Tampa Bay

The Phillies just got another home run and made this game a 10-2 game.

It may not be anyone's game anymore, but it's still anyone's series.

GO TAMPA BAY RAYS!

Carlos Pena, pictured above, is one of the reasons I'm rooting for the Rays this World Series. Other reasons include:

1. Carlos used to be a Tiger, and I kind of feel like he's still a Tiger, and Tampa Bay is just borrowing him. I feel the same way about Pudge Rodriguez, even though he went to the Yankees, who I thumb my nose at.

2. My mom has a bat signed by Carlos Pena. It was cool when he wasn't doing well, now that he IS, it's pretty freaking awesome.

3. Tampa Bay has never won a World Series, and I'm a sucker for the underdog.

4. Evan Longoria is awesome.

5. My cousin, Zach, and his wife moved to Florida last year, so I've got family who are also rooting for the Rays.

6. The Rays are an American League team, and I just can't bear to have a team whose pitchers bat win the World Series.

7. Rayhawks are awesome: I'm all about fandom.

8. 9=8 is pretty much the most awesome math ever.

The meaning of this slogan that Maddon relayed to his team was this; nine players playing hard for nine innings would be enough to gain one of the eight playoff berths by the end of the regular season.

Joe Maddon also established three goals for the Rays using his theory of nines.

1) Nine more wins from the defense
2) Nine more wins from the offense
3) Nine more wins from the pitchers

Stringing the extra team wins together added up to 27 more wins, and adding those to last years' record amounted to 93, which Maddon figured to be good enough to be one of the eight playoff teams.
From For the Tampa Bay Rays, How Nine Equals Eight by Craig Castille

9. Rocco Baldelli is in almost constant pain when he plays. He has a mitochondrial disease and says that sometimes by the end of the game, his legs are shaking. He has learned to play outfield and bat while his legs are shaking (kind of shuts me up about my little aches and pains from Kung Fu....) And if that wasn't enough awesomeness for one guy, he has my same birthday, September 25. YEAH.

So, even though they've lost the game tonight and are trailing 3 games to 1 in the series, I have faith in the Rays, who deserve the win, and I am pulling for them!!!! GO RAYS!