Rays' dream season ends
[Photo by Lara Cerri | Times]
The Rays' magical season ends with their Game 5 loss to the Phillies, and readers have posted hundreds of comments in response. Many congratulatory. Some critical of calls made in Game 5 by the umps, players and coach Joe Maddon. Still others are wondering whether the Rays' World Series fan base will return in the spring.
Which reader comment best describes your sentiments?
amanda amanda as u know my phillies won the world series and I don't need to spell check who cared I type fast and besides I was retired at 20 u work and go to school zero looser did I spell that right
Posted by: martino | November 03, 2008 at 01:33 AM
steve steve I thought u were a chick the way u talk now u are talking about boston fans I'm a phillies fan u said we are both sad we don't appricated baseball lol did u see our party on broad street over 2 million and boston fans well let's just say their everywhere they love their soxs
Posted by: martino | November 03, 2008 at 01:26 AM
Jason..., first you don't speak for THIS Ray's fan - don't be so presumptuous. And, yes, as you suggest, I will go out next year and support the team - IF you buy my ticket,.. my gas..., my hot dog,... my beer..., and pay for my babysitter... Wow, thanks dude - I am so there next year!!!
Posted by: Carol | November 02, 2008 at 05:26 PM
Martino-
Go back to school, become at least semi-literate, and then try again. Wow.
Posted by: Amanda | November 02, 2008 at 01:00 PM
steve steve I thought u were a chick the way u talk now u are talking about boston fans I'm a phillies fan u said we are both sad we don't appricated baseball lol did u see our party on broad street over 2 million and boston fans well let's just say their everywhere they love their soxs
Posted by: martino | November 02, 2008 at 12:48 PM
I have a dementia problem, only able to remember current events. So when I get together with friends the Rays give me something I can talk about and be accepted as someone that can talk with them.
Posted by: | November 01, 2008 at 05:39 PM
I have a dementia problem, only able to remember current events. So when I get together with friends the Rays give me something I can talk about and be accepted as someone that can talk with them.
Posted by: | November 01, 2008 at 05:39 PM
I hope all the fans show up and continue to support the Rays next spring like they did in the post-season. GO RAYS!
Posted by: Carol | November 01, 2008 at 02:16 PM
The Rays done good. Congrats on all you accomplished. However, it was the Phillies' TIME.
Lets get real for a second. The Sox pitchers were throwing up gopher balls all series. In games 5 and 6 of the ALS the Rays were starting to crack. They are a very young team will little veteran leadership.
Their inexperienced showed in the WS. Forget the umps - the screw-ups were bad for both teams.
Congrats to both teams. The team that hit better and pitched better won.
Posted by: Philly 4 Ever | October 31, 2008 at 03:10 PM
Those classless Philthy fans never seem to have gotten over the fact that their "beloved" Eagles got punked by the Bucs IN THEIR OWN DILAPIDATED HOUSE back in 2003 on the way to their Super Bowl win, and it happened again to their "beloved" Flyers the next season by the Lightning on the way to their Stanley Cup win. These guys have a world-renowned inferiority complex when it comes to teams from our town.
Frankly, a VERY small part of me is glad that the Phillies won. Who knows what 500,000 terminally deranged Philthy "fans" would have done if their 10,000-loss Phillies team would have been punked a THIRD time by a team from Tampa! The city, or at least what's left of one, maynot have survived THAT meltdown.
Rest assured that the Rays will be back next year - this team is simply too good, and the entire young core is locked up for at least the next three seasons. Deep down, RedSux Fan and Yankmee fan are shaking in their shoes...
GO RAYS!!!
Posted by: Steve S. | October 31, 2008 at 12:03 PM
These negative comments by phillie fans prove that they thrive on negativity-why bother spewing your negative schlock on a site like this?
Sorry folks, you can't take away the feeling of pride and joy the Rays brought to their fans this season!!!
Posted by: sue | October 31, 2008 at 11:22 AM
These negative comments by phillie fans prove that they thrive on negativity-why bother spewing your negative schlock on a site like this?
Sorry folks, you can't take away the feeling of pride and joy the Rays brought to their fans this season!!!
Posted by: sue | October 31, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Awesome post, Steve. I am amazed that so many people seem to think the best way to celebrate a victory is to immediately turn around and kick the other team's fans.
Really, why should they care? What difference does it make to them. How does the state of our (warm and dry) domed stadium or our attendance numbers upset them so much?
From what I've seen here, we should just forget about playing any series at all and simply award the trophy to the team with the highest attendance and shiniest stadium with the silliest nicknamed-gimmick.
It's very sad.
I hope we in the Rays Republic never get that way.
