Call it fate, poor weather, bad managing, or inexperience, this just was not the year for the Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series. While the team was unable to follow in the 1969 Mets foot steps in going from worst to first and winning the Fall Classic, the Tampa Bay Rays’ season is still nothing short of amazing.

Rising to the top of the best division in baseball, comprised of the mighty New York Yankees and defending World Series champion Red Sox, is remarkable enough in its own right for a team still in its infancy. However, the young Rays team would not be satisfied by just regular season success. Read more »

Jimmy Rollins went 0-for-3 in Game 5.

Chase Utley went 0-for-3 with a run scored, but left five runners on base.

Even Ryan Howard, who was hitting at a .353 clip before taking an 0-for-4 in Game 5, struggled in the game that took nearly half a week to play. Thankfully for the Philadelphia Phillies, Jayson Werth went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base. Read more »

The Los Angeles Angels began their offseason a tad early by picking up options on both Vladimir Guerrero and John Lackey for $15 million and $9 million, respectively. The good news is that the Angels shore up their rotation and part of their outfield for the 2009 season. The bad news is that 29 other MLB GMs miss out on two marquee names to add to their roster for the 2009 season.

While picking up Lackey’s inexpensive option was a no-brainer for the Angels, picking up Guerrero’s option might draw a bit of criticism.

While only 32 years old, Guerrero’s numbers have seen a steady decline since he joined the Angels as a free agent before the start of the 2004 season. He has battled numerous injuries, which has certainly been a contributing factor for his decreased production. A serious back injury limited “the impailer” to just 112 games in 2003, which was his last season playing at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Certainly, having to play 81 games a year on that poor surface in Montreal certainly did not help matters much. Read more »