…Long time Atlanta Braves play by play man Pete Van Wieren surprised everyone today when he announced that he’s retired effective immediately, ending a 33 year run with the club. The one time Braves traveling secretary and radio man cites being with family as the reason for hanging up the headphones. [MLB.com]

“This is something my family and I have been thinking about the last couple of years,” Van Wieren said. “It’s simply a desire to live my life without the restrictions of a baseball schedule. I want to thank the Braves, my broadcast partners and especially the fans for their support over the years.”

…According to Las Vegas sports books, the odds are in the Rays favor for winning the World Series. The odds makers said that enough people placed bets on the Rays at long shot prices and forced books to adjust lines so people would bet on the Phillies. [USA Today]

…The Baltimore Orioles have released former pitcher Adam Loewen who is going to try and reboot his career as a position player. But to do that the Orioles need to resign Loewen, once that’s one he’ll most likely end up in the Hawaii Winter League. [MASN]

“We have to wait for waivers to clear before we make a deal with him,” team president Andy MacPhail said. “The only issue at the present time is how many renewals there may or may not be, but I don’t anticipate anything too difficult at this time. But we have to let the waiver process play out first.”

Also within the article the O’s outrighted five players to Triple A.

…According to MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick the Los Angeles Dodgers have declined infielder Angel Berroa’s $5.5MM option. The instead decided it was best to buy him out at $500,00. Technically the Dodgers still control Berrora’s rights as he has less than six years of Major League service time. [Dodgers.com]

…Boston Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein is not concerned about his staff ace Josh Beckett who was hardly himself during the playoffs. [MLB.com]

Quoth Theo:

“He’ll be fine,” Epstein said. “I thought we were pretty upfront about it. I’m perfectly fine elaborating on it. He was throwing a side session — I think it was the last Friday of the regular season — just in preparation for Game 1 of the Division Series, and I think it was indoors because it was raining. I think it was the last pitch of his side, his 45th pitch. He strained his oblique.”

…Speaking of the BoSox third baseman and 2007 World Series MVP Mike Lowell underwent surgery on Monday to repair a torn labrum in his right hip. According to team GM Theo Epstein the surgery was a ’success’(when isn’t it?) and he’ll begin the recover process today. The estimated time for recovery is three to four months. He should be ready to go by Spring Training. [MLB.com]

…The New York Mets are supposedly interested in signing Francisco Rodriquez, this would be smart move considering they’ll be without the services of closer Billy Wagner. Though K-Rod says that the Angels continues to be his first choice. [Mets Blog]

…After pointing fingers in his book “Juiced”, former Oakland A’s slugger and known steroid user Jose Conseco regrets writing it. [ESPN.com]

Canseco said he “regrets mentioning players [as steroid users]. I never realized this was going to blow up and hurt so many people.”

WORLD SERIES (P)REVIEW…

• In the World Series, the Phils have played the Red Sox in 1915, the Yankees in 1950, the Orioles in 1983, the Blue Jays in 1993, and the Rays. BTW: They’ve lost to all the AL East opponents.
• This is only the Phillies’ 11th postseason appearance in their 126-year history. They’ve won one World Series title (1980) and lost more games, 10,098, than any franchise in professional sports.
• The Rays had been in first place for a total of 11 days in their first 10 seasons. They led the American League East for 110 days this season.
• The last Philly championship was in 1983 when the NBA’s 76ers won it all. The last Phillies championship was 1980.
• Tampa Bay holds a 10-5 edge in the five interleague games against each other. They last met at Citizens Bank Park, in June 2006.
• St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field hosted their first Rays game on March 31, 1998.
• Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park opened April 12, 2004.
• Citizens Bank Park was only the 11th-easiest park to hit a home run in this season.
• The teams’ spring training sites, St. Petersburg and Philadelphia’s complex in Clearwater, are just 20 miles apart.

• The Phillies opened the season with baseball’s 13th-highest payroll at $98 million.
• The Rays have the second-lowest payroll ($43.8 million), only the Marlins are lower.

• The Phillies (42,254) had the fourth-highest average attendance in the NL
• The Rays (22,370) were 12th among the 14 AL teams in average attendance.

• The Phillies scored 799 runs and allowed 680 runs.
• The Rays scored 774 runs and allowed 671 runs.

• The Rays were 29-18 in one run games.
• The Phils were 27-23 in one run games.

• Phillies pinch-hitters hit .253 second in the NL to Atlanta.
• The Rays grounded into the fewest double plays in the AL with 111.
• The Phillies had 17 extra-base hits in the four-game Brewers series.

• The Phillies bullpen led the NL with a 3.22 ERA.
• The Rays bullpen was 31-17 with a 3.55 ERA and 52 saves in 68 chances and a .220 batting average against. A year ago, Rays relievers were 21-34 with only 28 saves in 49 chances and a bullpen ERA of 6.16.

• The Phillies batted .240 in the NLCS and their pitchers compiled a 2.31 ERA.
• The Rays became the first club to lose Games 5 and 6 and then win Game 7 in an ALCS.
• The Rays stole 10 bases in 11 attempts in the ALCS.

• Tampa Bay’s .246 Batting Average Against was the second only to Toronto in the AL.

• The Phils led the NL with 214 homers.
• The Rays hit 180 homers.

• Tampa Bay led the AL with 142 stolen bases.
• The Phils stole 136 bases.

• The Phillies were 79-0 during the regular season when leading after the 8th inning.

OVERALL RECORDS
Tampa Bay Rays (97-65)
Philadelphia Phillies (92-70)

HOME RECORDS
Tampa Bay Rays (57-24)
Philadelphia Phillies (48-33)

AWAY RECORDS
Philadelphia Phillies (44-37)
Tampa Bay Rays (40-41)

SCORING
Philadelphia scored 799 runs and allowed 680 runs.
Tampa Bay scored 774 runs and allowed 671 runs.

