 |
 |
 |
|
NEW YORK -- These are different times for the Rays, and there's no better place to discover that than right here at Yankee Stadium.
Right here, where the team from Tampa Bay once lost 20-11 after leading 10-2.
|
|
| James Shields made his Rays debut during their 101-loss season in 2006. (US Presswire) |
Actually, it was in Cleveland in 1999. And then it was also at Yankee Stadium, in 2005.
Only the Rays have history like this. Or maybe we should say, only the Devil Rays had history like this, because everything's different now for Tampa Bay.
Especially trips to Yankee Stadium.
"It has that October feel, which I kind of dig," Rays manager Joe Maddon said Tuesday night.
October? That's a little much. How about important-game-in-July feel?
For an organization that never played an important game in any month in its first 10 years of existence, that's enough.
The funny part is that these two games this week matter a lot more for the Yankees than they do for the Rays. Imagine if the Rays had won both. Imagine if they had left here with the Yankees 10½ games behind them.
That won't happen now, and maybe Tuesday's 5-0 Yankees victory is the start of the Yankee surge that so many people in baseball either expect or fear. Or maybe this win, built by Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter, is simply the last gasp from the champions of yesterday.
We don't know that, just like we don't know for sure whether the Rays are too young for a pennant race. Or too shaky in the bullpen to hang on all year.
The point on this night was that questions like that are finally relevant for Tampa Bay. There's something better to ask than what to call the team or how to brighten up that mess of a ballpark.
