Sox 2021 Playoffs

[Donoghus]

We need this Tampa series to get to a Game 4 at Fenway on Marathon Monday.  This needs to happen.

[Atzar]

I know that a lot of people don't care for the second wild card, but I've got to say:  that was exciting.  It was a great playoff race, and there was real tension last night.

It’s exciting for sure - the same way that the NCAA tournament format is exciting.  It’ll always be great from entertainment perspective.

My complaint is that it’s a bad method of determining the better team in a sport with so much game-to-game variance.  The MLB plays 162 games for a reason.  One game just isn’t enough.

[Roy H.]

I know that a lot of people don't care for the second wild card, but I've got to say:  that was exciting.  It was a great playoff race, and there was real tension last night.

It’s exciting for sure - the same way that the NCAA tournament format is exciting.  It’ll always be great from entertainment perspective.

My complaint is that it’s a bad method of determining the better team in a sport with so much game-to-game variance.  The MLB plays 162 games for a reason.  One game just isn’t enough.

Probably so, but that’s why you win the division, right?

[Redz]

Fun game last night.  Great to see (from TV) that atmosphere at Fenway.

My daughter is a freshman at George Washington U, so I took a trip down this weekend and took her to the Sox / Nats game on Sunday.  The go ahead homer by Devers was one of the better sports moments I've seen in person.  What a bomb!

I have no idea what to expect in a short series vs Tampa, but I'm glad they saved face against the Yankees.

Go Sox!

[Vermont Green]

The Sox have officially over achieved in my mind.  I don't remember anyone predicting the playoffs for the Red Sox.

I had in my mind they were a 0.500 team.  It is odd how different baseball is from say football.  A 0.500 team in Football is 8-8, in baseball, about 80-80.  The Sox ended up doing really great by finishing 92 - 70, essentially the same as going 9-7 in football.  Tampa was the equivalent of 10-6.

The game was really exciting.  Tampa was the clear division winner this year but other years, things can be more close.  This year, the wild card single game was fair but some years, 95 wins might be the division and 94 wins one and done in the wild card.  I guess that is just the way it goes in baseball, part of the charm of the game.

[Roy H.]

The Sox have officially over achieved in my mind.  I don't remember anyone predicting the playoffs for the Red Sox.

I had in my mind they were a 0.500 team.  It is odd how different baseball is from say football.  A 0.500 team in Football is 8-8, in baseball, about 80-80.  The Sox ended up doing really great by finishing 92 - 70, essentially the same as going 9-7 in football.  Tampa was the equivalent of 10-6.

The game was really exciting.  Tampa was the clear division winner this year but other years, things can be more close.  This year, the wild card single game was fair but some years, 95 wins might be the division and 94 wins one and done in the wild card.  I guess that is just the way it goes in baseball, part of the charm of the game.

We’ll see if the 106 win Dodgers make it through.

[jambr380]

Let's see if the Rays can put more than 7500 people in the stands for these 2 games. I wish I could upload the video I took at a game during the season. I think there were only about 5000 people in the stands and half of those were Red Sox fans. Rays fans are an embarrassment to that team. That team is awesome and has almost no support in this city.

They would get a lot more support if they were in Ybor or Channelside. They could draw from Orlando, while also getting the after work/younger crowd in Tampa. St Pete is beautiful and I love the vibe there, but they shouldn’t have a baseball team. Too bad they’re about to be the Montreal/Tampa Rays in the near future…all because of stadium disputes.

[Moranis]

I still can't believe a team that won 106 games has to play in a 1 game wild card game.  The 2nd best team in the entire sport can be out after 1 game, that is just crazy.

[Roy H.]

Too bad they’re about to be the Montreal/Tampa Rays in the near future…all because of stadium disputes.

The idea of a team splitting two cities in two different countries is wild.  The Expos did it in Montreal / Puerto Rico before, I think?  I'd love to see Montreal get a team back, though.  That 1994 season still sticks in my craw.

[Donoghus]

Too bad they’re about to be the Montreal/Tampa Rays in the near future…all because of stadium disputes.

The idea of a team splitting two cities in two different countries is wild.  The Expos did it in Montreal / Puerto Rico before, I think?  I'd love to see Montreal get a team back, though.  That 1994 season still sticks in my craw.

One of the coolest logos in sports.  Also, the road blues back in the day were phenomenal.

Olympic Stadium was a dump, though.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Too bad they’re about to be the Montreal/Tampa Rays in the near future…all because of stadium disputes.

The idea of a team splitting two cities in two different countries is wild.  The Expos did it in Montreal / Puerto Rico before, I think?  I'd love to see Montreal get a team back, though.  That 1994 season still sticks in my craw.

One of the coolest logos in sports.  Also, the road blues back in the day were phenomenal.

Olympic Stadium was a dump, though.

So's the Trop.

[celticsclay]

What do people predict for Tampa series. I’m going to randomly say Sox 3-1. I expect one real good game out of sale. Also has anyone noticed that verdugo quietly had almost as good an offensive year as betts?

[nickagneta]

Too bad they’re about to be the Montreal/Tampa Rays in the near future…all because of stadium disputes.

The idea of a team splitting two cities in two different countries is wild.  The Expos did it in Montreal / Puerto Rico before, I think?  I'd love to see Montreal get a team back, though.  That 1994 season still sticks in my craw.

One of the coolest logos in sports.  Also, the road blues back in the day were phenomenal.

Olympic Stadium was a dump, though.

So's the Trop.

The Trop is garbage but it's the only domed stadium in the area and with the summer thunderstorm season, if you're going to have a Tampa team, it has to be a domed stadium.

I think jamb's suggestions are good but the best would be building a new domed stadium on the state fairgrounds triangulated in the middle of Ybor City, the Channelside and the Hard Rock Casino.

Problem is, I'm still not certain they would draw crowds over 15,000. Baseball is an afterthought in this city. It's very much still a college football city first, a Lightning city second and a Bucs city third.

Rays should move to Memphis or Nashville or Charlotte.

[Roy H.]

What do people predict for Tampa series. I’m going to randomly say Sox 3-1. I expect one real good game out of sale. Also has anyone noticed that verdugo quietly had almost as good an offensive year as betts?

I'm thinking 3-1 or 3-2 Rays.  I think they're just better, and it's been really impressive to see how they've rallied without Glasnow. 

But, I'm obviously hoping I'm wrong.

Anybody still sore that we traded for Schwarber instead of Rizzo?

[celticsclay]

What do people predict for Tampa series. I’m going to randomly say Sox 3-1. I expect one real good game out of sale. Also has anyone noticed that verdugo quietly had almost as good an offensive year as betts?

I'm thinking 3-1 or 3-2 Rays.  I think they're just better, and it's been really impressive to see how they've rallied without Glasnow. 

But, I'm obviously hoping I'm wrong.

Anybody still sore that we traded for Schwarber instead of Rizzo?

I was certainly wrong on that one Roy. Rizzo was way worse offensively for yanks than I would have guessed. On the flip side the defensive difference between the two is huge and we have pretty poor defense if we play both jd and schwarber.