THE BIG SCOOP:
Rays Beat Sox in Game 7
- Hello Mr.Price, Welcome to Primetime. Cooperstown's Now Saving You a Spot for the class of 2026
Do you think J.D. Drew would have rather had a 100-pitch deep Matt Garza, Dan Wheeler and J.P. Howell on two days along with Chad Bradford on the mound taking their turns or David Price.
Seriously, you would definitely had rather had all four of guys in the state they were each in rather than the 22-year-old phenom who'd been kept under wraps this whole series seemingly just for this occasion.
Drew had no chance, you could see it in his eyes. More noticably you could see it when he spit and failed to propel it past his chin as it dribbled off his goatee moments before the game 6 hero took ball one on Price's third pitch, a 96-MPH piece of cheese that whizzed just outside the strikezone.
Next pitch.
Boom! 97 on the bottom-right corner as Drew check swings at strike three.
The call was close, but the homeplate umpire was just giving Drew a mercy rule if it wasn't a strike. Drew could have had five strikes and he wouldn't have hit the ball out of the infield.
This was David Price's moment. You could feel it in the crowd, through Price himself and most noticably through the reaction of the Rays' bench. Each player, some of the most talented young players in the game -- Upton, Longoria, Crawford -- leaned with the anticipation that they were about to witness something special.
Price stayed in to record the final three outs, the only drama provided by a Jason Bay leadoff walk. Price mowed down Mark Kotsay and got Captain Varitek looking before inducing Jed Lowrie into a groundball to squash the World Champs hopes of defending their crown.
The best part of the David Price Experience on Sunday Night came after his strikeout of Drew. As he walked off the mound, Price started screaming and then paused for a split second, covered his mouth with his glove and kept what ever he was shouting between him and his leather.
Whether it was curse words or something else, the moment never seemed bigger than David Price for one second on Sunday night, as he proved he was the moment itself.
We can speculate on why Joe Maddon kept running the Howell/Wheeler combo out as long as they did (Note: for anyone that thinks J.P. Howell is a true legit middle-reliver just because he had one good year, you should not that his ERA in 2008 -- 2.22 -- was only slightly better than his WHIP IN 2007 -- 1.76! Players don't just get that much in a 4 month offseason, without having some of that self doubt eventually creep back at some point. And if it has nothing to do with confidence the steroids karma will tear his biceps soon enough) this offseason without mixing in the wunder-kid. But now he's arrived.
And that's all that matters.
If the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays will be 2008 World Champions.
SIDENOTES:
1) Jackie Autry presented the AL Championship Trophy (apparently it's called the William Harridge Award for whatever reason). This is her only job the entire year.
No, seriously, she has no other job.
She's the widow of Gene Autry and was one of the former owners of the Angels while they were in LA and is the Honorary AL President. This is her only job requirement for the entire year. It lasted 25 seconds, as she stumbled through Garza's stats like she was giving a grade-school presentation.
2) Matt Garza said shit on national television. Ernie asked him if he ever imagined this game. Garza said "Usually it was game 7 of the World Series, but shit I'll take this." Afterwards Ernie completes his riveting questionnaire, asking Garza what was on his iPod before the game. He answers with, "I love Tupac, that's all I can say," and that is how we are left to remember our 2008 ALCS MVP.
Matt Garza loves Tupac.
jackie autry
garza swears "shit i'll take this"
I'm a big fan of tupac that's all i can say
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