Not that it hasn’t been done before, but it’s like skydiving. Every time you do it there is a chance for disaster. I’m talking about Rays manager Joe Maddon’s decision to walk Josh Hamilton with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth. The Rays were up 7-3.

“I mean, listen, it’s [Hamilton's] year, and why not have him hit a grand slam right there and really screw up ours,” Maddon said.

Said Byrd: “When the guy’s AL manager of the year like he’s going to be, things go your way.”

The Rays are now 27 (!) games over .500 and 4.5 up on the Red Sox. The big shock now will not be if they make the playoffs. It will be if they don’t.

[tags]Joe Maddon, Josh Hamilton, Tampa Bay Rays[/tags]