Azinger and the Rays—upstart victory at hand
I love golf. Don’t get me wrong. It pays my bills quite nicely. I’m watching every match for the next three days, hoping no less that my friend Paul Azinger, who I’ve had the pleasure of covering on and off for the Bradenton Herald for the past 14 or so years, and his Ryder Cup Team beat the crap out of the European Team this weekend at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, KY. But the fact of the matter is I’m having more fun watching the Tampa Bay Rays stride along toward the franchises’ first playoff berth, and perhaps, dare I say, the World Series.
My hope is not folly on either count.
Azinger has put together a flim-flam group who has just enough guts to pull off the first Ryder Cup victory for the U.S. in nearly a decade. I wish I could quote a player who had an opportunity to make the team early on who said something like Azinger had enough (expletive deleted) to pull the job off. If anyone can, Zing can. I believe the player who said it. He’s playing this week, but at the Viking Classic in Annandale, MS an important stop on the PGA Tour for your wife, family, agent and yourself if you’re trying to keep your job for next year’s Tour campaign. God bless ‘em.
But the Rays have been amazing this year, coming as no surprise to yours truly. As a matter of fact, in a fit of frustration, I made a bet in March after seeing Evan Longoria and a couple other players who were acquired in the off season play at McKechnie field this spring. I bet that the team would finish with at least 88 wins. The guy with whom I made the bet, a staunch Orioles fan, looked at me like I was smoking crack and took the bet. I’m still looking for him. I also bet him the Rays would finish with a better record than the O’s. He’s been hiding from that one since the All Star break.
On each account I’m feeling pretty large right now. Two out of three, so far.
I’ve watched both Azinger and the Rays struggle for most of those years. Azinger had his moments after whipping cancer in ’94 and ’95, making his comeback and then relaxing to see what would come next. He won one more time after that magically mixed up year in 1993, winning the PGA Championship over Greg Norman, who I can’t stand, just before Azinger was diagnosed with cancer in his shoulder later in the year, essentially ending his momentum but for his win in Hawaii.
The Rays, on the other hand, never had momentum. They were always the bridesmaids in the American League East and I thought, until this spring, might always be. The team under the old ownership of Vince Namoli seemed destined to be the redheaded stepchild and that was that.
But this season, a maturing farm system and new ownership, who is determined to win instead of trying lame marketing ploys like the steroid-enhanced “Hit Show” featuring baseball’s biggest narc, Jose Canseco and Manny Castillo, who was nicknamed, “Cash-stealer,” as well as a couple big-named pitchers who didn’t want to pitch, could pull this off for all to see.
My weekend will be full watching both these Davids take it to the Goliaths. My wish is they both succeed.
My bet is, both will.
Ya gotta believe.
My hope is not folly on either count.
Azinger has put together a flim-flam group who has just enough guts to pull off the first Ryder Cup victory for the U.S. in nearly a decade. I wish I could quote a player who had an opportunity to make the team early on who said something like Azinger had enough (expletive deleted) to pull the job off. If anyone can, Zing can. I believe the player who said it. He’s playing this week, but at the Viking Classic in Annandale, MS an important stop on the PGA Tour for your wife, family, agent and yourself if you’re trying to keep your job for next year’s Tour campaign. God bless ‘em.
But the Rays have been amazing this year, coming as no surprise to yours truly. As a matter of fact, in a fit of frustration, I made a bet in March after seeing Evan Longoria and a couple other players who were acquired in the off season play at McKechnie field this spring. I bet that the team would finish with at least 88 wins. The guy with whom I made the bet, a staunch Orioles fan, looked at me like I was smoking crack and took the bet. I’m still looking for him. I also bet him the Rays would finish with a better record than the O’s. He’s been hiding from that one since the All Star break.
On each account I’m feeling pretty large right now. Two out of three, so far.
I’ve watched both Azinger and the Rays struggle for most of those years. Azinger had his moments after whipping cancer in ’94 and ’95, making his comeback and then relaxing to see what would come next. He won one more time after that magically mixed up year in 1993, winning the PGA Championship over Greg Norman, who I can’t stand, just before Azinger was diagnosed with cancer in his shoulder later in the year, essentially ending his momentum but for his win in Hawaii.
The Rays, on the other hand, never had momentum. They were always the bridesmaids in the American League East and I thought, until this spring, might always be. The team under the old ownership of Vince Namoli seemed destined to be the redheaded stepchild and that was that.
But this season, a maturing farm system and new ownership, who is determined to win instead of trying lame marketing ploys like the steroid-enhanced “Hit Show” featuring baseball’s biggest narc, Jose Canseco and Manny Castillo, who was nicknamed, “Cash-stealer,” as well as a couple big-named pitchers who didn’t want to pitch, could pull this off for all to see.
My weekend will be full watching both these Davids take it to the Goliaths. My wish is they both succeed.
My bet is, both will.
Ya gotta believe.
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