Now don’t get your hopes up, it’s not my goodbye.  You see, since there has been nary a post around here this off season, I feel like before I get all psyched about the 2011 Rays, I should say farewell to those we have lost.

Lance Cormier

We’ll miss the good times but mostly we’ll miss using this picture.  You might not be 40, and you might not be a virgin but Steve Carrell has nothing on you.

Willy Aybar

We’ll miss your timely home runs, your smile and your boots with fur.

Dan Wheeler

We’ll miss all the big outs you’ve given us fans.  Plus we’re worried Mr. Staats will be lonely without you. 

Rafael Soriano and Joaquin Benoit

I’m afraid I might miss this tag team more than anything from 2010.

Chad Qualls
We hardly knew ye, but we’ll miss the grounders.

Carlos Pena

We will truly miss you and your passion for the game.  Show Chicago that smile and you’ll be fine.

Dioner Navarro

We’ll miss the all-star Navi.  Maybe the Dodgers can bring him back to life.

Gabe Kapler

We’ll miss those forearms, enough said.

Matt Garza

The facial hair, the spitting, the no hitters, we are really going to miss you and your bad self.

Carl Crawford

Yeah this one just plain sucks.  We’re going to miss everything about you dude.  Thanks for the good times.

Randy Choate

Later loogy we’ll miss you.

Jason Bartlett

Oh, Barty it’s hard to quit you, but Briggy will help us get over you.

Grant Balfour

Not you too?  All these bullpen goodbyes are making me nervous.  Good luck to ya mate.

Rocco Baldelli

Your number one in my heart even if you’re not on the field.

Thanks for the memories boys.

The 2010 Rays story came to a close last night.  Today I found myself watching all the replays, listening to all of the analysis, reading every blog post, comment, tweet etc., until I just couldn’t do it anymore.  It was making me feel really…sad.

Finally I realized that I wasn’t sad because of how it ended.  I was just sad that it had to end at all.  It’s like when you come to the end of an excellent book or movie.  You don’t want it to end.  You love these characters.  You want to stay involved with them.

True, the ending is not how I would have wrote it.  However it wasn’t like someone died.  The Rays won the AL East.  That’s not just a pretty good season, that’s one win away from the best record in baseball.  Only eight teams make the playoffs.  Our ending was way better than most.  Not only that but they fought back and avoided a three game sweep in the ALDS.  The ending is not even as sad as it could have been a couple of days earlier.  If you know what I mean Vern.

Plus the best thing about baseball is that another edition/sequel is right around the corner.  The characters might not all be the same but the story goes on.

Not only did the Rays give us something to cheer about, they lived to see another day!  I’m so happy to be able to say “See you tomorrow boys.”  Go Rays!

C'mon kid, pull my finger.

Rays fans everywhere are sick and flippin tired of all the attendance talk.  Can I just tell you this area loves this team.  I was at a couple of youth baseball games yesterday.  Parents everywhere were keeping one eye on their kids and the other eye on their phones.  Everybody knew when the Yankees lost.  Plus there were high fives all around when the Rays won, followed by a cheer from the dugouts when the kids found out.  We love this team.  Just ask all the people who greeted the Rays at the airport how they feel about this team.  It makes me a little misty eyed just thinking about it.

What the media should be talking about is how phenomenal it is that the Tampa Bay Rays have won the AL East twice in three years!  Think about that.  The Yankees won 95 games this year and only ended up with the wild card.  Everyone in the Rays organization deserves a big ole bear hug today.  It has been a great season and hopefully the good times keep on rolling.  Go Rays!