TAMPA BAY IS ATTEMPTING TO BECOME… just the 5th market to win a Stanley Cup, World Series and Super Bowl – joining Boston, New York, Chicago and Pittsburgh.
Rays become the second team in MLB history and just the 5th team in the four major sports to advance to its league’s championship series the year after having the worst record in the league…none have gone on to win the league championship…those that have done it:
o 1991 Braves won the NL pennant and lost to the Minnesota Twins in the World Series the year after going 65-97.
o 1958-59 Minneapolis Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals the year after going 19-53.
o 1949-50 New York Rangers lost to the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals the year after going 18-31-11.
o 1958-59 Toronto Maple Leafs lost to Montreal in the Stanley Cup Finals the year after going 21-38-11.
DAVID PRICE— The 23-year-old top overall pick in 2007 out of Vanderbilt University earned his first major league win in Game 2 of the ALCS and got the final four outs for his first big league save Sunday in Game 7.
…according to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the 3rd rookie pitcher to record a win and a save in the same postseason series, joining the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright (2006 World Series) and the Reds’ Rawly Eastwick (1975 NLCS, 1975 World Series).
…he is the 18th player to earn a save in a postseason game in which he entered a bases-loaded situation, but the first rookie.
…he became the 4th pitcher all-time to earn his first major league win in the postseason, joining STL Josh Kinney at NY (2006), ANA Francisco Rodriguez at NY (2002) and ATL Odalis Perez vs. CHC (1998).
…he is also the 9th pitcher to get his first save in the postseason.
…he made his ML debut on Sep 14 at Yankee Stadium and pitched in 5 regular season games (1 start).
2008 ALCS MVP: MATT GARZA—Garza went 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA (13.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 6 BB, 14 SO) in the ALCS.
…he won Games 3 and 7 for the Rays.
…this marks the 11th time (10th pitcher) that a pitcher has won ALCS MVP honors.
…at 24, Garza is the youngest pitcher ever to win ALCS MVP honors, surpassing Mike Boddicker of the 1983 Baltimore Orioles.
…with a win Game 7, the 24-year-old Garza became the sixth pitcher (seventh time) under the age of 25 in ALCS history to earn the win in the ALCS-clinching game, joining Hall of Famer Jim Palmer (23 in 1969 ALCS, 24 in 1970 ALCS), Dave Righetti (22 in 1981 ALCS), Roger Clemens (24 in 1986 ALCS), Andy Pettitte (24 in 1996 ALCS) and Francisco Rodriguez (20 in 2002 ALCS).
…a product of Fresno State and 2005 first round pick by the Twins, Garza was acquired along with SS Jason Bartlett on 11/28/07 as part of the trade that sent OF Delmon Young to Minnesota.
B.J. AND LONGO!—Upton and Longoria have combined to hit 13 home runs this postseason, second-most by a duo in major league history.
…the 8 home runs combined between the two in the ALCS represent the most by any duo in a single series in postseason play.
(Elias Sports Bureau).
COMBINED HR’S PLAYERS TEAM YEAR
14 Rich Aurilia & Barry Bonds San Francisco Giants 2002
13 Evan Longoria & B.J. Upton Tampa Bay Rays 2008
12 Albert Pujols & Larry Walker St. Louis Cardinals 2004
*Source: David Vincent, SABR
MORE B.J. AND LONGO—
Upton has 15 RBI this postseason, four shy of the ML record 19, held by David Ortiz in 2004 with Boston, Sandy Alomar in 1997 with Cleveland and Scott Spiezio in 2002 with Anaheim.
…his 11 RBI in the ALCS tied an LCS record (Ortiz-2004).
Longoria’s 8 RBI in the ALCS tied Cincinnati’s Pat Duncan (1919) for most RBI by a rookie in a single postseason.
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