Ok...here we go....
Post why you think your team will win...
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The Rays remind me so much of the 1991 Braves. Only the guy in charge of the home field air flow is on the Rays side this time. 
Just kidding! Rays have the magic. They would win outside, too.
Just kidding! Rays have the magic. They would win outside, too.
"Why can't us? "
Go Phillies
Go Phillies
Will the Rays be the Fresno State of this year's World Series?
Either way I will be happy for the guys on the teams, there are a lot of Califorina ties on both teams!
Either way I will be happy for the guys on the teams, there are a lot of Califorina ties on both teams!
Shane"Flyin' Hawaiian" Victorino!!Pulling for the brahdah from Hawaii.
I wouldn't be suprised if the Rays took it though.If they let their bats fly...
I just hope for some game 7 bottom of the 9th suspense.
I wouldn't be suprised if the Rays took it though.If they let their bats fly...
I just hope for some game 7 bottom of the 9th suspense.
I came across the article regarding the Div 1 players in this years MLB World Series.
October 22, 2008
http://collegebaseball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1169&CID=866770
Kendall Rogers
Rivals.com College Baseball Editor
The players in this year's World Series between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay started somewhere.
Some players chose to begin their pro careers out of high school, while others went to college before starting the trek to the Big Show.
Philadelphia's Pat Burrell earned National Player of the Year honors at Miami in the 1990's, while Ryan Howard played college baseball at Missouri State.
Eleven players on each team in the World Series went to Division I colleges before beginning their pro careers.
PHILADELPHIA
P Joe Blanton - Kentucky: Blanton started the '08 season with Oakland and threw 127 innings, but now is with Philadelphia. In 13 starts for the Phillies, Blanton has a 4.20 ERA in 70 2/3 innings of work. Strangely, Blanton is having a more successful pro career than his college career at Kentucky, where he had ERA's of 5.58, 5.59 and 4.59 in three seasons. In his final year (2002) he recorded 133 strikeouts in 100 innings.
P Clay Condrey – McNeese State: At age 32, Condrey is one of the oldest players on this list. A Beaumont, Texas, native, Condrey has appeared in 56 games for the Phillies and has a 3.26 ERA in 69 innings of work. As a college player, Condrey began his career at Angelina Community College in East Texas, and also spent time in the Southland Conference at McNeese State.
P J.A. Happ – Northwestern: Happ has made just one appearance in the playoffs, against the Dodgers, and has a 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings of work. Happ spent his college career at Northwestern, where he had ERA's of 2.12, 3.58 and 2.68 in three seasons. In 2004, Happ was a third-round selection of the Phillies.
P Brad Lidge – Notre Dame: Lidge is an example of a player that improved after leaving college. Lidge spent three seasons (1996, '97, '98) at Notre Dame, where he had less than stellar ERA's of 5.73, 6.32 and a 4.16. As a Phillies pitcher this season, Lidge has been unhittable. He has recorded 41 saves and has a 1.95 ERA in 69 1/3 innings.
P Jamie Moyer – St. Joseph's: Moyer is 45-years-old but still is finding ways to get opposing hitters out. In 196 1/3 innings of work this season, Moyer has a 16-7 record and an ERA of 3.71. Though his pro career has been successful, Moyer also experienced success as a college player at St. Joseph's. Moyer set the school's single-season strikeout record in 1984 with 90. He also is the only Hawks player to have his number retired.
SS Eric Bruntlett – Stanford: Bruntlett is in his first season with the Phillies and is hitting .217 with a pair of homers and 15 RBIs. While Bruntlett has been in the big leagues since making his debut with the Astros in 2003, he spent his college career at Stanford. Bruntlett was with Stanford's program for three seasons and finished the last two with batting averages of .316 and .342, respectively.
3B Greg Dobbs – Oklahoma: Dobbs has been with the Phillies for two seasons, and has a .301 batting average, nine homers and 40 RBIs in 226 at bats this season. Dobbs made his MLB debut with Seattle in 2004 and played college baseball at Riverside Community College and Oklahoma. While at Oklahoma and as a senior, Dobbs hit .438 with 62 RBIs.
1B Ryan Howard – Missouri State: In his last season at Missouri State, then Southwest Missouri State, Howard hit .271 with 13 homers and 40 RBIs. Howard certainly has improved since that point, and now is one of the best power hitters in baseball. Howard is hitting .251 with 48 homers and 146 RBIs this season.
