LA-Philly should be a fun series, but the proof is in the pudding that Red Sox-Rays should be an instant classic

SCOTT JACOBS

The ALCS is set! Boston-Tampa Bay. It should be one heck of a brawl. The two AL East rivals, who finished one and 32 last year respectively, are playing for a trip to the World Series. It’s an unbelievable contrast in what should be an unforgettable series. How fitting that the Rays, playing in their first ALCS, will have to dethrone the world champion and their bitter rival Boston to make the Fall Classic. And how fitting that the Red Sox will have to get through the upstart Rays, who will be the home team in this series, to defend their world championship. O boy this one should be fun. On Friday they quick start this baby at 8pm on TBS, and it should be a dandy.

The Red Sox are back in the ALCS for the fourth time since 2003. But this one was really tough. They fought off a game Angels team to claw their way to a series win, and a berth in an ALCS that few wrote them off after the much disputed Manny Ramirez trade.

How fitting that Jason Bay, the man Boston got back to take Manny’s place, scored the winning run. How fitting that the Angels could have taken the lead in the top half of the 9th but failed on a squeeze bunt and the runner on third got thrown out. It was afterall the Angels undoing, and the ultimate reason that the best team in baseball in 2008 is no longer in contention for a championship.

So it’s Red Sox-Rays from St. Pete. C’mon, should it really have been any other way? An all AL East clash for a trip to the World Series. And because the AL won that marathon of an All Star game, the team that wins this series will host the World Series. It will either be Boston, looking to go back to back, or Tampa Bay, hosting their first World Series.

And as I wrote earlier, no Florida team has ever lost a post-season series. Hmm… are you ready? Because I can’t wait!

And TV execs have to be jumping up and down. Yes, they lost the Cubs, but the Dodgers and Phillies will both draw huge, and the Red Sox are a ratings machine. Could you imagine a Dodgers-Red Sox Fall Classic? Doesn’t seem so far fetched now does it? Then again, it no longer seems to crazy that the Rays are four wins away from the World Series.

Wow. Just wow.

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