The Tampa Bay Rays NOT contenders?!?

i would lik to start by saying i am a red sox fan but to your question i have alot of respect for the rays because people have been saying they will go away because they are so young, i dont think they will they are a quaility you club with a perfect mix of youth and veterans but their youth is why people doubt them. stick in there they are going to be aroun this year and alot more to come.

No one seems to recall that the 2003 Marlins and the 69 Mets had no play off experience. Who won the world series those years? I know that it doesn't happen often but it DOES happen. I wasn't too sure about them until that Sunday Detroit game when they kept battling back and finally won.

They go out every game expecting to win and ya gotta love that.

We Rays fans will have the last laugh come October.

Kevin M- They just took 2 of 3 from Chi and got robbed in the loss by that bs interference call.

The Rays are turning into a future contender, I say they finish with a winning record (the first in team history), but close to .500, say around 85-77. They were always competitive, but came out on the losing end most of the time.

I still dont believe in them. They dont know what playoff baseball is all about. I think they will get blown out in all 3 games they play & get sweeped in the first round regardless of who they play. Never underestimate nervousness. Who will they look to when they get there for inspirational speech & guidance on what to expect. They still dont know how to handle REAL pressure. They dont stack up well in a short series. They are still playing WAY beyond there means. They have yet to play a game with the EXPECTATION to win. You said it yourself, you doubeted them. That is because everybody has & does. Anyone who looks at a box score & dosent say wow the Rays won again is lying to them selves. If they go to the playoffs while being expected to win, that is completely different than what they have been facing. They are usiung this year to show we arent a push over. They still have a lot to prove that they will be a serious threat. If you aint proved it in October you aint proved nothing at all. Look at Colorado...World Series last year....& now? This is the fate of Tampa Next year!

The stretch (Sept.) always tells. The Mets couldn't pull it off last year because of inexperience. The Rays might, but time will tell. Anybody but those cruddy Red Sux.

I agree. Looks like it's going to be a Chicago Cubs/Tampa Bay Series. Good luck.

They are certainly a strong team, and should win the division. But getting far in the post-season is another matter. They don't have veteran, playoff-tested leadership on the team. When the pressure of the post-season comes, they may be too young and inexperienced to handle it.

They are legit. People blabbing about "they have no playoff experience" are know-nothings chattering away to feel smart. Many hungry young teams have won the Series. They have been proving themselves for months now, as far as I am concerned. They've got the great young arms to take a short series.

I see that so many of those Rays doubters have switched to a first round KO. Then it will be the ALCS. Then no way can they win the series.

They have shown enough by meeting every challenge so far that you have to think that the sky is the limit.

I hope I am wrong, my team plays in Boston.

They have a lot of road games left .As good as they are at home they're just as bad on the road.For them to win the AL they will need home field in the playoffs.Without that they wont win.

There to young and they have no playoff experience. They'll get swept first round.