UATGSPORTS.CA compiled an interesting list of baseball’s top flops, failures, fiascoes and firsts of the 2008 MLB Season.
“Failures”
If there was ever an unfitting send off for the house that Ruth built, a season and era that ends without a World Series championship would be it.New York Yankees
… The Yankees have been unable to string together enough wins to make up ground on the Red Sox or Rays. Much of the Yankees misfortunes can be credited to the meteoric rise of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays’ rise has knocked Boston back into the wildcard race with the Twins and thus left the Yankees on the outside looking in. Depending on how the Red Sox and Twins finish down the stretch we could be witness to a post season without the Yankees and Red Sox.“Flops”
It wasn’t supposed to be this way.Cleveland Indians
… Considering CC looks like a completely different pitcher with Milwaukee and the Indians are squandering a 30/30 season from Grady Sizemore, this season is an utter disappointment for Chief Wahoo and the Indians. The Indians have not won a World Series since 1949 and suddenly their collapse in the bottom of the 9th inning during the 1997 World Series with two outs doesn’t seem so bad.“Firsts”
A changing of the guard (also the New York Yankees’ worst nightmare).Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are guaranteed to finish north of .500 for the first time in franchise history, but arguably more important is the fact that this team will likely unseat the Red Sox and Yankees in the AL East.“Fiascoes”
Saying the franchise is in “rebuilding mode” is an understatement.Seattle Mariners
Seattle brought in Erik Bedard (now on the DL) and Carlos Silva and JJ Putz was expected to step-up in the closing role. Big contracts were also handed out to Kenji Johjima and Adrian Beltre over the years which pretty much sealed the fate of Bill Bavasi, the Mariners GM who was fired back in June. Suddenly this team is rebuilding and the one reason to go see this team play is for the Mariner Moose. The memories of a 116-win season are long gone in the state of Washington.
Very cool list. The Yankees’ failures this season goes to show you that without pitching, it doesn’t matter if a team has an All-Star lineup. And the same can be said for the Tigers, who were also mentioned by UATGSPORTS.CA. As for the Tribe, injuries completely dismantled an otherwise potentially great year. But the Indians loaded up again in the Sabathia trade and should again be a contender next year if Carmona can stay completely healthy.
