Rays Out of Miracles :(

Thanks to the Texas Rangers' homerun hitters (2B Kinsler leadoff HR, and 3 solo HRs from 3B Beltre), the Tampa Bay Rays' improbable season comes to an end. At the end of August, or the beginning of September rather, if someone told a member of Red Sox Nation or one of the Rays faithful that New York and Tampa Bay would see postseason baseball, there is a good chance both fans would scoff at the notion.

There is no doubt the run-up to the final day of the 2011 Major League Baseball regular season will go down as one of the most epic collapses and turnarounds in the history of the game. While it is not on the same level as the epic 1951 "Shot Heard 'Round The World" season finale between the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers, the Rays improbable comeback captured the attention of mostly everyone from die-hard baseball fans to the casual channel-surfer.

The Rays required a myriad of decisions to go their way before securing the final playoff spot in the American League from a do-or-die performance against the most decorated baseball club in professional baseball, the New York Yankees, as well as a prideful and spunky effort from their divisional bottom dwellers, the Baltimore Orioles, against the rival Boston Red Sox.





Could the unbelievable highs of that comeback be the undoing of the Tampa Bay franchise in the ALDS against the Texas Rangers? In all likelihood, a fresh and polished Texas Rangers ball club proved to be more than a match for the Rays. As evident in the streams of tweets flying back and forth on Twitter, the Rays proved you can be successful even if you aren't in New York or Boston. Baltimore also proved their team has the character to play tough in big games, even when there is nothing for the Orioles to play for; pride in performance won out over big budgets and high salaries. Watch Joe Maddon's very nice post-game press conference via link to MLB.com