What started off as a slow season for the Chicago White Sox shortstop, Alexei Ramirez, now seems destined to end on a much more encouraging note.  Last week, after writing an article on why the White Sox were still worth watching despite being eliminated from the postseason, I realized that I had made a crucial and regrettable omission.

Perhaps I’ve seen a few too many Troy Tulowitzki highlights over the past month, or maybe I’ve just come to expect Derek Jeter to annually churn out MVP-like seasons.  But I had no idea that the production among this year’s American League shortstops was so low.  Needless to say, it was an unexpected surprise to learn that Alexei Ramirez is having the best offensive season among A.L. shortstops and seems likely to win his first Silver Slugger Award.

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The first time the Rays and Yankees played this season was April 9th at Tropicana Field. Both had taken two of three in their first series and were eager to keep the early season momentum rolling. This game was significant for two reasons. First, I was watching it from the right field bleachers and it happened to be my birthday. It was the first Major League game I’d been to in a while and there is no better way I could have brought in my new year. The second, arguably greater, significance behind this April matchup is that with less than a dozen games left to play these two teams still find themselves separated by only a half game for the American League East crown.

This Thursday the squads finished their last regular season head-to-head series. Tampa Bay won in a 10-3 blowout and Carl Crawford had three hits while four other Rays had multi-hit performances. This split the series 2-2 and cut the Yankees’ lead to under a game. More importantly, it also gave Tampa Bay a 10-8 season series lead in what is the first tiebreaker should they end the regular season in a tie. These two teams have been sitting atop the AL East all season long and both are going to make it to the playoffs, but this edge would give the Rays home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

Continue Reading ‘Longo’s Little Guys Battle Jeter’s Bronx Bullies’>>

Before I begin really getting into this, I should state that I love and respect Derek Jeter.  Through his career, I have been about as up and down with the guy as any player in the game.  Nomar was without a question my favorite player during all of his years in Boston, and the man that he was while he was there is the image that I will always envision as the franchise guy.  Nomar was Christ-like while in Boston in my opinion, and so Jeter was the anti-Christ.  Once Nomar was traded, however, it became really easy to fall in love with Jeter.  Derek Jeter is everything baseball considers and hopes itself to be.  If you follow this site, you know that I previously mentioned that when Jeter retires, I think he should be handed the American presidency.  Forget that.  The man deserves a coronation.

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At first glance, there wouldn’t appear to be many similarities between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees. The Yankees regularly top the league’s payroll, shelling out $206 million in player salaries to lead the way once again in 2010. This year the Rays have climbed to number 21 on the list and their payroll is still barely a third of New York’s. The Yankees make a habit of throwing as much money at as many big names as possible, landing blockbuster free agents every offseason as opposed to developing their farm system. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, has been led this season by homegrown talents Evan Longoria (3b, drafted by Rays in 2006) and the AL’s All-Star Game starting pitcher, David Price (drafted by Rays in 2007). The Yankees also happen to be the most storied franchise in baseball, if not all sports, and have won a record 27 World Series titles. The Rays only became a Major League team in 1998 and lost in their only World Series appearance. Yet despite these seemingly overwhelming differences, at the All-Star break both teams share one important trait: winning games.

Continue Reading ‘Evan Longoria and the Rays Battle Baseball’s Evil Empire’