Most of us saw this coming but, personally, I didn't expect it so soon. We knew Tampa Bay was going to be good one day.
But this good?
Please.
In one season, the Rays have become the Clark Kent of baseball. Peel off the suit and tie and present yourself in a completely different manner. But it wasn't as easy as a simple name and uniform change.
General manager Andrew Friedman, whose appearance gives you the impression he graduated from high school last year, made the bold yet calculated decision to trade an outfielder with all-star potential to the Minnesota Twins. But Delmon Young also gave the organization an all-star headache, so he was dispatched for Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett. The early feeling was that Tampa got hosed in the deal, but here's why people like me aren't GM's: Garza went out and looked like Bob Gibson in the deciding game against Boston to cement himself as the MVP of the Championship Series.
The Rays have also proven the importance of making high draft picks count because, for every Evan Longoria selected, there's an Augie Schmidt.
Who is Augie Schmidt? He won college baseball's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy in 1982 and was taken with the second overall pick in that year's draft by the Blue Jays; taken ahead of players like Dwight Gooden and Bret Saberhagen. Schmidt never played a game in the big leagues and, at last check, was coaching high school baseball somewhere in Wisconsin.
So, if you're enjoying Longoria's at-bats on a daily basis, why not try something: Write the words "Longoria. Hall of Fame" on a little piece of paper and stuff it under your socks. Twenty years from now you can pull it out and see if you were right. I say chances are quite good.
If that happens, Colorado will hope Greg Reynolds wins a Cy Young or two in that time, because he was the kid taken directly ahead of Longoria.
Tampa Bay hit on Longoria. They hit on B.J. Upton. By all accounts, they have hit on David Price. And they hit on Josh Hamilton before running out of patience. Those who think hitting the jackpot with top picks is easy should check the draft record of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Earlier this season, I walked into Joe Maddon's office for a quick chat. He reached for his iPod to turn the volume down on "Ruby Tuesday" by the Rolling Stones before greeting me with a warm handshake. My first thought?
"I like this guy."
Word has it his players think the same thing.
So congratulations to the Rays for making it to the World Series for the first time. Can't say you didn't warn us.
