1-Man’s Opinion on Sports–Tuesday “World Series Storylines–Who Wins–Why”
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“World Series–Big Bats-Big Arms”
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It’s the big money Dodgers vs the small market Tampa Bay Rays.
1-franchise that would draw 4M in a regular season to historic Chavez Ravine. The other lucky they draw 17,000 fans to Tropicana Field, an erector set of a poorly constructed domed stadium.
A Dodgers team that plays in the entertainment Capitol of the World, all things Hollywood against a Rays team that draws big TV ratings but virtually no fans because they don’t want to drive over the bridge from St-Petersburg to Tampa.
The Dodgers with the second highest payroll in baseball this season, at (108M) against a Rays team that cost (28.3M) this year on the field.
LA with all its heritage and royalty, dating back to Drysdale-Kourfax….Hershiser-Garvey-Cey-Lopes and La Sorda.
Tampa’s legacy is Joe Madden-since departed as manager, and a bunch of no names on the roster.
They start on Tuesday night in the Best of 7-Fall Classic.
It’s Tampa’s elite starting pitching, against the Dodgers elite bats.
It’s the LA starters against a group of unknowns wearing Rays colors.
There’s no doubt Tampa has frontline starters.
..Tyler Glasnow (7-2) with a 4.05-ERA and a 98mph fastball.
..Blake Snell (6-4) and a 3.24-ERA and a former Cy Young Award
..Charley Morton (3-0) with a 0.57-ERA in this postseason and a (7-2) career playoff mark.
The Dodgers scare you, because anyone can take you deep anytime.
..Corey Seager (.298-6HRs) and an amazing (.1142 OPS) mark this fall
..Mookie Betts (.311) with the bat and all those Gold Glove plays
..Cody Bellinger (.250) with home runs and big catches
..Joe Pederson (.375) when he plays
..Justin Turner…all time Dodgers RBI post season leader
..Max Muncie with power hitting swings.
Lost in the conversation about the 98-to-100mph Tampa Bay fastball arms is the fact the Dodgers batting order can wear you out. In the postseason, LA is hitting (.256)…they lead baseball with 18-postseason homers…that’s a (.456) slugging percentage. The new number says an (.812) OPS figure. They have 58-walks. They have 42-extra base hits in these 12-postseason games.
That’s a batting order the Rays will have to work thru for 9-innings every game.
Yes Tampa Bay took apart the big money Yankees to get to the Classic. Yes the Dodgers went (43-17) in the regular season, swept Milwaukee, wiped out the Padres, and came from a (3-1) deficit to eliminate Atlanta.
The Dodgers have World Series proven leadership in the lineup and in the dugout. The Rays have Manny Margot, Ji Man-Choi, Hunter Renfroe and a host of young players just glad to be there.
Shall be fun to see what the likes of Kershaw-Jansen and their kid pitchers do.
Color this World Series …Dodgers Blue……LA in five games.
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NO DOUBT THE DOYERS ARE LOADED WITH DEPTH, $$$$, HERITAGE..RAYS COME FROM ONE OF THE WORST MARKETS IN BB. BUT DAMN THEY LOVE TO COMPETE. MY HEART IS WITH THE RAYS BUT THE DOYERS WILL WIN IN 6.