K:

Nice analysis and while you are pretty much on the beam as usual, I would caution anyone from counting the Sox out no matter what transpired in the regualr season vs the Rays. (8-10) Boston seems to turn it up a notch in Ocotber as the Angels found out AGAIN last week. "The best team didn't win..etc., etc.

The Trop is a shit hole to play in so little wonder how they control their overall expenses, but that 40M salary number is a marvel of modern day sports. No doubt, it's a teriffic young team and even better now that Crawford is back in their lineup.

Enjoy the ever deliberate Dice-K this evening and ok, yes, your're allowed to scratch your head and wonder how too...Oh and that's load the bases eighteen times in the regualr season and never allow a run..

Sox in six....:-)

The Angels couldn't field correctly when it counted. That's why they're out. The Bob & Rays will have to be perfect in the field to win – we'll see if they're up to it.

As a Boston fan, I distinctly remember your predictions last year that Boston would lose each step of the postseason. First they would lose to the Angels, and when that didn't happen they were going to lose to the Indians, and then when they made it to the Big Game they were going to lose to the Rockies. The way I see it, your current prediction of Rays in 7 bodes well for the Sox. Thanks!

As a new, but staunch Bosox fan, this should be a good game. If Boston can take Tampa Bay, they'll go all the way. The Stingrays are a good team. I'll be watching from "Fenway Within The Beltway" Go Boston!

If you are going to talk payroll, King, get it right.

* The Red Sox were 4th in opening day payroll, not second. Perhaps they were the top payroll to make the playoffs, but there was $75 million and two teams between the Sox and Yankees. (That 66% more payroll! Imagine get a 66% percent raise. Or the stock market going down 66%. Big numbers, there)

If you want to look at playoff roster payroll, the Dodgers easily pass the Red Sox, with Manny's millions shifted to to LA. (Of course, this is more complicated than that. The Dodgers got the player, but the Sox are paying him. That is what rich teams can afford to do, but poor teams cannot.)

They Ray have been incredible, and they deserve credit for it. But you don't have to claim that the Sox payroll is more than it is. If the Rays were facing the Angels, the disparity would be about the same, three to one.

1. $ 209,081,577 New York Yankees

2. $ 137,793,376 New York Mets

3. $ 137,685,196 Detroit Tigers

4. $ 133,390,035 Boston Red Sox

5. $ 121,189,332 Chicago White Sox

6. $ 119,216,333 Los Angeles Angels

7. $ 118,588,536 Los Angeles Dodgers

8. $ 118,345,833 Chicago Cubs

9. $ 117,666,482 Seattle Mariners (100 losses!)

12. $ 98,269,880 Philadelphia Phillies

15. $ 80,937,499 Milwaukee Brewers

29. $ 43,820,597 Tampa Bay Rays

but does Sternberg think that Goldman Sachs is a good buy at $89 per share?