And So It Ends....

With yesterday’s loss to the Yankees, the 2009 baseball season ends for your Tampa Bay Rays. We had an exciting season for the most part, as the Rays were in contention until the middle of September. An 84-78 record is nothing to frown at, especially with this team’s history. There is still a sense of disappointment in not making the playoffs just one year removed from making the World Series. However, think about how far this team and baseball community has come. Attendance was up even though the economy is still struggling. The team had its first league leader in homeruns as Carlos Pena tied for the American League lead. He also became the first player to tie or win a league homerun title while missing over 25 games. Finally, we saw what it’s like to have real expectations. I am proud to be a fan of a team in which winning 84 games in a season can be disappointing. It keeps both the players and fans hungry, and it will leave everybody wanting more next year. I am proud to say I am a fan of the Tampa Bay Rays and I am excited for next season when the Rays will be competitive once again. When do pitchers and catchers report? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see why this team is ready for 2010, and the fans should be ready as well.