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Tribune photo by JASON BEHNKEN

Tampa Bay Rays celebrate clinching a playoff spot by defeating the Twins 7-2 Saturday at Tropicana Field.

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By MARC LANCASTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 21, 2008

Updated: 09/21/2008 12:22 am

ST. PETERSBURG - As the out that sent the Rays to the playoffs for the first time nestled into Evan Longoria's glove Saturday evening, minds wandered.

Joe Maddon thought about his late father. Carl Crawford pondered all of the lousy baseball he had witnessed before reaching this point. Rocco Baldelli decided that moment made everything he has endured during the past year worthwhile.

Never before had anyone connected with a franchise that spent the better part of a decade as a laughingstock experienced the visceral pleasure that poured out in the form of screams and champagne following the decisive 7-2 win against the Twins.

The Tampa Bay Rays will be playing in October.

"This is amazing, man. This is really amazing," Carlos Pena said. "This is what you play for. To think that so many people go their entire careers and never experience anything like this - I'm so appreciative."

Some had theorized the Rays might take it easy when it came to celebrating the win that clinched at least a wild-card berth, what with winning the American League East still a possibility before the regular season ends a week from today. But there was no chance that was going to happen, considering the dark path that brought the Rays to a brighter spotlight than they have ever known.

So it began with a swirling mob around Trever Miller, who pumped his left fist repeatedly after retiring Joe Mauer on a foul pop down the left-field line for the final out. It rolled into the dugout and up the stairs to the clubhouse, where 200 bottles of champagne and 15 cases of beer (10 more would be rolled out later) awaited their arrival, before sliding back out to the field to make sure the remnants of a full house of 36,048 felt the love. It kept going back in the plastic-wrapped clubhouse, an hour passing as players and staff - and their wives and children - laughed and shouted and doused everyone in their presence.

At 92-61 with nine games to play, representing a franchise that had never won more than 70 times in any of its first 10 seasons, they had certainly earned it.

"We're going to take our time and enjoy this, because it's not something that was expected, it's not something that you could even project - and it happened," Rays president Matt Silverman said. "You don't get the chance very often to celebrate those types of things."

The final piece of the puzzle completed Saturday looked much like those that came before it. Scott Kazmir was the driving force with six shutout innings, and six different players drove in the Rays' seven runs.

That joining of forces has brought the Rays to this point, devoid of superstars but more than 25 deep in impact players - even if that impact came in only a game or two. The Rays knew they would need that type of group effort to get where they wanted to go, and they celebrated it together from the top down.

"This is an extraordinary accomplishment for the entire organization," principal owner Stuart Sternberg, who was not in attendance, wrote in an e-mail to the Tribune. "Last year in July I commented that each person in the organization needs to look in the mirror and think what more they can do. Well, this is a collective effort and that is what makes it all the more special. However, we do want more."

In the midst of the euphoria, the Rays - to a man - made sure to emphasize that they considered this step a beginning. Their magic number to clinch the AL East title is down to six after Boston's loss Saturday, and they want badly to finish the season where they have spent the majority of their time this year - in first place.

"We're not even close to done yet," Troy Percival vowed.

Nonetheless, the box they checked off Saturday was clearly an important one. As James Shields put it, any doubt about the Rays' abilities and intentions are officially gone now. That reality was especially sweet to those who have suffered the most, like Crawford.

Though injury has kept him from the field for more than a month, his 923 games in a Tampa Bay uniform are nearly 500 more than any of his teammates. You'd better believe he was there to celebrate Saturday.

"You think back, about all the old times, but right now this is one moment that erases all the bad stuff," Crawford said. "Right now it feels good to be in this position."

Good? Well, maybe a little bit better than that, judging by the mayhem that lingered long after the game was done. After a year spent touting Maddon's "9=8" philosophy on T-shirts, they soaked officially licensed shirts and caps emblazoned with that slogan - and the 2008 MLB playoffs logo.

Nine players playing hard for nine innings really did make the Rays one of eight teams that will play in October.

"We know that we've earned this right to be playing in the playoffs," said Baldelli, "and we're going to make ourselves proud and we're going to make the city proud."

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.

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