Rain, Rain Go Away (And Bud Selig Can Follow)

The rest of Game 5 of the 2008 World Series will be played tomorrow night. The Phillies are up in the series 3-1 (just in case you weren't paying attention). The game tomorrow will be picked up from the bottom of the sixth with the game tied, 2-2.

Bud Selig really screwed this one up. First, he lets the game start, even with a severe threat of rain. Then, he lets them play until the Rays tie the score in the top of the sixth. He will deny that he waited until the score was tied. But Major League Baseball is more likely to distribute free steroids to all its players before it will end a World Series in a five inning game. You can't tell me that they wouldn't have kept playing had the Phillies held the lead.

The conditions from the fourth inning on were unbearable for the players. Jimmy Rollins misjudged a fly ball because he couldn't look up into the rain. The field was flooded out, and the Rays gained a cheap run because of it. They should have let the Phillies bat in the bottom of the inning to see how the Rays would have fielded in that situation.

But let's get back to public enemy number one: ol' Buddy Selig. He tried to manipulate the score of the game by making the Phillies come back onto the flooded field for another inning, just so the Rays could tie it up. If this was a government, I think the word "corrupt" would be the best to describe it. Does he think the fans are dumb enough to believe that he didn't want that game tied. Maybe that crap works in Tampa Bay, but not in Philly. It is always bad when you hear the commissioner speak. You know something has gone wrong, whether it be steroids or a possible lockout. The difference this time was that the commissioner caused his own problem.

But let's talk about the less than half a game that will be played tomorrow night. The Phillies could wrap it up tomorrow at home, and I think they can do it. I think they need to jump on the Rays 'pen early tomorrow. The Rays bullpen is tough late, but vulnerable early (just like Scott Kazmir). Joe Maddon has no idea how to manage a pitching staff. He uses pitchers like Andy Reid uses timeouts: Use a lot early, have no more for the end. He tires out his pitchers by warming them up, and then using them on only one batter. He is not opposed to use seven batters in an inning, as he did early in the series.

I think the Phils should start Ryan Madson or J.C. Romero tomorrow night. Please no J.D. Durbin! The man gives up a homer every time out. It's not that he gives up a lot of runs, just a couple big ones.

So rain, rain go away!