It's been a while...

What is this? A blog? What's that? I'm not gonna lie I don't have nearly as much experience as BlogMasterFlex, Mark Robert Sheehan. I read his individual blog often, and enjoy reading what he has to say. So myself, along with Mark Manning, have joined forces to create either the most beautiful blog ever to grace this fine earth...or a blog destined for the fresh hole of hell.

So I thought I'd start my inaugural blog on, what else, the Red Sox. It's been a strange year for me as a Sox fan. I have to admit, for some reason during the dog days of summer, I wasn't as revved up as previous years. Maybe it's because winning has become a custom around here, or maybe it's because I'm still suffering from my brutal hangover known as the Boston Bruins. But either way, the passion, the fire, the excitement...wasn't truly there this summer. Flash forward through the heat, the humidity, the brutal storms, all the way to last week. Sox/Rays. Fenway Park. Three game series. It didn't take long to get that excitement back. And more importantly, it didn't take long for me to finally gain that sense of hatred towards an AL East Foe. The Yankees you say? Nay, Nay. The Rays.

As I sat on my couch last night, I watched as a young, feisty, "never say die" Rays team take 2 out of 3 from my Boston Red Sox. It was around 8:00 PM on September 17th, 2008, that I finally realized that this Tampa Bay Rays team is for real. I wrote them off all through the season. April, May, June, July, August and early September, I kept trying to convince myself that they would fall apart. "They're too young, too inexperienced, they don't have enough offense." All of that lying left me cold and dead on the inside. Let me go on record in saying that I hate the Rays. I hate them because they're exactly what I want in a team. I hate the fact I have to root against this team, but I know deep down I'll find a way to do it...quickly. It's a team that doesn't have the super stars, or the luxurious, state of the art stadium. It doesn't have a 40 HR, 120 RBI guy that can bail you out (or not bail you out, please see: Alex Rodriguez). But a team that plays the game the way it should be played. It's hard to root against a team that does all the little things right. The Rays are the Boston Bruins of 2007-2008. Joe Maddon is the Ray's Claude Julien. Evan Longoria is the Ray's Milan Lucic. Scott Kazmir is the Ray's Patrice Bergeron, an up and coming young star who is the face of the franchise. The Bruins faced incredible adversity throughout the season, but some how pulled through. The Rays have had their nay-sayers all year as well, but they've managed to stay atop the AL East.

Again, for the record. I hate this team. I hate the fact they're playing good baseball. But rooting against them has been harder than I could have ever imagined. Rooting against them goes against everything I've rooted for since October 2007.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nah, I'm not done yet. With about 10 games to go in the season, I thought I'd give you MYYY choices for this years awards for the 2008 MLB Season. And here...we...gooo...

AL Cy Young: Cliff Lee, SP Cleveland Indians
Why?: Because this guy is outstanding for a not so outstanding team. 22-2 WL with a 2.41 ERA. Yes the Indians have come on as of late, but to pitch for this team all season and get 22 wins? and 2 LOSSES? Astounding. Other than leading the league in Wins and ERA, he also is tied in the AL with the most shut outs (2). If this guy doesn't win unanimously I'll be extremely disappointed in the Baseball Writers of America.

NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, SP San Francisco Giants
Why?: Please see: Cliff Lee. Tim Lincecum might be my favorite pitcher in the Majors besides Josh Beckett. Lincecum leads the NL far and away in strikeouts with 237 (through September 18th) and ERA (2.43). He's also 2nd in wins in the NL with 17, only trailing Brandon Webb who has 21. If this kid were playing for even a mediocre team, he'd have a chance at the Pitching Triple Crown. He's got as much support as John McCain's gotten when he picked Sarah Palin as his running mate (there's my political blog post right there, deal with it). 17-3 with a 2.43 ERA and leading the league in K's, this one here is a no-brainer.

AL MVP: Justin Morneau, 1B Minnesota Twins
Why?: Well I bet most of you thought I was going to pick the hometown boy, Dustin Pedroia. I love the fact that Dusty, a man of my size, is ripping Major League pitching. But in the end, I have to go with Justin Morneau here. The Twins are still in the playoff hunt thanks to Morneau, who out of no where now leads the AL in RBI's. Sporting a .311 batting average (7th in the AL) and a 23 Home Runs, he is a viable candidate for MVP. Year after year the Twins are always counted out, but thanks to great production from guys like Morneau, they're always there until the end.

NL MVP: Albert Pujols, 1B St. Louis Cardinals
Why?: OPS: 1.098. This guy is the best hitter in baseball (Yes, better than A-Rod). Sporting a .358, good for 2nd in the NL, he has kept the Cardinals afloat through injuries to their starting rotation and bullpen. Playing through what many called a severe elbow injury, he has played better than I've seen him play in a few years. He's 9th in the NL in Homeruns and 7th in the NL in RBI, but the average speaks for itself. Considered a power hitter by all, he's managed to hit for average. It's hard not to give this award to Ryan Howard, who year after year seems to show up in August and September and hit the cover off the ball. Although Howard leads the league in HR and RBI, his average is .249. It's hard to be an MVP when you're barely batting over your weight (if he keeps doing the Subway commercials I'll remove that previous comment). I was nearly convinced that A-Rod was the best player in the Majors. After this season, with the elbow trouble, Albert Pujols has enlightened me. He is the best player in the World.


-Buck