The playoff race is heating up this month.  With about 10 games to go in the regular season, we have a pretty good idea of who’s going to make the post-season.  But, some of the races are close.  Tampa Bay still holds on to a slim 1.5 game lead over the hated Red Sox.  It looks like the Yanks may have run out of season to make a combeback.  Chicago holds the same slim 1.5 game lead over Minnesota, which is trying to make it back to the playoffs.  They have to win the division, I don’t think that they can catch Boston or Tampa.  It would take an absolute miracle.  The National league has a couple of close ones, as well.  Philedalphia just took the lead from the Mets by winning 7 in a row.  The Cubs have a confortable lead over the Brewers in the central.  Arizona is making atrun at LA in the west, the weakest division by far.  With New York and Milwaukee only separated by 1.5 games for the Wild Card, it’s going to come down to the end for all the teams.  It should be fun to watch.

My worst fears as a Tampa Bay Rays fan seems to be coming true.  Is it too soon to think that the wheels are starting to come off the greatest season of it’s short history?  Maybe I’m over reacting, I am just getting a little worried is all.  I know that it’s only been a two game losing streak, but every time they lose a game and the hated Red Sox win one, I get a little more uneasy.  I keep thinking about the choke job that the Angels had back in ‘86.  I just want them to go to the post-season, is that too much to ask?  Alright, enough of the doom and gloom.  Let’s look at the positives that we still have going for us.  We’re still three games ahead of the Red Sox.  And we can maintain that lead with a win over the Yanks tonight.  I know I keep referring to the team as us, even though I have nothing to do with the success or failure of the team.  That is unless I take off my lucky sock, as long as I keep them on during this home stand, I can will the team back on track.  Even if the Sox catch up, the Rays are still up seven games in the wild-card race.  We still have 25 games to play, anything can happen, I guess I’ll just have to let them play the games and just hope for the best.  I’ll just go ahead and keep wearing these socks, just in case.

The Tampa Bay Rays are the surprise team of the season.  I wonder if the name change(formally Devil Rays) had anything to do with it.  Or possibly it was the emergence of a young pitching staff with the second best ERA 3.71 in the majors.  It could also be the hot bats of the young up and coming superstars like B.J Upton and Evan Longoria.  Or maybe the timely hitting with players on base.  Not to mention the new found swagger and confidence that comes with winning.  They are currently leading their division with a record of 79-50, second best in the entire league, just the Cubs have a better record.  They also boast the second best home record of 47-18, again, just behind the Cubs.  After more than a decade of losing, it just might be the Rays year.  And if your anything like me, you like to see new, fresh talent succeed against the super powers of the game like Boston and New York which the Rays have always had the misfortune of playing behind since their inception.  Oh, how the mighty fall and I would love to see a Tampa Bay-Chicago world series.  Unfortunately, for the Cubs, I’d have to pull for the Rays.