Great season, guys! GO RAYS!
Posted by: SJ | October 31, 2008 at 08:50 AM
The Rays' future is MUCH brighter than the Phillies.They do not even come close to matching all the young Rays in total young talent in the majors and minors.
Posted by: Gene | October 31, 2008 at 05:04 AM
We love you Tampa Bay Rays, great year, we'll support you forever, let's keep it going next year. Thanks fellas for the most enjoyable season I have ever watched in 40 years of being a baseball fan. We love you guys, chin up, you'll be back for many more!!
Posted by: Houston | October 31, 2008 at 04:19 AM
What a wild ride!!! Thanks for the great season! See you next year:)
Posted by: Denise | October 30, 2008 at 08:41 PM
I have a hard time understanding some people's idea of what being a good fan is.
I love the Rays because I live in St. Pete. I still love the Giants too.
I love the Rays because I love the game of baseball.
I don't love the Rays because I want to trash talk.
I don't get pleasure in seeing someone's team lose. I get pleasure in seeing my team win, and win with class. Which the Rays have in spades.
I look at the faces of the Philly players and see faces that I could, (and would), grow to care about if they ever wore a Rays jersey. I respect them and I have a strong feeling that none of the Philly players or management would ever have an unkind word to say to their opponents after a World Series.
I would never, in a million years, get pleasure in kicking opposing fans when they are at their lowest.
If the Philly fans and the Red Sox fans who are taking such pleasure in the pain of others think that that is what being a baseball fan is all about, then I can't help feeling a little sorry for them, because they don't appreciate a beautiful game. Their loss.
Posted by: Steve | October 30, 2008 at 07:38 PM
I don't want to hear anyone talk about the umps blowing this series for the Rays.
It was 4-1, for God's sake.
The Phils (overwhelmingly),never had an RBI with a man in scoring position, cept for 1 game...and STILL won the Series 4-1.
I'm actually listening to one of your 2 bit announcers talking on the radio, right now, (on MLB.com), unbelievably saying this was the worst umpiring in all the World Serie's of ALL time...LOLOLOL...
His name was Dave something.
Can you inmagine?---"Of all time"....haha
Omg...what a statement.
What a whiner.
Ugh..."Waaaaa..."
Oh and btw...
Back to the point...
The Phils had a 1.55 ERA from the bullpen. And Lidge was...0.00.
NO ONE will win when that happens.
Like Charles Barkley once said of the poor li'l Angolan's, (who I compare to the Rays in this case)...
"Just take your a** whuppin' like a man"...
LMAO.
Renwaaarr@aol.com
Posted by: Ren | October 30, 2008 at 05:27 PM
The Phils, Yanks, and Sox can all pound salt.
Posted by: JZ | October 30, 2008 at 05:18 PM
I am from Philly and I have to say that the umpiring sucked in general. Both teams got screwed on numerous calls but it really did even out in the end.
The Rays had a good season and I hope that the fan base will not disappear again. Look at the picture of the fans in the bar...in Philadelphia it was so packed in every bar in the city that you couldnt move and people were gathered outside the windows being relayed the score because they couldnt get in. I know Philly fans get a bad rep and I have seen some bad things but we really are the most dedicated and loyal of the bunch and if the Rays can even get half of that then they will be on their way just give it some time.
Posted by: Phillyfan | October 30, 2008 at 04:35 PM
The Devil Rays made lots of errors, base running was cost them a game,
manager was in over his head, pitching choked when it counted.
Other than that the D-Rays sucked.
Posted by: Red Sox Ricki | October 30, 2008 at 04:30 PM
117 replies to why your Rays choked? One of the reasons " the home plate umpire gift wrapped the win for the Phils" You people are PATHETIC!! You build a $hithole of a dome to get baseball and nobody shows up. The day before you clinch the AL East,14,000 fans in attendance? The Marlins win 2 world series in 5 years and STILL no one shows up for them!The only thing Floridians are good for is screwing up an election.You have the cowbell, but WE have the Liberty Bell.
Posted by: helmetgov | October 30, 2008 at 04:17 PM
Go Rays! What a great season. I am so proud of everyone on the team. They prove there is no "I" in TEAM!!! I can't wait for next season.
GO RAYS!!!
Posted by: Andrea | October 30, 2008 at 04:11 PM
I always thought baseball was pretty boring until I got caught up in this incredible season with the Rays. It's a team brimming with good, upstanding young men and I can't wait until next season. They did Tampa Bay proud!
Posted by: mary | October 30, 2008 at 04:07 PM
Thanks for the GREAT season!!!!!!!!
Posted by: joe | October 30, 2008 at 03:32 PM