages EVER the last 2 years. Bullpen? Phillies had the best bullpen in the NL this year and they are not blowing any big leads in the playoffs, not to mention a PERFECT closer.

So I ask again.. a hell of a lot better?? You're either biased, clueless, or trolling. The Phillies should be favored no matter who they face, Phillies had an incredible record winning on the road this year and won 3 post-season road games so I don't care about the AL getting home field advantage. Prepare to eat your baseless words.

Quoted for posterity and imminent humiliation when the Phils get crushed.

I'm not really invested either way. In fact, as a Giants fan I've been rooting for the Phillies all week and it was fantastic to see them crush the Dodgers into a fine dust. Especially last night when it was Bad News Bears style - at the beginning of the movie, not the end.

So, let's break this down, shall we?

First off, as of right now the Phillies have earned themselves a WS spot and the Rays have not.

Well, fair enough. I'm not quite sure how this is totally relevant to this discussion but alright, let's move on. Congrats to the Phils by the way, they played very well.

Secondly, the Rays are much younger and inexperienced then the Phillies and even though they are hot right now and have all the momentum in their favor, the Phillies are on a roll themselves and have been hitting HRs like the team was built to do.

Periods are your friend. Yes, the Rays are younger but one could argue that that only serves to isolate them from the pressure of the playoffs. One could also argue that their youth keeps them energized and motivated on a more consistent basis than an older team.

The Phillies have slugged .431 in the postseason and the Rays have slugged .533 - 100 points higher. 100 points. That's a huge margin. You can't build a team around homeruns - ask the White Sox. The Rays have enough speed to manufacture runs on a pretty consistent basis. With a few notable exceptions, the Rays have speed from top to bottom. They also have more speed on the bench than the Phillies do, plain and simple. Sure the Phillies have turned it on a little bit lately and it's good news that Ryan Howard is trying to use all fields again but I don't think it's going to make much of a difference.

itching? Cole Hamels > ANY RAYS PITCHER and Myers/Moyer/Blanton are all good, crafty starters who can matchup with anyone Tampa will throw at them.

Yes, Cole Hamels is a legitimate ace. You know who else is a legitimate ace? James Shields. Scott Kazmir, when healthy, is absolutely filthy. Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine have dominated the entire season. Hell, even Edwin Jackson won something like 14 games this year. There is no way that Blanton/Moyer/Myers stand up to Garza/Sonnanstine/Kazmir. No way.

Hitting? 1-9 the Phillies have the better squad by far with more professional hitters, they can also match Tampa's speed on the bases and had the 2 best stealing percentages EVER the last 2 years.

/boggle

Really? Really, really?

Bullpen? Phillies had the best bullpen in the NL this year and they are not blowing any big leads in the playoffs, not to mention a PERFECT closer.

You know who had the best bullpen in the AL (arguably a tougher league) the Rays. Just because you seemingly haven't heard of their pitching staff doesn't mean they don't exist. JP Howell, David Price, Grant Balfour - the fightingest Australian since Russel Crowe - hell, even Dan Wheeler has been on shutdown mode since Troy Percival got hurt.

Take a step back from your Phillies fan-dom and get a little perspective.

Oh this is going to be so bittersweet.

Well done Jschmuck. Sounds like we've got another narrow minded fan of *insert any other team but The Rays here* that hasn't had the decency to do their due diligence against the best team in baseball this year.

This is going to be fun...

Secondly, the Rays are much younger and inexperienced then the Phillies and even though they are hot right now and have all the momentum in their favor, the Phillies are on a roll themselves and have been hitting HRs like the team was built to do.

Sorry, but "inexperienced" is a little outdated. We were 1-1 going into Fenway. I'm missing the "momentum" that you're talking about? This is home grown good old fashioned love of the game talent that's outpitching and outhitting the defending champs. You must have been busy watching pre-season NBA or NHL while we've been playing ALDS and ALCS ball.

Homeruns? In case you missed The Rays and all the things they've been doing:

Heading into 2008, the knuckleballer Wakefield had a career 19-3 record and 3.12 ERA in 38 appearances against the historically woeful Devil Rays. After last night's disaster, Wakefield is 0-3 with a 7.50 ERA in four 2008 starts against Tampa Bay.

Carl Crawford, who joined the Devil Rays in 2002, went 5-for-5 last night, knocking two singles, two doubles and a triple.

Do you want to discuss Evan Longoria's status regarding breaking the record for most HR's in the post season as a rookie?

How about this:

The nine combined homers hit by Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton are tied for the fourth-most all-time among teammates in the playoffs

What else do you need to brush off that little thing called "experience"? Experience is relevant to all of October, not just the last 7 games.

match tampa's speed on the bases

That might be hard. CC is the fastest man in baseball right now, says his 40m record and Fernando Perez is on hot on his ass.

I'm not giving it all to you. That would just be too easy. How about I give you some homework and you come back with some witty bullshit that we've all heard about before.

Check out the stats for these starting pitchers. I doubt you've heard of them before:

1. James Shields
2. Andy Sonnanstine
3. Matt Garza
4. Scott Kazmir

Now check out our bullpen in the last month and tell me what you think:

1. JP Howell
2. David Price
3. David Wheeler
4. Grant Balfour

I'll give you this for Championship Series stats:

Player G ERA W-L SV CG IP H ER BB SO
James Shields 1 2.45 0-1 0 0 7.3 6 2 2 6
Matt Garza 1 1.50 1-0 0 0 6.0 6 1 3 5
J.P. Howell 3 2.70 0-0 0 0 3.3 2 1 2 4

Player G ERA W-L SV CG IP H ER BB SO
Cole Hamels 2 1.93 2-0 0 0 14.0 11 3 5 13
Joe Blanton 1 5.40 0-0 0 0 5.0 7 3 4 4
Chad Durbin 3 4.50 0-0 0 0 2.0 3 1 2 2
Brett Myers 1 9.00 1-0 0 0 5.0 6 5 4 6

Pray for Hamels' health. Good Luck man.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy
Please keep all relevant Series topics in here.

This thread is a tribute to long time Phillies fan - Perknose, of whom I have merciless teased about the quality of Philadelphia sports teams over the years that I have been acquainted with him.

Yep and all 20 of them will be tuned in for the Series.

 

[Jschmuck2]

Gah - I fail at reading.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: ric1287
TB is going to smoke the Phils, which is good so I can say at least the palehose lost to the champs

Not only that, but if Tamp wins, that makes the Cubs the worst team in the playoffs. Losers to losers to losers

And yes, Tampa is a hell of a lot better. And they are in the dominant league. Phillies were 3-15 in interleague play, batting .220 with a 4.90 era. So you can take any "dominant" stats that they have and throw them out the window.

Oh, and Tampa has homefield advantage. Say hello to 30,000 cowbells.