Last night’s Wild Card-clinching drama is being called "the greatest games played in one regular-season night in the history of baseball" by ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian, who said, "We’ve played 200,000 games in the history of this sport and there cannot have been a regular-season night quite like tonight." Kurkjian: "This is why baseball is the greatest game" (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 9/29). The Rays clinched the AL Wild Card and the Cardinals won the NL Wild Card in a night that the ST. PETERSBURG TIMES' John Romano calls "drama at the highest level and with the greatest of endings." Romano notes the AL race featured "two games being played simultaneously 1,000 miles apart, and both ending on walkoffs as night turned to morning. ... They write books about this kind of thing" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 9/29). From a "morgue-like clubhouse," Red Sox GM Theo Epstein said, “This is one for the ages, isn’t it?” (BOSTON HERALD, 9/29).
Much of last night's drama took place just before and after midnight. The Phillies won a 13-inning game against the Braves 4-3 at 11:40pm ET, eliminating Atlanta from the playoffs. The Orioles tied the Red Sox at 11:59pm and hit a walkoff single at 12:02am. Rays 3B Evan Longoria hit a walkoff homer at 12:05am for an 8-7 win against the Yankees (ESPN.com, 9/28). Attendance for the Yankees-Rays game at Tropicana Field was 29,518 (MLB).
The BOSTON HERALD's Scott Lauber characterized the night as a "spectacular juxtaposition of dejection and elation." The BOSTON GLOBE's Chad Finn writes, "If you're a baseball fan first, it's a night you'll never forget." The Baltimore SUN's Dan Connolly writes the vibe at Camden Yards was one of "tense moments, jump-to-your-feet excitement, a pennant-race atmosphere for a cellar-dwelling club that began the night 29 games out of first place." The SUN's David Zurawik: "What a great night of TV baseball. What a fine job ESPN did of offering the key games." The ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH's Bryan Burwell said of the Cardinals clinching, "This is one of the most historic, improbable, nerve-racking, frustrating, exhilarating finishes I've ever been around."
Reactions from the Twitter-verse: SI.com’s Richard Deitsch tweeted, "Great job tonight by both ESPN & MLB Net, especially updating score and situation of games not currently on that screen." RLR Associates Managing Dir of Sports Media Andrew Fine: "ESPN should be incredibly proud of @notthefakesvp, @StuartScott & SC producers tonight. Stellar job recapping tonight's events." But Broadcasting & Cable's Ben Grossman posted, "Why did I trash Stuart Scott? Schtick is fine in July. Tonight: stop singing, screaming & respect the game and the power of what unfolded." Wired sportswriter Erik Malinowski: "MLB Network should earn some sort of Emmy or Peabody for tonight's coverage." John Osborn, President & CEO at BBDO, N.Y., tweeted, "Atlanta Journal-Constitution brawls with Boston Herald for ownership of 'Home Team Collapse' headline in tomorrow's paper. Winner: MLB."