2B Chase Utley – UCLA: Utley had a pair of successful college seasons (1999, '00), where he finished with batting averages of .317 and .382, respectively. While Utley was a premier college player, his success certainly didn't taper off in the pros. Utley is having another good season for the Phillies, hitting .292 with 33 homers.
OF Pat Burrell – Miami: Inducted into the Miami Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year, Burrell had an amazing college career for the Hurricanes. Burrell won National Player of the Year honors in 1998 and earned College World Series MVP honors in 1996. For the Phillies this season, Burrell is hitting .250 with 33 homers and 86 RBIs.
OF Geoff Jenkins – Southern Cal: Jenkins is one of several famous USC baseball alums, which includes Randy Johnson and Mark Prior, among others. Jenkins finished his USC career hitting .369 with 45 homers and 175 RBIs. He was drafted and signed in 1995 and for the Phillies this season is hitting .246 with nine homers.
TAMPA BAY
P Chad Bradford – Southern Miss: Known for his unorthodox pitching motion, Bradford has spent several seasons in the big leagues. The Jackson, Miss., native played college baseball at Southern Miss, where he was drafted by the White Sox in the 13th round of the 1996 MLB Draft. In 21 appearances for the Rays this season, Bradford has a 1.42 ERA in 19 innings of work.
P Matt Garza – Fresno State: The former first-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2005 has made quite a name for himself this season. Garza played his college ball at Fresno State, where he finished his final season (2005) with a 3.07 ERA in 108 1/3 innings of work. In 2008 for the Rays, Garza has started 30 games and has a 3.70 ERA in 184 2/3 innings of work.
P J.P. Howell – Texas: Howell became a consistent pitcher for Tampa Bay this season and has a 2.22 ERA in 89 1/3 innings of work. In his college days, Howell began his career at USC before transferring to Texas. Howell was an All-American for the Longhorns, finishing his final season 15-2 with a 2.13 ERA in 135 1/3 innings.
P David Price – Vanderbilt: The former Rivals.com National Pitcher of the Year already has become a postseason contributor for the Rays. Price has made five appearances this season and has a 1.93 ERA in 15 innings of work. In his final season (2007) at Vanderbilt, Price went 11-1 and had a 2.63 ERA in 133 1/3 innings of work. He also struck out 194 and walked 31.
P Andrew Sonnanstine – Kent State: Sonnanstine was a 13th round pick of the Rays in the 2004 MLB Draft and has had a productive '08 campaign. Sonnanstine has made 32 appearances and has a 4.38 ERA in 193 1/3 innings of work. He played his college baseball at Kent State, where he finished his final season (2004) with a 2.52 ERA in 125 innings of work. He also struck out 117 and walked 21.
SS Jason Bartlett – Oklahoma: Bartlett was drafted in the 13th round of the 2001 MLB Draft and has been with Tampa Bay for a season. The infielder played his college baseball at Oklahoma, where he had a .318 batting average in '00 and a .282 average in '01. For the Rays this season, Bartlett is hitting .286 with 37 RBIs.
3B Evan Longoria – Long Beach State: Longoria was the third overall pick in the 2006 MLB Draft and already is having a productive big-league career. Longoria played college ball at Long Beach State, where he earned All-America honors. In his last season ('06), Longoria hit .353 with 11 homers and 43 RBIs. With the Rays this season, Longoria is hitting .272 with 27 homers and 85 RBIs.
1B Carlos Pena - Northeastern: Pena was born in the Dominican Republic, but played college baseball at Northeastern after a short stint at Wright State. Pena was a first-round selection of the Texas Rangers in the 1998 MLB Draft. He has been with the Rays for two seasons and currently is hitting .247 with 31 homers and 102 RBIs.
OF Gabe Gross – Auburn: Gross actually played quarterback for the Auburn football team at one point, but finished his last two seasons (2000, '01) with AU on the baseball diamond, hitting .430 and .327, respectively. Gross has been with the Rays for a season and has a .242 batting average with 13 homers and 38 RBIs.
OF Fernando Perez – Columbia: Perez was a seventh-round selection of the Rays in the 2004 MLB Draft and is in his first season with the big-league team. Perez is hitting .250 with three homers and eight RBIs in 60 at bats. The 25-year-old played his college baseball at Columbia, where he .317 with a home run and 17 RBIs in '04.
