Cool like Fonzie. To me, everything from this point on is absolute gravy. Although I was always hopeful, I really didn't expect us to be here. Not in the Spring, not after Quentin and Contreras went down, not after the Sweep, and not after we got shelled on Friday and Saturday while the Twinkies lost. We manned up and won a tough race and are back in the playoffs 3 years after winning it all. That's good enough for me.

 

 

But I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation.

I'm extremely relaxed right now, and I can't explain why. Talk to me at gametime, however, and my answer is liable to be different.

Gaseous.

 

Is there a game today?

Definitely relaxed. Honestly, I'm just happy to be here. Once God went down, I didn't think we had the team to get here.

 

I'm definitely the same. I feel like the fat girl at the prom...just happy to be there. I don't mind Tampa at all, so I will root for them if they beat the Sox. I've told my friends that the Tuesday game was my Super Bowl. Anything else is gravy.

I'm very relaxed, no one expected us to be here and they've already staved off elmination not once, not twice but three times, any and everything from here on out is gravy

 

+1

 

I should probably be nervous that they don't match up well with the other four AL teams, and I guess I sort of am. But the fact that they could survive three major injuries and still win the division after a 72-90 season is quite an accomplishment in itself.

 

I don't want to keep clinging to 2005, but not having that "coke" label hanging over their (our) heads anymore is huge. Yeah, it'd be great if they won it all again. And it would be disappointing if they got swept in the first round. But overall, I'm just excited that they're "back" and that they're building around future (and current) stars like Quentin, Alexei, Danks, and Floyd. This season seemed like a "last hurrah" back in April. It doesn't now. It feels more like where the Angels were at a couple of years ago.

 

 

I was relaxed but I am getting excited!

Im actually not as bad as I was last week because now the Sox are at a point where its just good to be here. The Sox were in first place for so many days that had they not made the playoffs it would have hurt.

 

Now that they got here though, all the expectations are gone. All they need to do is put together some more solid pitching outings and see what happens.

im pretty relaxed, i been to a s***load of rays games, so its kinda a weird feeling seeing this happen, my fav. team in my stadium so to speak...

Surprisingly relaxed, until I see Javy hit the mound...then I think my blood pressure may raise a bit.

 

Haha - ditto.

Pregame show is starting, I am definitely getting excited!!!!

ok, now that the game is about to start...i'm nervous.

If Buerhles shuts them down tommorow, going home with a 1-1 series tie would make me very confident and relaxed. There definitley is a magic vibe at the Cell this season. I think we can definitley win both at home. Will Buerhle step up? Will the offense show up in key situations? I cant wait to get back at those guys tommorow!

Extremely nervous. Tomorrow will in essence decide our season. I'm not one of those fans that is satisfied with just getting here. I WANT TO WIN! Especially after 2005. The stakes are higher than they've ever been. I do expect Mark to pitch a good game. Can our offense get to Kaz? That's what worries me.

I think if we win tomorrow with Mark I'll start getting whacked out again. During the game I'll be happy with fairly low expectations again.

 

But today I was calm the whole game. After what we've been through since the Yankee series and especially the 3 elimination games it was tough to get all worked up today.

 

When Wise whacked the homer I didn't even get in the competititve mode, but if it woulda been 3-1 after 6 or so, it woulda been interesting.

 

Like you all said, it is gravy.

I truly think T. Bay has a better team.

 

I do not blame injuries and haven't seen anybody blame injuries. But when Evan L. hit 2 dingers I couldn't help but wonder what would be up if Carlos Q was healthy. You do need some young guns who are studs and step up.

 

IT AINT OVER YET!! GO SOX!!

Edited October 3, 200817 yr by greg775

Nervous, not as nervous as this last Week.

 

With Mark on the hill I am not nearly as worried... but to win this series I think we have to split in Tampa.

Honestly, todays game went as I, and many others thought it woud. Javy would s*** the bed and we would lose because of it. That's been the pattern with him and it stood true today. We get the lead and he instantly gives it away. I guess the last couple of weeks of insanity were so much of a roller coaster that today is just a blip. We needed to take 1 of the 2 games down there. We can still do that. If we lose on Friday, then I will be a little more on edge.

 

It's not that I am satisfied "just getting there", but I guess it's all about expectations. We aren't the Juggernaut this year, so I am not expecting much. Do I want it...Abso-frickin-lutely. But I am also a realist. We had our chances to win today, even with Javy, but didn't execute. But it's not the first time we saw us fail with a runner at third and less than 1 out. Unfortunately, that's the norm.

 

 

If it were anyone but Vazquez starting, I'd be nervous. But we've got Buehrle, Gavin and Danks coming up. I wouldn't be shocked if we took the next 3.

Imagine this team with a healthy Q, Crede, and Jose.......man.

 

Oh well, the outlook for this team looks even better for next year. Shore up the bulpen, pick up a couple guys, and we're right back in it.

Buehrle's going. These Tampa Bay guys are free-swingers. It'll be tied at 1 after tomorrow.

Relaxed. I had zero expectations of them making the playoffs to begin the season. I thought they were finished this time last week. I'll be excited if they advance, and I'll be more nervous if they are playing an elimination game. But other than that, I'm just enjoying seeing the Sox play some October baseball this year. If you add that on top of all of the positives this year (Buehrle back on track, Floyd and Danks really stepping up, strong AL MVP and ROY contenders in Quentin and Alexi), it's a good season no matter how it ends.

Relaxed. I had zero expectations of them making the playoffs to begin the season. I thought they were finished this time last week. I'll be excited if they advance, and I'll be more nervous if they are playing an elimination game. But other than that, I'm just enjoying seeing the Sox play some October baseball this year. If you add that on top of all of the positives this year (Buehrle back on track, Floyd and Danks really stepping up, strong AL MVP and ROY contenders in Quentin and Alexi), it's a good season no matter how it ends.

 

 

I'm not one of those fans happier if the Cubs lose than the White Sox win...but watching yesterday's defensively fiasco unfold was sweet. They've now lost 8 games in a row in the playoffs. Pretty incredible. All season long, the talk was if the White Sox would be good enough to make the playoffs and face the Cubs? The question now is how bad will all the Cubs' fans feel if we advance at least one series, or, heaven forbid, get back into the World Series again.

 

I think we have about a 30-35% chance of winning this series, which was right around the odds for us to take the AL Central after last Saturday's Vazquez disaster. Thankfully, John Danks was embarassed by his Friday effort and wanted to hide from the world, while Vazquez, once again, is acting like it was no big deal.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Kazmir threw a shutout, and I wouldn't be surprised if we won either. Its been that kind of a season, all year long. Almost no consistency from game-to-game, except for the pitching in our three elimination games being stellar, and our bullpen handling the job as well.

 

 

If you win 1 of 2 on the road in the playoffs then it's a plus. As much as I would have liked to win yesterday, I really like our chances the next 3 games. I would like to see Richard start over Javy the next time around. Or start Javy and take him out after 3 innings. He's untouchable the first three innings most the time.

Starting to feel a little edge now.

 

Yesterdays game was the Sox's punishment for not putting the season away when the had a myriad of chances.

 

Now lets see how good they really are with Mark and Danks going the next 2.