Posts belonging to Category Teams

Tampa Bay Rays:

Matt Moore 1-0, 9.1 IP, 14.46 K/9, 2.89 ERA, 2.17 FIP, 1.85 xFIP, 0.4 fWAR

Sean Rodriguez, SS

B.J. Upton, CF

Evan Longoria, 3B

Ben Zobrist, 2B

Johnny Damon, DH

Kelly Shoppach, C

Casey Kotchman, 1B

Desmond Jennings, LF

Matt Joyce, RF

Texas Rangers:

C.J. Wilson: 16-7, 223.1 IP, 8.30 K/9, 3.60 ERA, 3.68 FIP, 3.79 xFIP, 5.9 fWAR

Ian Kinsler, 2B

Elvis Andrus, SS

Josh Hamilton, CF

Michael Young, 1B

Adrian Beltre, 3B

Mike Napoli, C

Nelson Cruz, RF

Yorvit Torrealba, DH

Craig Gentry, LF

Jarrod Parker‘s MLB Debut, September 27 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, BB, K

September 28, 2011 will be remembered as one of the most exciting nights in baseball history; an unprecedented evening that featured four teams vying for two playoff spots.

Like everyone at home watching the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays fight for a Wild Card berth, the crew of the MLB Network’s MLB Tonight Live (Greg Amsinger, Harold Reynolds and Dan Plesac) erupted with every new development, at times uncontrollably.  But can you blame them? The significance, atmosphere, and unpredictable nature of the games reduced grown men to 7-year-old boys, as excitement and uneasiness built with every pitch.  And then finally, this:

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But hey, isn’t baseball’s capacity to provoke such emotional reactions precisely why we love it?

As a ballplayer, there are certain moments shared with teammates that seem to outlive any play, game, or season.

While hitting a go-ahead or walk-off bomb is an incredible, personal accomplishment, it’s the ensuing reaction of your teammates that makes it so memorable.  There are always those one or two guys – your closest buddies on the team – who are especially excited for you, just as you’d be for them.  Perhaps excited isn’t even the right word.  Rather, they’re proud of you.

Those emotions were transparent last night following Matt Joyce’s go-ahead, three-run shot, as he navigated the Rays’ dugout through a sea of high-fives and hugs.  Waiting for him at the end of the line was his good buddy and teammate since 2009, Reid Brignac, who greeted him in a manner that screamed, “Dude, I knew you could do it.”