Rays are eliminated from playoff contention

I guess I shouldn't really take it too hard, this is only the 2nd time in the Rays history that they were even this close. But, last night's loss to the Seattle Mariners officially shut the door on the Rays chances of defending their championship.  I think it was a little ironic that the Seattle Mariners snuffed out their playoff chances. This is the same team that brutalized the Rays in mid-August in a series that could've been the catalyst that led management to trading Scott Kazmir.

Now that the 2009 season seems to be winding down, it's time for the Rays to look toward the future. Management has some very tough decisions coming up in the off-season. And depending on how the American League playoffs play out, the Rays could see their divisional rivals loading up even more (just imagine what would happen if the Yankees some how get eliminated).  

Between now and this time next year, the Rays need to figure out how to capture just a little bit of that magic they had from last year. That way, we can enjoy a little more post-season magic ourselves.