rdog story for me, I had waited 23 years for a Bulldog Championship.
As the College World Series was winding down, the Major League season was just getting it’s feet under them. One of the early surprising stories was the Tampa Bay Rays, taking command of the American League East. That would be the American League East with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The best two teams money can buy, well at least most of the time. The year before, the Rays lost 97 games with a team of young, inexperienced players. Giant fans please pay attention. Behind the leadership of Joe Madden, the Rays seemed to have reached the Promised Land. Then Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett were acquired midseason from the Twins. The Rays held on and won the American League East Title. Next they beat the Chicago White Sox in Round One of the American League Playoffs. Up next was the mighty Red Sox, who after falling behind 3 games to 1 and on the brink of extinction pulled off an improbably and precedent setting comeback. Momentum seemed to have switched in favor of Beantown. On Saturday night, Josh Beckett led the Red Sox to a win to even the series. It set up a match of young flamethrowers, Garza vs Jon Lester. Both pitchers threw well, but in the year of the Wonderdogs, is it any surprise that for seven innings, Garza, the former Fresno State Bulldog, would be almost perfect as the Rays took a 3-1 decision and earned a trip to the World Series.
