The Tampa Bay Rays got a bit ahead of themselves once this year, playing “Sweet Caroline” after sweeping the Red Sox at Tropicana back in early July. Bad Karma, as my man Red discussed. It hasn’t caught up to them quite yet, so they continue to ignore the present and look to the future. From Sportsline:

“You feel good,” Floyd said. “You feel cocky. You feel arrogant. For other teams, maybe it doesn’t mean as much. For us, coming from where this team has, it matters.”

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Shields used the word “amazing” to describe the Rays’ rise. Rays management still isn’t sure what to call it, although owner Stuart Sternberg, who grew up as a Mets fan, figures the 1969 Amazin‘ Mets are the closest thing to this year’s Rays.

“How about Ray-mazing?” club president Matthew Silverman suggested.


Anyone says”Ray-mazing” within earshot of me and I start swinging. Now I’m not foolish enough to think the Rays are going to self-destruct and miss October baseball, but I do think they will do it from the Wild Card seat. And Joe will get his chance to party.

“I’ll go freaky, yeah,” manager Joe Maddon said Sunday. “Absolutely. I’m a good celebrator.”

There’s something I hope I don’t get to see. Sportsline also points out that the Trop is no stranger to clinching celebrations:

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, there have been three clinching celebrations at Tropicana Field. Both the Red Sox and Yankees clinched playoff spots there last September, and the Red Sox also clinched there in September 2004.

If the Sox can get to Kazmir, we wake up on September 16th (hung over and probably not knowing exactly where we are waking up, and who we are waking up next to) in a dead-ass tie for first in the AL East. See you there.