I've got a couple bones to pick with Chad.
You've been down on Tampa's light end-of-year schedule in a couple recent blogs (9/24, 10/1), but Baltimore "manned up" by taking 2 of 3 against Tampa on their home turf (The Land of the Invisible Home Crowd), and Kansas City owned the Rays last night. Let's give the cellar boys their due: Tampa has gone 3 and 5 against the worst the American League has to offer. I don't buy the argument that Tampa is prepping for the playoffs instead of dueling for the division. I credit the AL lowliest with showing some pride by duking it out right to the end. Easy to roll over: They're playing for draft picks, not the division title. But they don't. And my hat is off to them.
The Yanks and Rays are playing for home field advantage in the playoffs, and with teams as closely matched as they (assuming they meet in the ALCS), they will need whatever advantage they can get. Girardi would be a fool to lighten the work load on these guys, especially not now that he has a chance. (He's conservative, but he's not a moron. Why would he want to tip his hand to the Sox, anyway?) He should tighten the screws to help gear up their intensity for the upcoming First-Team-to-Eleven contest. Besides, when have the Yanks ever rolled over for the BoSox? Even if you're right, and Scranton-Wilkes Barre shows up for the final series, given the injuries Boston has been plagued with this year, they'll be playing against Pawtucket.
Connecticut Yankee
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