SS Ben Zobrist – Dallas Baptist: Zobrist was a sixth-round selection of the Houston Astros in the 2004 MLB Draft. He played college baseball at Dallas Baptist. Zobrist has been with the Rays for three seasons and currently is hitting .253 with 12 homers and 30 RBIs. He's also slugging .505 and has a .339 OBP.
Kendall Rogers is the college baseball editor for Rivals.com. He can be reached at rogersk@yahoo-inc.com.
October 22, 2008
http://collegebaseball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1169&CID=866770
Kendall Rogers
Rivals.com College Baseball Editor
The players in this year's World Series between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay started somewhere.
Some players chose to begin their pro careers out of high school, while others went to college before starting the trek to the Big Show.
Philadelphia's Pat Burrell earned National Player of the Year honors at Miami in the 1990's, while Ryan Howard played college baseball at Missouri State.
Eleven players on each team in the World Series went to Division I colleges before beginning their pro careers.
PHILADELPHIA
P Joe Blanton - Kentucky: Blanton started the '08 season with Oakland and threw 127 innings, but now is with Philadelphia. In 13 starts for the Phillies, Blanton has a 4.20 ERA in 70 2/3 innings of work. Strangely, Blanton is having a more successful pro career than his college career at Kentucky, where he had ERA's of 5.58, 5.59 and 4.59 in three seasons. In his final year (2002) he recorded 133 strikeouts in 100 innings.
P Clay Condrey – McNeese State: At age 32, Condrey is one of the oldest players on this list. A Beaumont, Texas, native, Condrey has appeared in 56 games for the Phillies and has a 3.26 ERA in 69 innings of work. As a college player, Condrey began his career at Angelina Community College in East Texas, and also spent time in the Southland Conference at McNeese State.
P J.A. Happ – Northwestern: Happ has made just one appearance in the playoffs, against the Dodgers, and has a 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings of work. Happ spent his college career at Northwestern, where he had ERA's of 2.12, 3.58 and 2.68 in three seasons. In 2004, Happ was a third-round selection of the Phillies.
P Brad Lidge – Notre Dame: Lidge is an example of a player that improved after leaving college. Lidge spent three seasons (1996, '97, '98) at Notre Dame, where he had less than stellar ERA's of 5.73, 6.32 and a 4.16. As a Phillies pitcher this season, Lidge has been unhittable. He has recorded 41 saves and has a 1.95 ERA in 69 1/3 innings.
P Jamie Moyer – St. Joseph's: Moyer is 45-years-old but still is finding ways to get opposing hitters out. In 196 1/3 innings of work this season, Moyer has a 16-7 record and an ERA of 3.71. Though his pro career has been successful, Moyer also experienced success as a college player at St. Joseph's. Moyer set the school's single-season strikeout record in 1984 with 90. He also is the only Hawks player to have his number retired.
SS Eric Bruntlett – Stanford: Bruntlett is in his first season with the Phillies and is hitting .217 with a pair of homers and 15 RBIs. While Bruntlett has been in the big leagues since making his debut with the Astros in 2003, he spent his college career at Stanford. Bruntlett was with Stanford's program for three seasons and finished the last two with batting averages of .316 and .342, respectively.
3B Greg Dobbs – Oklahoma: Dobbs has been with the Phillies for two seasons, and has a .301 batting average, nine homers and 40 RBIs in 226 at bats this season. Dobbs made his MLB debut with Seattle in 2004 and played college baseball at Riverside Community College and Oklahoma. While at Oklahoma and as a senior, Dobbs hit .438 with 62 RBIs.
1B Ryan Howard – Missouri State: In his last season at Missouri State, then Southwest Missouri State, Howard hit .271 with 13 homers and 40 RBIs. Howard certainly has improved since that point, and now is one of the best power hitters in baseball. Howard is hitting .251 with 48 homers and 146 RBIs this season.
2B Chase Utley – UCLA: Utley had a pair of successful college seasons (1999, '00), where he finished with batting averages of .317 and .382, respectively. While Utley was a premier college player, his success certainly didn't taper off in the pros. Utley is having another good season for the Phillies, hitting .292 with 33 homers.
OF Pat Burrell – Miami: Inducted into the Miami Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year, Burrell had an amazing college career for the Hurricanes. Burrell won National Player of the Year honors in 1998 and earned College World Series MVP honors in 1996. For the Phillies this season, Burrell is hitting .250 with 33 homers and 86 RBIs.
