By John Klima
October 19, 2008
TAMPA – From the horsefly summer that brought them the player who was traded for pitcher Matt Garza, to the miserable first summer of Joe Maddon’s stewardship that allowed the Rays to draft David Price, losing created this victory.
From the ridiculed summers that brought them Rocco Baldelli, who was called the franchise before he had to rebuild his career, to Evan Longoria, the first-rounder who played like a first-rounder the moment he came to the majors, this win happened because of the gains made from losses and the lessons learned in humiliation.
Yet here were the Rays, once known as loathed losers, picking apart the Boston Red Sox before a national television audience, leaving casual fans wondering how this team deposed the mighty Red Sox.
The Rays have become a caricature of themselves, something that only happens to very good teams. This merry band of happy kids playing for their middle-aged manager in the Buddy Holly glasses, knocking off the other team’s caricature of the husky sluggers, the gamer pitcher, the scrappy son of a tire salesman, and the Big Bopper.
The Tampa Bay Rays are going to the World Series to play the Philadelphia Phillies and you can begin inserting your made-for-media day storylines, starting with Pennsylvania native Maddon’s return home, where the Hazeltown High baseball field is named for him.
The Rays made a name for themselves when the defeated the Red Sox 3-1 in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series Sunday at Tropicana Field. Tonight, the Rays grew up for good.
It was only two years ago that Maddon said his goal was to play .500 baseball in the second half of the season. Tampa didn’t quite make it that year, losing 101 games. Two years later, all Tampa had to do was play .500 baseball at home in the last two games of the ALCS and they would go to the World Series. When you draft the right players and enforce accountability and responsibility, it shouldn’t be a surprise when success comes that quickly.
There was one final balance to attain. The Rays showed once more that in the age of baseball parity in the playoffs, teams built on player development have a clean chance at winning. The Rays needed to be in a situation where they could act their age, where youthful energy could overcome nerves.
It started with Garza, 24, who didn’t let Dustin Pedroia’s solo home run in the first inning finish him. He walked the following hitter, David Ortiz, and then retired the next eight consecutive batters before he aimed a fastball at Pedroia’s ribcage. Pedroia deflected the pitch with his elbow, wore it like a trooper, and then Garza stuck out Ortiz, the Big Bopper himself, to end the inning.
That moment was as telling as any for the Rays, who maintained their anti-social disposition with the Red Sox from the first Grapefruit League skirmish all the way up to the final game of the ALCS.
“You know, we've proved doubters wrong this entire time and we just told each other, you know, keep believing, keep fighting,” Garza said. “Keep playing the way we played all year and good things are going to happen.”
Garza stayed with what got him to the big leagues. He had more on his fastball when he needed it. He worked the outside corners with hard heat, where the Red Sox could not reach them if they could catch them. He scattered two hits in seven innings, walked three, beat Jon Lester, and was named ALCS Most Valuable Player for his two victories.
This victory was on Garza. He was the last reliable power arm the Rays had other than Price, who was waiting in the bullpen.
Just like a good old fashioned college baseball playoff game, where the starting pitcher stays in the game until the coach is certain his check cleared, Garza, who pitched at Fresno State, hung in there. He struck out nine and went out for the eighth inning having thrown 114 pitches. Two pitches and one Jason Bartlett error later and he was gone.
You can’t blow a seven-run lead in the seventh inning, as the Rays did in Game 5, and not dread going to the bullpen, but again, fearlessness was required.
Maddon skillfully selected his match-ups, and though not all of them worked to perfection, the main tactic did. The ploy was to burn J.P. Howell first, using the softer throwing left-hander while saving Price for when he needed him most. Howell got the Big Bopper to ground out, but Chad Bradford walked Kevin Youkilis.
It was now lefty versus lefty and there was Price. When the Rays made him the first overall pick in the 2007 draft, it was a clear sign that they thought they were close. It was also a clear sign to the Red Sox that the Rays thought they were going to win.
Price struck out Drew, Howell’s Game 5 tormentor, finishing him in a four-pitch at-bat with a two sliders and a 95-mile an hour fastball. Scouting director R. J. Harrison, nice pick.
Price finished the Red Sox in the ninth, pitching around Bay to blow away Mark Kotsay and Jason Varitek before Jed Lowrie’s groundball vindicated the Rays, losers no more.
As the Rays celebrated in a ballpark that used to be content as a crocodile after a hearty meal, the Rays shaped their new history with players acquired from the years when they tried to win with free-agent muscle and managers who are better as pitching coaches and hitting coaches.
Maddon’s decision to start Baldelli paid off when Baldelli stood at first base with a smile after his single gave the Rays a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning.
Longoria’s two-out RBI double tied the game, 1-1, in the fourth inning.
“That was a real nice piece of hitting by Longoria, hit the ball down the right field line,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.
Maddon started Willy Aybar as DH. Aybar doubled to lead off the fifth and homered to begin the seventh. Let us not forget the trade in which the Rays stole Aybar and catcher Dioner Navarro from the Dodgers in 2006.
It was Navarro who threw out Pedroia stealing second base to finish an inning-ending double play in the sixth after Garza struck out Ortiz on a helmet-high fastball. Navarro set his target like Maddon taught his players: aim high.
“That was one where I thought it was in our favor, and it didn't work,” Francona said.
Garza described Tampa’s defiance while wiping the beer and champagne out of his eyes.
“People were happy when we got our 71st win,” he said.
“People were excited when we got our 81st win, saying you guys have cleared the .500 mark. We still kept going, people kept saying, you guys are going to falter in August and September. You guys are going to falter in September. You guys are going to falter when you face Chicago. You guys don't match up well against Boston. We just told ourselves today and that was it.”
Like the losing, that is all.
“I really believe in our guys, period,” Maddon said. “I believe we're very good. I believe we have a lot of talent. We play the game, I think, in a very fundamental way. We've gotten a lot better in that regard. Fundamentally mentally, fundamentally physically, we've gotten so much better.”
His players proved him right one more time. Too bad you can’t get first-round picks for believing in yourself.
John@KlimaInk.com
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