Wrote this and posted it on another site recently. Feedback please?
The Tampa Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 3-1 last night to advance to their first World Series in franchise history. Actually, this is their first playoff appearance in franchise history.
The Rays have been the bottom-of-the-division team since they first came into the league. They had never finished better than third in the division, never had a winning record, never been to the playoffs, never had any respect. They have always been a team to laugh at. A joke. No better than an MLB farm system to trade any players who show any talent. Not this year.
They Rays are going to the World Series. Their improbable AL East Championship, ALDS victory over the Chicago White Sox, and ALCS victory over the defending world champions has put them in a position to accomplish the biggest victory Tampa baseball fans have ever seen.
The Rays jumped out 3 games to 1 early in the ALCS. The Red Sox are known for coming back in the ALCS in recent years. Everyone remembers what they did in 2004, coming back from a 3-0 defecit. Last year, they were down 3-1 against the Indians, and came back to win it. Both seasons, they won the World Series. You can see why Tampa fans were worried when Boston came back to win game 5 after being down 7-1 in the 7th inning. Boston went on to tie the series and force game 7. The Rays were underdogs once again, and also once again, beat all odds and prevailed.
They will play against another season long underdog in the Philladelphia Phillies. In a year where teams with big expectations failed to deliver, a typical American can't help but love to see this. The Yankees failed to make the postseason for the first time since 1993. The Atlanta Braves were nowhere to be found this year. The Mets missed the playoffs again after a miserable collapse last season. The Detroit Tigers, who had high expectations this year, finished last in the AL Central at 74-88. The Cleveland Indians weren't much better at 81-81. The Chicago Cubs, a favorite to win the World Series for the first time in 100 years, fell short in the ALDS, with a loss to the Dodgers. The defending champion Boston Red Sox went down early to the Rays with 3 losses in the first 4 games.
So, who do you root for if neither of these is your team? Any Mets or Braves fan should root for Tampa as they will be bitter after they Phillies won the division. What about ALCS fans? The Yankees and Red Sox fans? Yankee fans should cheer for the Rays. How often can you like a division rival to win the championship? When it's an underdog like Tampa, it feels wrong to root against them? What about Boston fans though? Aren't they in the same situation? Not exactly. The Rays stopped the trademark comeback this year. Boston fans may congratulate Tampa and root for them, but knowing Boston fans, this isn't likely. They will cry about how they should have won it and cheer for the Phillies. Any other baseball fans, enjoy this year's Series, pick a lovable underdog, and watch some great baseball. Seriously, these teams both deserve it.
(Some information from
www.espn.com)