OF Geoff Jenkins – Southern Cal: Jenkins is one of several famous USC baseball alums, which includes Randy Johnson and Mark Prior, among others. Jenkins finished his USC career hitting .369 with 45 homers and 175 RBIs. He was drafted and signed in 1995 and for the Phillies this season is hitting .246 with nine homers.
TAMPA BAY
P Chad Bradford – Southern Miss: Known for his unorthodox pitching motion, Bradford has spent several seasons in the big leagues. The Jackson, Miss., native played college baseball at Southern Miss, where he was drafted by the White Sox in the 13th round of the 1996 MLB Draft. In 21 appearances for the Rays this season, Bradford has a 1.42 ERA in 19 innings of work.
P Matt Garza – Fresno State: The former first-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2005 has made quite a name for himself this season. Garza played his college ball at Fresno State, where he finished his final season (2005) with a 3.07 ERA in 108 1/3 innings of work. In 2008 for the Rays, Garza has started 30 games and has a 3.70 ERA in 184 2/3 innings of work.
P J.P. Howell – Texas: Howell became a consistent pitcher for Tampa Bay this season and has a 2.22 ERA in 89 1/3 innings of work. In his college days, Howell began his career at USC before transferring to Texas. Howell was an All-American for the Longhorns, finishing his final season 15-2 with a 2.13 ERA in 135 1/3 innings.
P David Price – Vanderbilt: The former Rivals.com National Pitcher of the Year already has become a postseason contributor for the Rays. Price has made five appearances this season and has a 1.93 ERA in 15 innings of work. In his final season (2007) at Vanderbilt, Price went 11-1 and had a 2.63 ERA in 133 1/3 innings of work. He also struck out 194 and walked 31.
P Andrew Sonnanstine – Kent State: Sonnanstine was a 13th round pick of the Rays in the 2004 MLB Draft and has had a productive '08 campaign. Sonnanstine has made 32 appearances and has a 4.38 ERA in 193 1/3 innings of work. He played his college baseball at Kent State, where he finished his final season (2004) with a 2.52 ERA in 125 innings of work. He also struck out 117 and walked 21.
SS Jason Bartlett – Oklahoma: Bartlett was drafted in the 13th round of the 2001 MLB Draft and has been with Tampa Bay for a season. The infielder played his college baseball at Oklahoma, where he had a .318 batting average in '00 and a .282 average in '01. For the Rays this season, Bartlett is hitting .286 with 37 RBIs.
3B Evan Longoria – Long Beach State: Longoria was the third overall pick in the 2006 MLB Draft and already is having a productive big-league career. Longoria played college ball at Long Beach State, where he earned All-America honors. In his last season ('06), Longoria hit .353 with 11 homers and 43 RBIs. With the Rays this season, Longoria is hitting .272 with 27 homers and 85 RBIs.
1B Carlos Pena - Northeastern: Pena was born in the Dominican Republic, but played college baseball at Northeastern after a short stint at Wright State. Pena was a first-round selection of the Texas Rangers in the 1998 MLB Draft. He has been with the Rays for two seasons and currently is hitting .247 with 31 homers and 102 RBIs.
OF Gabe Gross – Auburn: Gross actually played quarterback for the Auburn football team at one point, but finished his last two seasons (2000, '01) with AU on the baseball diamond, hitting .430 and .327, respectively. Gross has been with the Rays for a season and has a .242 batting average with 13 homers and 38 RBIs.
OF Fernando Perez – Columbia: Perez was a seventh-round selection of the Rays in the 2004 MLB Draft and is in his first season with the big-league team. Perez is hitting .250 with three homers and eight RBIs in 60 at bats. The 25-year-old played his college baseball at Columbia, where he .317 with a home run and 17 RBIs in '04.
SS Ben Zobrist – Dallas Baptist: Zobrist was a sixth-round selection of the Houston Astros in the 2004 MLB Draft. He played college baseball at Dallas Baptist. Zobrist has been with the Rays for three seasons and currently is hitting .253 with 12 homers and 30 RBIs. He's also slugging .505 and has a .339 OBP.
Kendall Rogers is the college baseball editor for Rivals.com. He can be reached at rogersk@yahoo-inc.com.
Wow, baseball is a weird game.
Longoria looks terrible at the plate, just got his 8th strikeout.
Longoria looks terrible at the plate, just got his 8th strikeout.