ONE RUN GAMES
Tampa Bay Rays (29-18)
Philadelphia Phillies (27-23)

EXTRA INNING GAMES
Tampa Bay Rays (10-6)
Philadelphia Phillies (6-7)

LAST 30 GAMES OF THE REGULAR SEASON
Philadelphia Phillies (19-11)
Tampa Bay Rays (16-14)

THE TROP
There are four catwalks above the playing surface at Tropicana Field. They are rings labeled A, B, C and D. Fair balls that hit the lowest two catwalks (C and D), the rings that circle the perimeter of the ballpark, are home runs. Fair balls that hit the highest two catwalks (A and B) are in play. Any fair ball that stays on top of the A and B catwalks is a ground-rule double. A foul ball that hits one of the catwalks is a dead ball.

In 11 seasons at Tropicana Field, 96 fair balls have hit catwalks, including 11 this season. Fifty-six have hit the C ring, 23 have hit the B ring and 17 have hit the D ring. None has hit the A ring.

A ball has hit the catwalk and not come down just four times, including three this season: Boston’s David Ortiz hit the D ring on Sept. 17, Boston’s Jason Bay hit the C ring the same night and Tampa Bay’s Carlos Pena hit the B ring on May 26. Jose Canseco hit the B ring on May 2, 1999.

FROM WORST TO FIRST
Rays are just the third team to advance to the World Series immediately after 10 or more consecutive losing seasons…the 1914 Boston Braves (11 straight losing seasons) defeated the Philadelphia A’s 4 games to 0 in the series and the 2006 Detroit Tigers (12 straight losing seasons) won the wild card and advanced to the Series and lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 1.

Only one team in major league history would have lost more games than the Rays (96) the year before going to the World Series - the 1991 Braves, who were 65-97.

EXPAND YOUR MIND
Rays will become the 11th expansion team in history (18th time) to participate in the Series. Expansion teams have now advanced to the World Series in seven of the last nine seasons, with the exceptions coming in 2004 (Red Sox vs. Cardinals) and 2006
(Tigers vs. Cardinals).

GOING YARD
Only three teams in postseason history — the 2002 Giants (27), 2004 Astros (25) and 2002 Angels (24) — have hit more homers than the Rays so far (22), while 18 of the Phillies’ playoff runs have come via the home run.

RUNNERS IN SCORING POSITION
Phillies - .263
Rays - .246

RUNNERS IN SCORING POSITION, 2 OUTS
Phillies - .237
Rays - .232

HOMERS – SEASON
Phillies – 214
Rays – 180

BATTING AVERAGE SEASON
Rays - .260
Phillies – .255

BATTING AVERAGE IN WINS
Phillies – .294
Rays - .288

BATTING AVERAGE IN LOSSES
Rays - .218
Phillies – .202

BATTING AVERAGE FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON
Rays - .260
Phillies – .257

BATTING AVERAGE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON
Rays - .261
Phillies – .252

BATTING AVERAGE HOME
Rays - .274
Phillies – .262

BATTING AVERAGE AWAY
Phillies – .249
Rays - .248

ERA – SEASON
Rays – 3.82
Phillies – 3.89

ERA – HOME
Rays – 3.30
Phillies – 3.67

ERA - AWAY
Phillies – 4.13
Rays – 4.34

ERA – FIRST HALF
Rays – 3.79
Phillies – 3.90

ERA – SECOND HALF
Rays – 3.85
Phillies – 3.88

ERA – STARTERS
Rays - 3.95
Phillies – 4.23

ERA – RELIEVERS
Phillies – 3.22
Rays – 3.55

INTERLEAGUE PLAY
• The Rays were 12-6.
• The Phils were 4-11.

FROM THE WORLD SERIES SPIN ROOM
Combined, the Phillies and Rays have won seven National League pennants and one World Series title.

REALITY
The Phillies have won six pennants and one World Championship.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
You might remember that yesterday we discussed that the Rays received the home-field advantage because the American League won the All-Star Game 4-3 in 15 innings at Yankee Stadium. You should also note that the Rays’ Scott Kazmir worked a scoreless 15th to earn the victory, while the losing pitcher was none other than Philadelphia closer Brad Lidge.

DON’T GIVE ME A BREAK
In each of the last two years, a team that had a break of at least six days before the World Series lost to an opponent who won the seventh game of its league championship series. The Detroit Tigers, in 2006, lost in five games to St. Louis. The Rockies had won 21 of 22 games heading into the Series with Boston last year and were completely swept.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
Las Vegas sports books favor the Rays to win the World Series over the Phillies and would owe huge payouts if the American League champions prevail. Oddsmakers say enough bettors took the Rays early in the year at long-shot prices to force books to adjust lines to encourage bets on the Phillies.

Sean Van Patten at Las Vegas Sports Consultants says the Rays are favored at minus-$1.35, meaning a gambler would need to bet $1.35 to be paid $1 if Tampa Bay wins.

Van Patten puts the Phillies at plus-$1.15, meaning a $1 bet would earn $1.15 if Philadelphia wins.

The Rays were a 200-1 shot to win the Series when betting opened this season, ahead of only the Kansas City Royals and Washington Nationals (both 250-1). The Phillies were 18-1.

    
Bill Chuck is the creator of Billy-Ball.com (www.Billy-Ball.com) and, with Jim Kaplan, is the author of the book, “Walk-Offs, Last Licks, and Final Outs – Baseball’s Grand (and not so Grand) Finales,” with a Foreword by Jon Miller, published by ACTA Sports, and available worldwide.

Bill Chuck is available for radio appearances, and writing for print or the web. Please contact me at Bill@billy-ball.com or by calling 617-566-2784.