One advantage of not making playoffs: Cheap Rays gear!

Got this Nike shirt for $7.99 at JC Penney's over the weekend.

I was a bit saddened on Friday when I received an e-mail from Stub Hub advertising MLB playoff tickets. It struck me for a moment just how exciting last year was. Once the Rays had clinched their playoff berth, I was running around buying shirts, looking for playoff tickets, planning television specials, etc. This year, I can barely bring myself to watch the final few games. Yesterday I even chose to suffer through the Buccaneer humiliation at the hands of the Giants before finally turning on the Rays.

However, there is one bright side to this year's performance: Cheap gear! On Saturday, as I was tooling around town with my wife, I realized just what kind of deals are already out there. Think about it, before last year the Rays gear didn't sell too well so department stores didn't stock up. However, they got caught off guard during the playoff run and couldn't keep the stuff on the shelf. So, when this year started, the retailers stocked up early and often.  And now that there isn't going to be a playoff frenzy, they're going to get stuck with Rays merchandise they can't move during football season.

So, I picked up the shirt pictured above for $7.99.  The price tag said $9.99 which I was happy to pay for a Rays Nike T-shirt. But, then when I got to the cash register, it rang up for another 20% off. Good deal. There were about 15 shirts just like that on the rack at the J.C. Penney's in Spring Hill.

Later on that day, at Dick's Sporting Goods, they had a Scott Kazmir white Rays jersey on sale for $19.99. That's a bargain, even if you don't like Kaz. For that price, you can cut off the name and have a great home jersey to wear to the Trop.

I guess the Rays losses this year will bode well for my wardrobe. I already put in a request to the Mrs. for one of the Blue Red Sox beater jersey shirts for Christmas. I could also use another hat or two. So, celebrate the losses by stocking up. I'm pretty sure the retailers will be much more conservative next year and you won't ever see these kind of deals again.