Nothing Maddon-ing About This

Maddon has made the Rays contenders
 and turned the franchise's fate in 2008.

Joe Maddon isn't going anywhere. And the Tampa Bay Rays made sure of that Tuesday.

The 58-year-old manager was given a three-year extension by his current employer, insuring his place on the Tampa Bay bench through the 2015 season. Maddon was entering the final year of his current contract after previously signing his first three-year extension with the organization in May 2009.

Since being hired as the Rays manager in November 2005, Maddon has rapidly become one of the game's best managers. Under his watch, the Rays have made three appearances, won two American League East Division titles and an AL Pennant.

In a year of firsts for the organization and only his third season as manager, Maddon lead the budget-conscious Rays to a franchise record 97 regular season wins and their first postseason appearance in franchise history, outplaying the high-paying New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox for the division crown. Tampa Bay defeated the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS to clinch their first playoff series victory, advancing to the ALCS to take on the Red Sox.

The series would come down to an epic seventh game -- a game Tampa Bay eventually won, 3-1. However, they were defeated in their first ever World Series appearance, losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games.

The following year, Maddon and his troops would take a step back, finishing the year 84-78 -- third in the division, causing many to wonder if their success was just an anomaly.

That wasn't the case.

In 2010, Maddon and the Rays went back to work, clinching their division for the second time in three years. This past season, Tampa Bay would make the most historic September comeback in baseball history, over coming a 9-game wild card deficit only to first their first ever AL Wild Card berth the final day of the regular season.

Although, back-to-back years they have been ousted from the postseason in the ALDS by the Texas Rangers.

Maddon has built a foundation for success down South, but it hasn't been easy.

He spent his first two years in Tampa Bay as a Devil Ray, watching his team finish in the cellar of the AL East, combining for 127-197 record and drafting young players that would define the team's recent success.

In the first round of the 2006 amateur draft, Maddon and Co. selected shortstop Evan Longoria out of Cal State Long Beach with the No. 3 overall pick. Then, eight rounds later, the Rays selected Desmond Jennings, who played in 63 games this past season as a rookie.

In 2007, with the No. 1 overall pick, Maddon took left-handed phenom David Price out of Vanderbilt and played a major role in the team signing free agent first baseman Carlos Pena.

Longoria won the 2008 AL Rookie of the Year. Price has become one of the game's most premier pitchers, winning a career-high 19 games in 2010. Pena set career-highs home runs (46) and runs batted in (121) in his first year with the Rays and hit a combined 144 HRs in his four years with the team before leaving as a free agent prior to the start of last season.

But after a year away from the organization, Pena signed a one-year deal this offseason to return. As for Jennings, he batted .259 with 10 HRs and 25 RBIs, playing a major role in the Rays' magical September run.

And despite being drafted by the Rays just month before Maddon was hired, Jeremy Hellickson is his second rookie to earn the AL Rookie of the Year of the honor, going 13-10 with a 2.95 ERA in 2011.

Maddon is not only the fourth manager in franchise history, but the longest tenured as well.

The franchise's first manager and current Yankee pitching coach, Larry Rothschild, held the mark prior to Maddon's arrival, managing the club from 1998 to 2001.

Maddon is one of three successful managers in baseball that studied under Mike Scioscia, who is a two-time AL Manager of the Year.

The former Angels bench coach established early and often he would do things his own way. With his thick-rimmed-rose-color glasses, Maddon is known for his unorthodox managerial style and preaching the fundamentals of the game he loves so dear.

On Aug. 17, 2008, with a four-run lead, Maddon elected to intentional walk Texas' Josh Hamilton with the bases loaded rather than pitching to him as the potential tying run. It was only the sixth intentional walk handed out with the bases loaded in baseball history.

The move prevailed as the Dan Wheeler struck out Marlon Byrd to end the game, preserving the lead in a 7-4 win.

Maddon was won the AL Manager of the Year twice ('08, '10), has accumulated a 495-477 record in his 972 games and is now greatest manager in franchise history with at least four more years to add to his legacy.

What A Way To Finish

Papelbon walks off hanging his head
and in disbelief like most Boston players.

Prior to the start of the 2011 Major League Baseball season many had already crowned the once-cursed Boston Red Sox AL East division champions, they would represent the American League in the Fall Classic, and ultimately win their third World Series title in eight years. That's why they play the game.

The Red Sox completed the greatest September collapse Wednesday night losing to the never say die Baltimore Orioles 4-3. While the Tampa Bay Rays continued their improbable run at history, playing the role of Cinderella.

Red Sox fans found themselves in unfamiliar territory, rooting for the hated New York Yankees with their Lets Go Yanks signs scattered throughout Camden Yards.

Both teams sent their ace left-handers to the hill hoping if nothing else to live to play another day. Boston's Jon Lester, who was starting on three days rest for only the second time in his career, had a 14-0 record in 17 career starts against Baltimore, giving the Sox the slight advantage. Down South David Price, like Lester, had pitched in a World Series as rookie knowing exactly what pressure is.

With New York grabbing an unearned run in the first at Tampa Bay, former AL MVP and the heart and soul of this Red Sox team, Dustin Pedroia got the scoring started with an RBI single in the third.

Baltimore quickly answered in the home half of the inning with two of their own after J.J. Hardy's 30th home run of the season, tying him for the major league lead among shortstops.

