Has there ever been anything quite like it? Not with me watching.
During the long delay in play, the Red Sox viewed a brand new TV soap opera: “As Our Fate Turns.” As Camden fans watched the Rays game on the big video board, Tampa Bay erased that 7-0 deficit to New York. Yes, the hated Yankees make Sox life heaven then turned it to Hades.
When Longoria’s three-run homer made it 7-6, the Camden crowd bellowed, “Lets Go Rays,” to annoy Red Sox fans in the crowd and inspire their Orioles for that comeback of their own. However, when Johnson connected to create extra innings, the crowd of 29,749 — most of whom never left — went blissfully if damply nuts.
However, this was just the richest part of a wild night across baseball America. Hanging in the balance were two wild-card spots and the delectable possibility that the Red Sox might have to go to Florida on Thursday to play the Rays and the Braves might head to St. Louis for two “play-in” games on the same day to see which teams advanced to the playoffs in October.
Two such sudden-death games, as a cannon-shot introduction to the drama of October baseball, would be unprecedented; and the ideal blend of genuine drama and mega-marketing to advertise the sport.
Reality disagreed. Rays and Cards make the playoffs. No games Thursday.
Three of the four concurrent games were insanely tense. The crowd here had an experience shared with fans in St. Petersburg, Houston and Atlanta, with scoreboard updates, and sometimes video, punctuating the live action.
When the Braves’ Chipper Jones smoked a gapper in the bottom of the 10th that looked like a sure walk-off piece, the crowd began to applaud, then gasped, and cheered even louder when Phils center fielder Michael Martinez made a flat-sprint lunging last-instant snag.
How much did it matter? Oh, only a whole season’s worth. Instead of meeting the winning Cards, the Braves lost in the 13th inning and will now watch October from their sofas, if they haven’t burned down their houses.
“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful,” Mae West said.
More than any end-of-regular-season night in baseball history, this proved it.
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