Day 162

I know I know, this is labeled a Chicago sports site but I need to write about this night of baseball. Coming into tonight I wasn't that excited about tonight as I came home from work. Maybe I wasn't excited because my Cubbies were so disappointing, maybe because I had no real vested interest in any of the teams alive, maybe it is because I figure it didn't matter who made it in today because the Phillies and Yankees will end up going to the World Series anyway.

That was about 6 hours and 3 amazing games ago.

The first game, and it was a no doubted all night was the St Louis game. They came out and led right away and didn't look back. They take down the hopeless Houston Astros by a score of 8-0.

That means the NL comes down to the Braves Phillies game. The Braves lead this game going into the 9th with their young rookie sensation closer Craig Kimbrel. Now he has had some shaky periods throughout the year, but you had to figure this game, this one right here he would close this one out and there would be a playoff tomorrow. Well he blows the save and 4 innings later the Phillies pass the winning run across the plate (hit by possibly my favorite active player Hunter Pence) the game is over and the Braves are packing their bags to go home and watch the postseason.

Next up, the Red Sox are playing Baltimore, and winning 3-2 when there is a rain delay. I always think rain delays are bad cause crazy stuff usually occurs afterwards. Then just a little ways down the coast in Tampa, the Rays are losing 7-0 in the bottom of the 8th inning. Looks like Boston and Red Sox nation will be planning another playoff trip, even after their insane implosion.

While I was watching the Braves game, and Chipper almost won the game for the Braves which would have been fitting, I notice the Rays loaded up the bases. Good for them I thought, give a fight for your team, your fans, and your city before you close the season. Well I look up about 5 minutes later and notice the squeaked a run across, then another, and before you know it the Rays trail by one after the Evan Longoria 3 run blast. WOW! I thought, this will be a game!

So a I watch the bottom of the 9th in Tampa, I could just feel something was going to happen, I didn't know what, but I could just feel it. After the 1st 2 batters go down, and go down pretty quick that feeling started to go away, and was almost gone when Dan Johnson recreated his heroics just a few seasons ago by hitting a screaming line drive home run to tie the game with 2 strikes on him. I was excited, the fans were excited, and the players were excited.

That's it! I'm hooked on baseball tonight!

I keep watching, with the help of the MLB Network (sponsorship???) and flipping to ESPN 2, I am watching 3 teams fighting, scratching and clawing to get to the postseason. The first game to come down was the Braves. After getting people on a couple of times they could not get a runner home. The Phillies found a way to get some people on base, moved them over, and with a small flare score what would be the game winner. Then it's Boston. A 3-2 lead, Jonathan Papelbon On the mound. Chris Davis, who most people would ask, whose that? Hits a double to the right center gap. Then Nolan Reidman nails another double to the gap scoring the pinch runner for Baltimore. And then Robert Andino smacks a 0-1 fastball down the Left Field line, it drops and the Orioles win the game forcing the Sox to watch what their fate may end up.

Then just minutes later, the Rays hero and one of the best young players in all of baseball, Evan Longoria ends the best night baseball may have ever had with a screaming line-drive home run to win the game for the Rays. They beat the Yankees and add a very tough team to an American League Playoffs which will prove to be very competitive in all series'.

My favorite memory of the night was easily MLB Network's on field in game camera where they showed the fan reaction to Boston losing. Everyone erupts, but even more fantastic was every player on the Rays started jumping, clapping, screaming. Just a phenomenal camera capture. A funny side note was the eruption might have cost BJ Upton an at bat, but for the finish it was well worth it.

Wow baseball, tonight proved to me the Wild Card was one of the best additions over the last 50 years. You've created memories that will live on with so many baseball fans new and old alike. God bless baseball, one heck of a ride.