2008 MLB World Series – Against all odds, Tampa Bay Rays Vs Philadelphia Phillies
Scheduled to begin on October 22, the 2008 World Series is one that many odds makers didn’t see coming. 2008 will mark the Tampa Bay Rays ‘first World Series appearance and the Philadelphia Phillies’ first Series appearance since their heartbreaking 1993 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Different paths
Heading into the 2008 season, Tampa was considered one of the poorest teams in baseball. Very few sports writers and forecasters placed them above fourth place in their own division, the American League East. So it came as a huge surprise to most when the Rays not only moved above fourth place in the division, but won the division outright. The Rays’ roster is roughly one-third that of the Boston Red Sox, the team they would face in the American League Championship Series. After a tough seven-game series, the Rays are now in position to win their first World Series title.
In early August, the Philadelphia Phillies were considered the busts of the 2008 season. They were behind the New York Mets by more than five games. But the Phillies made their way through the standings and were able to overtake the Mets in the final week of the season to win the NL East title. In the playoffs they had little problems with any of their opponents, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 2008 World Series
This brings us to a World Series with many unknowns. Neither team has played in the national spotlight in a World Series for 15 years. Vegas Odds ranks the Tampa Bay Rays as the series favorites, although this is the tightest betting line in more than five years. Can you predict who will win?
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