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Sternberg Revels In Moment, Process

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By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 20, 2008

Updated: 10/20/2008 01:29 am

ST. PETERSBURG – One more out, and the Rays would earn a trip to the World Series.

The ball took a tricky hop in front of second baseman Akinori Iwamura.

In his private box, Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg winced a bit.

"I was nervous right until the end," Sternberg said. "Then Aki caught it [and completed a force play]. Then - we won! Wow! How about that? For a second, I wasn't sure how to act."

Just for a second.

Then Sternberg was jubilant, basking in the glow of a big-time celebration, still trying to soak in the ramifications of Sunday night's 3-1 victory against the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field.

"You get into this and you dream about it [World Series] and you think, 'Man, wouldn't that be something if our team could get there,'" Sternberg said. "Then you get back to earth and you try to get Chad Bradford when he's available on waivers.

"It's amazing. I talked to Jerry Reinsdorf about it. He owned the [Chicago] Bulls when they won and won and won and won with Michael Jordan. But he said the [White Sox's] baseball championship was the greatest thing that ever happened to him."

And right now, it's the greatest thing that has happened in Sternberg's professional career.

When he purchased the team, it underwent an almost total reconstruction toward the latter end of 2005. Last season, the Rays were 66-96, the worst record in baseball.

And now?

"We'll have a banner that says "American League East champions' and we'll have another banner that says 'American League champions,' " Sternberg said.

"We're not through yet. We want that other banner.

"You sit there, expecting it on Thursday [when the Rays surrendered a 7-0 lead in Game 5 in Boston]. You get a lead in the eighth inning and you're expecting it again. But you have to wait until the last out. You have so much invested in this, this team and organization, that it's almost too overwhelming to explain your emotions."

Actually, it's not that difficult, Sternberg confessed.

He knows some ownership groups spend decades in the game, failing to reach the heights his organization already has achieved in just three seasons.

"We're obviously ahead of schedule, but we took our lumps a couple of years here," Sternberg said. "It's really a work of conviction, great effort and perseverance. Everybody in the organization has a stake in what was accomplished."

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353.

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