It’s not the Yankees or the Red Sox.  The story this year in Major League Baseball is all about the Tampa Bay Rays.  They had the worst record in the Majors last season, now they are just about to start their first post-season in team history.  Joe Madden is the lock-of-all-locks to win the manager of the year award.  I mean, has there ever been a clearer choice?

Chesapeake’s B.J. Upton has been a big reason the Rays lineup produced this  year.  Upton’s power numbers have been down, but he’s stealing a ton of bases.  Chris Reckling and I talked with B.J. this week when the Rays made a trip to Baltimore.

The first thing I noticed about the Rays is that they were incredibly loose.  I don’t know if I’ve seen a team that loose before a game.  It was just before a game that could have clinched them the A.L. East title, too.  Turns out the happy-go-lucky attitude wasn’t bad for them.  They crushed the O’s on this night.

B.J. has a mohawk now.  He doesn’t stand out.  Basically everyone on the team has the signiture hair cut now, including the manager.  The wholde thing started about a month ago.  It was just one of those things that brought the team closer together. 

Upton is a very serious guy, but even he was sporting the new hairdo.  B.J also says the whole thing about him not hustling this year is in the past.  When I asked him about it, I could tell he was a little uncomfortable talking about it.  I think he’s embarrassed.  The good news is the manager doesn’t hold a grudge.  When I asked Madden he said kids make mistakes.

Last year at Grassfield High School during the charity home run derby, I asked B.J. if he dreamed of post season baseball.  Now, just a few months later, it will soon become a reality.