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Dream Ends, But It Was A Summer To Remember

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 30, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - And so our song of summer ends.

The end didn't begin with the national anthem.

Someone sang "God Bless America" instead.

It did not begin with an anthem because Game 5 of the World Series between the Rays and Phillies at Citizens Bank Park had begun 48 hours earlier. There had never been anything like what took place Wednesday night.

It figured.

There has never been anything like the anthem of the 2008 Rays.

They sounded change all season long.

They played their last notes Wednesday.

It figured. It took more than two days to kill their dream.

It was cold and crazy. It took 46 hours to restart Game 5, but seemingly the blink of an eye for it to be over - three innings, 78 minutes, final: Phillies 4, Rays 3. It was over for the Rays after 178 games that made believers where once there were none. Hard to believe, but it's done. Even down to their last strike, they thought they could do it.

Joe Maddon and the Miracles.

What a happening.

Losing pitcher J.P. Howell sat at his stall in the Rays clubhouse, buried his head in his hands and wept.

"It hasn't sunk in yet," Rays rookie third baseman Evan Longoria said. "I feel like we're going home to play some more baseball."

But this World Series has ended, and in just five games. The Phillies outpitched, outhit and out-bullpened the Rays. They were better this Series, and now they're World Series champions for just the second time in 126 seasons. And the Rays at last have something to build on after 11.

We'll have months to wonder why Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett kept running home, into an easy out, when he should have stopped at third in the seventh inning. There will be all winter to wonder why Rays manager Joe Maddon made David Price, who closed out the American League Championship Series, his fourth pitcher on this short night instead of the second, or even the first. Or why Howell, a lefty, faced righty Pat Burrell to start the seventh. Burrell doubled, and his pinch-runner scored the winning run.

Enough of that.

They came up short in this Series.

But remember this season.

Here's to the American League champions.

Here's to Maddon and his men.

And a baseball summer.

Rays left fielder Carl Crawford managed a smile.

"It made you feel like you were a kid again."

It went beyond what anyone thought possible, except the guys who made it possible. America caught on and got caught up in the Little Team That Could from Tampa Bay. They drew comparisons with the 1969 Miracle Mets.

Just one miracle short.

But it was a wondrous season. It just didn't want to stop.

But it has.

Or has it?

"I think everyone in the world believes in us now," Rays pitcher James Shields said. "We shocked the world. I'll be here many years to come."

"We made a powerful statement," Maddon said.

They fought off elimination in the rain Monday, and fought again Wednesday, after the Phillies grabbed a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning, only six minutes into the resumption of play.

But Rocco Baldelli homered to tie it at 3 in the seventh. That's just these Rays. But that same inning, Bartlett was nailed at the plate on a grounder up the middle. He said he was sent by Rays third base coach Tom Foley. Maddon liked the decision. It was aggressive. That's just these Rays.

Bartlett was thrown out. It wasn't close.

The Phillies grabbed the lead back in the bottom of seventh and never looked back. Crawford singled to start the eighth, but B.J. Upton hit into a double play on the first pitch, before Crawford tried a steal. Dioner Navarro singled with one out in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Ben Zobrist hit a sharp liner to right field. Caught. And when pinch hitter Eric Hinske swung and missed at one last pitch from Brad Lidge, it was over, and the Rays ran through the bedlam.

No more magic.

Just like that.

Maddon fought his emotions, but told his team one thing above all.

"How proud I am of them," he said.

Usually, nobody remembers who finishes second.

This wasn't that kind of season. This wasn't that kind of team.

"People will remember," James Shields said.

They'll always remember this summer.

And they'll feel like kids again.

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