The World Champion… Rays?

This post relates to major league baseball.

At this point in the season there is no way to ignore what is happening in the AL east. The former whipping boy of the division has now held a position for the better part of the 2008 season that was at one time reserved for only the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox. No longer do claims that the Rays will “fall back into their place” or that this is just a “fluke run” hold any validity. Yes, it seems that the Tampa Bay Rays are here to stay. But for how long?

Despite the impressive numbers, long reign on top,  or the franchise best (at the time of this writing) 81 wins, the Rays are still in untested waters. Who is to say that they don’t face a crushing defeat in their very first round of the playoffs? The very first ever post-season appearance by the Tampa Bay team, none-the-less. Barring a late-season melt-down, it seems that we will find out.

What makes their accomplishments all the more grand is the fact that they play in one of the toughest divisions in the entire sport. The AL East was previously a two team divsion, everyone else was just fuel for their fire. For a team to come up from the bottom (a position the Rays know far too well) and beat out both the Yankees and the Red Sox (repeatedly) is something that the entire baseball world needs to recognize. No longer is it “Well the Yankees lost today but the Red Sox did too so we don’t lose any games to them.” For the first time in as long as I can remember, there is actually another team in the AL East to contend with for a playoff spot. Not to mention that it appears that for the first time in fourteen years there will be a post-season without the Bronx Bombers, but my thoughts on that subject will be held until the last game of the season has come to a close.

For now, all we can do is watch. But at this point, it seems that the Rays are ready for October.

S6 Sports Blog

Hello WordPress, and welcome to the S6 Sports Blog. This blog is going to be a place for me to detail my thoughts on the world of sports. I will mainly cover the MLB, NFL, and NBA; however I may occasionally give my thoughts on anything else happening in athletics. I don’t plan on being unbiased, as I feel that that type of attitude makes for a boring read. Although, I also don’t plan on ignoring things that I may not be too interested in.

Let me give you a little more information about me to start off. My name is James Holmes and I am a 19 year old college student from Dutchess County, New York majoring in journalism. It is my dream to one day be a professional sports writer, working somewhere in the north east and covering the major sports teams in the area. I am not just a writer though, I have first hand experience playing most sports as well so I can appreciate true athleticism and great talent when I see it. I played football in high school, but was forced to quit early due to knee troubles. I have also played both baseball and basketball recreationally.

I hope that this blog helps to enhance my writing skills, and provides a good place for me to express my reactions to the professional sports world. Thanks for checking me out WordPress, and look for actual sports-related blogs in the future.