Team USA To Face Japan

Team USA will play the defending Champion Team Japan Sunday Night. Barry Larkin talks about preparing for the game.

Sports Friday: NCAA Hoops, and More

UConn & UNC Square off, NHL , and WBC News

Geo Soto, Evan Longoria: 2008 Rookies Of The Year

2008 was one of the greatest rookie classes in recent memory.

Two rookies had the most memorable performances.

Chicago Cubs Catcher Geovanny Soto won the National League Rookie Of the Year Award. It wasn't just his great offensive numbers (he had the most homeruns by a rookie catcher since Mike Piazza), but how he commanded the Cubs pitching rotation. Soto caught Carlos Zambrano's No Hitter against the Houston Astros.

The Last Cub to win a Rookie Of The Year Award was Kerry Wood in 1998.

Tampa Bay Rays Third Baseman Evan Longoria was the catalyst in the Tampa Bay Rays and their Cinderella Season in 2008. Longoria won the American League Rookie Of The Year Award.

Congratulations to the winners.

Buster Olney Talks Ken Macha & Offseason Moves

Buster Olney talks about Milwaukee's decision to hire Ken Macha as its manager.


Buster Olney discusses Rays and Phillies offseason moves, free-agent market and the trade market for pitcher Jake Peavy.

The World Series Is Here!

The 2008 World Series is finally here! The Philladelphia Phillies are in the World Series for the first time since 1993. Their opponents, the Tampa Bay Rays, weren't even in Major League Baseball in 1993. Ever since The Rays became a franchise in 1998, they had never finished above fourth place in the AL East and had never won more than 70 games. They crushed both marks this season, as Tampa Bay not only won the AL East, but they did it by winning 97 games.

This individual series will be awesome. The Phillies offense against the Rays piching.

The Homefield advantage could be a huge factor here, that alone favors Tampa Bay.

Game One gives us an excellent pitching matchup, as both team's aces will duel on Wednesday night. Scott Kazmir goes for the Rays while Cole Hamels pitches for the Phillies. Both of these starters can match eacch other pitch for pitch, strike for strike, out for out, and strikeout for strikeout. Both starters may duel to a no decision, meaning the manager that wisely uses his bullpen will get the win.

If the pitching doesn't hold up it's end of the bargain, both offenses can match each other homerun for homerun.Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena versus Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard. If that happens, this series is a real toss up.

My two hope for this series are the following:
1: It is Not a Sweep
2: I Hope the series goes seven games.

There has not been a World Series to go seven games since 2001, when the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks upset the New York Yankees in seven thrilling, action packed games.

Now onto my pick for the series:

I Can't believe I'm saying this, but the Tampa Bay Rays will win the World Series. After The Rays win the World Series, you may never find an empty seat again in Tropicana Field.

RAYS IN FIVE

Red Sox Force Game 7 in ALCS by Topping Rays

There's going to be a seventh game to decide which American League team goes to the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Boston Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 4-2 to even the American League Championship Series at three games apiece.

I believe the Red Sox will win tonight. The pitching matchup tonight is awesome. Jon Lester facing Matt Garza. I think both starts again may leave to a pair of No Decisions, but the bullpens will decide this game. That favors Boston.

Watch Game Seven Of The American League Championship Series tonight on TBS.

Red Sox Comeback To Win Game Five

The Rays blew a seven-run lead in an 8-7 loss to the Boston Red Sox in Game 5 of the ALCS, cutting their lead to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.

What an incredible game that was!
Don't count out the Red Sox. They've come back from a 3-1 and a 3-0 defecit before.

The best news for Tampa is at least they are heading home to play game six.

Carl Crawford To Be Out 6-8 Weeks

Carl Crawford, the leadoff hitter for the Tampa Bay Rays, will have surgery on his right hand today and may be out until the final series of the Season, if not longer.


Crawford joined the DL after Evan Longoria was put on the Disabled list with a broken right wrist.

Hopefully the Rays will become healthy down the stretch.

The Home Run Derby Is Tonight!

Here Is A Video Recap Of Last Year's Home Run Derby. including the winning Homerun by Vladamir Guererro!

Tonight Is The 2008 State Farm Home Run Derby on ESPN at 8PM EST!

The eight participants are Lance Berkman of the Houston Astros, Dan Uggla of the Florida Marlins, Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies, Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers, Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers, Grady Sizemore of the Cleveland Indians, Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins.

Vladimir Guerrero of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was originally going to participate to defend his 2007 title, but he ultimately declined.

There's Gonna be a bunch of homeruns in this game! I Can't wait to see where they will land! The Upper Deck, The Monuments, Man, I Can't Wait!

My Pick for the Final Round will be:
Josh Hamilton
Chase Utley

Josh Hamilton is my pick to win the 2008 State Farm Home Run Derby. We'll See How It Plays Out.

When the Home Run Derby Ends, I always like to Watch The Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game! All The Celebrities that try to swing for the fences in their moment where they pretend to be like a big leaguer!


Tomorrow Is The All Star Game! Don't Miss It!

Check Out Who Has The Best Record In Baseball? The Tampa Bay Rays!

Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton have reason to be excited.

Can You Believe It? Check Out the Baseball Standings. Who's First in the American League East? Not the Yankees or the Red Sox, but The Tampa Bay Rays. Who's first in the Major Leagues? Not Arizona. Not New York, but Tampa Bay.

The Tampa Bay Rays, have a fantastic Ace in Scott Kazmir. Kazmir still makes Mets Fans Groan, as he was infamously traded along with minor league pitcher Joselo Diaz to the Devil Rays on July 30, 2004 for Victor Zambrano and Bartolomé Fortunato. This trade was, and still is, widely criticized by the New York media and fan base given Kazmir's following success. Kazmir was in the All Star Game in 2006, and then in 2007, Kazmir led the American League in Strikeouts.

Offensively, Carlos Pena finished the 2007 season with a .282 batting average, 46 home runs and 121 RBIs. His batting average, home runs, and RBIs were career highs.

Defensively, the Rays have Third Baseman Evan Longoria, who is one of the best players in baseball. The Rays were smart to sign him to a long term contract, as he will be a star for years to come.

The Rays also have signed Troy Percival, the star closer for the Anaheim Angels in the 2002 World Series. Percival looks like he is back to the closer of old.

The Devil Rays have never had more than a seventy win season and have never finished above fourth place in the AL East. They may be well on their way to shattering both records.

Benches Clear At Yankees-Rays Exhibition Game

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—Both benches cleared during the second inning of a spring training game between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, leading to the ejections of two players and two coaches.

The teams, meeting four days after Yankees manager Joe Girardi complained about Tampa Bay’s aggressive play after a home-plate collision that injured catcher Francisco Cervelli, had been warned before the game that the umpires would have little tolerance for any further problems.

The benches cleared after New York’s Shelley Duncan slid into Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura with spikes raised after hitting a hard grounder off third baseman Evan Longoria’s glove and trying to advance to second base on the play.

Duncan, thrown out by at least 10 feet, was immediately tossed. Tampa Bay’s Jonny Gomes was ejected, too, after racing in from right field and barreling into Duncan as other players poured onto the field. No punches appeared to have been thrown as order was restored.

Yankees third base coach Bobby Meacham and hitting coach Kevin Long also were ejected by the umpiring crew, which met with Girardi and Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon before the game.

New York left-hander Heath Phillips was ejected in the first inning after one of his pitches appeared to graze Longoria’s shirt. The Rays already had two runs and three hits in the inning.

Girardi protested Phillips’ ejection and both benches were warned.