It’s their first World Series appearance and (I must admit, I hate to actually be writing this) unless you happen to be a Red Sox fan who just witnessed your favorite team lose in a close game 7, you have to be happy for this organization. Tampa Bay: An organization which had been an afterthought in the AL East Division for years; an organization full of potential filled youngsters and all-stars/future hall of famers past their prime. This organization has brought baseball relevance and life into a city ruled by football. This team opened up sections of a ballpark previous covered under a tarp, and I hope that Rays Fans will flock to the stadium for the World Series and next year and keep those seats uncovered permanently.

Terry Francona said that Tampa Bay “will represent the American League very, very well.” I agree, and believe that Philadelphia will win game one behind Cole Hamels, but that Tampa Bay will be the 2008 World Series Champions. And Red Sox fans should cheer on our AL East Rivals, as Joe Maddon was also a candidate to replace Grady Little as Boston‘s manager after the 2003 season. Maddon showed the casual baseball fan this year why the Red Sox management thought so highly of him.

For Red Sox fans, the loss hurts. No fan wants their team to finish the season on a bad note, a losing note, and especially not when your team came so close to the World Series (and for some New Englanders, the opportunity for free furniture; the same promotion Jordan’s trotted out in 2007).

While Tampa Bay began to celebrate, some Red Sox fans began complaining about the lack of production by some players as being the reason for the series loss, while others about managerial moves (or “lack thereof”) made by Francona, and others griped about umpires calls and the Manny trade – the reason why the Red Sox lost this series is simple: The Rays are the better team. Not that much better, but still better.

The Rays finished with 3 more wins than the Sox in head to head matchups, including the postseason. The Rays finished over 162 games 3 games better than the Red Sox. And most importantly, in Game 7, a must win for all involved, the Rays managed to beat the Sox by executing just a little bit better than Boston. They scored 2 more runs, on hits by Longoria and Crawford on pitches that Lester executed perfectly – but which Longoria and Crawford were able to reach out and make contact on. Aybar and Pedroia homered on pitches that were mistakes, and the Red Sox failed to take advantage of other scoring opportunities and the few miscues by the Rays pitching staff (with the seemingly bottomless bullpen, and that was without Percival) and fielders – while the Rays made the most of the few opportunities they had. A game of attrition and the better team always make the best of their opportunities.

Some fans call this Red Sox season a failure – and I strongly disagree. While the Red Sox’s ultimate goal (winning the World Series) was not reached this year, they still managed to make the playoffs, remain competitive, and give us a number of memorable moments throughout the year. They gave us highs, lows, moments we’d rather not remember (and which I’m not going to even mention) and they did it with a bullpen that was inconsistent, a starting rotation missing one of it’s Aces from the start of Spring training, multiple key players being hurt throughout the season, and they nearly made it back to the World Series even without last years World Series MVP. The Sox did what I hoped for and expected – they made the playoffs. Anything that happens beyond that was up to how healthy the team was, and how well the players could perform.

No offense to Mark Kotsay, as he played a great defensive game during the series, but the offensive drop-off between Kotsay and Lowell was bigger than I thought it would be. Before the playoffs began, I thought (wrongly) that they Key for the Sox to succeed in the playoffs was the return of Drew, since I thought the drop-off in offense between Drew and Coco was going to be greater than the drop-off in Offense between Lowell and Kotsay/Casey. As it turned out offensively (and only speaking offensively), Crisp played much better than I thought he would’ve, while Kotsay and Ellsbury played worse that I thought.

While it is sad that the Red Sox season has come to and end, what is sadder is that we have, at most, 7 more games left this season. It saddens me, because I love this game. The only thing that gets me through the winter, besides games replayed on NESN or playing my Red Sox DVD’s, is the Hot Stove and wondering which free agent will end up where, and who gets traded to what team.

Unfortunately for members of Red Sox nation, while there are up to 7 games left, Friendly Fenway Park will not be hosting any of them, as the Red Sox season has finally come to an end. As Ernest Thayer might have written himself:

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;

But there is no parade in Boston, for the Red Sox have lost out.

Good Luck, Tampa Bay – Go get those Phillies.