After a two-out grand slam by Mark Teixeira in the second inning their arch rival, with nothing to play for, held a 5-0 lead after only an inning and a half. Up in Maryland, Boston had knotted the score at two after an Alfred Simon balk.

Then almost simultaneously Teixeira hit his second home run in consecutive at-bats against Price while Pedroia was giving the Sox a 3-2 edge with a solo shot of his own, willing his way to the postseason. Price would not return for the fifth at Tropicana Field after a disappointing 97-pitch effort. His replacement would not fair much better as reliever Juan Cruz surrendered a home run to only the second batter he faced, Yankee left fielder Andruw Jones.

Tampa Bay found themselves facing 7-0 deficit with only one hit through six innings, there season in doubt and an uphill climb upon them. During Boston's seventh inning rain delay NESN welcomed in long-time Boston Globe sports writer Dan Shaughnessy to the booth, where he pronounced the Rays dead in the water and was ready to crown the Red Sox wild card champions.

I guess the Rays didn't get the memo.

Joe Maddon's squad rallied with a four-hit, six-run eighth inning capped off by a three-run home run by the new face of their franchise, Evan Longoria, cutting the New York lead to one.

While the Sox resumed play against the Orioles, the Rays were down to their final strike. Pinch-hitter and Red Sox killer Dan Johnson launched a 2-2 changeup into the right field stands for a two-out game-tying home run.

Johnson watches the flight of his game-tying
ninth inning home run Wednesday.

Pandemonium at the Trop.

It was the second time Johnson, who hadn't recorded a hit since April 27th and had accumulated a .108 average, played ninth inning hero for the Rays.

In 2008, the left-handed slugger smacked a game-tying home run against Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, helping propel Tampa to their first division title and postseason berth in franchise history.

Meanwhile after squandering numerous scoring opportunities Papelbon was brought in to preserve a one-run lead and ensure the Sox at least one more game. After deposing the first two hitters on strikes, Chris Davis promptly lined the first pitch he saw from the hard-throwing right-hander into the right field corner, sliding into second with a double.

Just before the clock struck midnight Eastern Time, Cinderella got her wish.

Baltimore's Nolan Reimold, a name that now will forever live in Red Sox lore, lined a game-tying ground-rule double, crushing Red Sox Nation. It was Papelbon's third blown save of the season and the second in the month of September against the Orioles. The other coming back on the Sept. 20 at Fenway Park with the man striding to the plate responsible for it.

Robert Andino spoiled the Red Sox evening with a three-run double once already this season, could he do it again?

Andino drilled a bullet to left field as Carl Crawford would not make a play he would usually make in his sleep, scoring the game-winning run and sending shock waves through New England.

With the score being posted in Tampa and the Rays' fans erupting in excitement, minutes later Longoria would hit a walk-off home run down the left field line, tallying his second jack of the game and sending Tampa Bay to the 2011 postseason. It was the first time a team faced a 7-0 deficit in their final regular season game only to come back and win to make the playoffs.

Longoria's walk-off blast also put himself in some pretty elite company joining baseball legend Bobby Thomson as the only other player to hit a walk-off home run on the final day of the season to put their team in the postseason.

As for the Red Sox, they did not win consecutive games once during the month of September. You have to go as far back as Aug. 27 when the Sox swept a double-header from the Oakland Athletics to find back-to-back wins for this club.

They finish the month with a 7-20 record, a .259 winning percentage, their worst since 1952. It was the first time since 1993 Boston would lose 16 or more games in September and first time since the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons they would not make the postseason in consecutive seasons.

The last time we saw the Red Sox in the playoffs it was a familiar sight as Papelbon was blowing a two-run lead, allowing the Angels to exercise their postseason demons, advancing to the ALCS.

Boston finishes 3-9 in their last 12 games and 2-5 in their last seven meetings with the Orioles.

Longoria celebrates after launching his
Rays into the postseason.

Many are calling for manager Terry Francona's head, but my how we forget so quickly. Francona replaced Grady Little as manager following the 2003 season. He is responsible for orchestrating a 0-3 ALCS comeback against the Yankees and ending an 86-year curse. In Tito's tenure at the helm the Sox have posted a .574 winning percentage, good enough for second in franchise history and the majors since '04.

His 28 postseason wins and 2 World Series titles are by far the most during his eight seasons in Beantown.

It all starts with pitching and that's something that was dismal for Boston the final month of the regular season. As a whole the staff posted a 5.84 ERA with six blown saves while the starters saw their ERA balloon to 7.08.

After blowing the largest lead (9 games) in September history, 1978 is in the rearview mirror with 2004 and 2007 feeling like a very long time ago.

Credit goes to Maddon as he never let his guys quit. In an offseason that say Tampa lose their top 6 highest paid players including players like the reigning AL saves leader Rafael Soriano, their home run leader Carlos Pena and the face of their franchise with Crawford departing to Boston, they were a team without an identity.

For two teams that both started the season 0-6, it will be a tale of two very different seasons.

For the Red Sox Sept. 28, 2011 will be a day that will forever live in infamy as it was the Rays date with destiny. Even Hollywood couldn't have written this script.

The San Francisco Giants got into the postseason on the final day of the season a year ago with the same type of formula for success, pitching. We all know how that fairy tale ended. How will this one?