www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Actually, yes, a Rays-Phillies Series will play well even though they are minor market-secondary market teams because it will be so dynamic a series--plenty of hitting, plenty of drama and the terrific backstory of a worst-to-first team in the Rays. I believe it will draw in non-fans for at least part of it. Expect this great matchup to go 7 games. Rollins, Utley, Burrell, Howard, Longoria, Evans crankin' the bombs; Victorino making balletic catches--great players including at least one strong future Hall of Fame candidate in Utley, one of the possible all-time great pitchers in Hamels, bang-bang plays at every base, tons of base-stealing by both sides--what's not to like?? I'm gettin' a baseball stiffie just thinking about it. "Hey, Boss, it's this mysterious illness i'm feeling. What's that? I'm calling you at home too? Hope you feel better soon."
GO PHILLIES

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

And unlike the Marlins in a similar payroll situation, most of these lads were developed in-house over a 10-year period ('95-'05) by Mr. Pat Gillick and so figure to stick around for a year or two--no payroll unloading schemes for tax purposes. The Rays will be a force to be reckoned with for a while. The days of them being a Yankees Major League farm team are over. No joke. You listening to me, Steinbrenners?

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Not so fast my brother Jazz....there is NO way to keep all that talent in Tampa...NO WAY! That town will NEVER sell out baseball on a consistent basis for an extended period of time. It may not happen next year, but it will happen. And it will be very much like the Marlins. Tampa and Miami are very similar in that the core baseball fans are not as big in number and $$ and those cities and owners would like to think.

Hell, they are not even really great sports towns, in the true sense of sports towns, a la, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, NY, Philly, and the like. Obviously, most of the reason is because the real hardcore baseball fans are from somewhere else!

Enjoy it while it lasts, but sorry to say, yes many of those players will be finding their way to pinstripes, Beantown, Chitown, and SoCal. Build the farm system, much like Minnesota has, and just keep developing great talent!!

I agree 100% with Brother Tstef527 about the Tampa Bay area being too diffuse and too "snowbird" to support sports teams the way the other cities have. We just used the same facts to draw somewhat different conclusions. No, this core team of Rays isn't going to last more than 2 years before free-agency draws the best elsewhere, but that means more talented lads will have a chance to come up to shine with the Rays. They are more a pre-free-agency era team And all the present talent won't go to just one team (the Yankroids) the way they have in the past. Present ownership of the Rays is I believe committed to continuous development of less-expensive but talented players. So when Longoria goes elsewhere for the big bucks, someone else will be drawn up to take his place. Remember it took the 10 years I mentioned to not only get the present players in place but also set up the pipeline. We OK with that thinking? The Marlins were a sine wave; the Rays more a linear progression upwards. GO PHILLIES

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

I WANT TO SMACK THAT GUY WITH THE COWBELL!!!

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Why settle for just one woman when you can enjoy them all?

Agreed Brother PR--Smack'em all. I got severely annoyed about 15 seconds into the broadcast. Those Rays players haven't heard a noise level yet--wait 'til the Phillies are introduced at Citizens Bank Park--I'll hear it in Washington Township, near where J-Roll lives. And those announcers were fair swooning over the Rays--wonder if that has anything to do with Tim McCarver decamping for the big bucks as the Mets radio announcer? Love him, that traitorous piece of crap. He did call it right about Manny Ramirez though.

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED