Depression. That’s right, the D word. You know, I’ve got to hand it to Yankees fans, depression is tough. I think it’s something you learned from your counterparts in Boston, especially after that loss to the Marlins in 2004. That was the last time the pinstriped knights from the Bronx were even close to being World Champs. I can understand why you’ve been depressed.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Down to their last chance, the Tampa Bay Rays left no doubt they were World Series-worthy, after all.

Believe it: Baseball's doormats have arrived.

Going from worst to first, the young Rays completed a stunning run to their first pennant, holding off the defending champion Boston Red Sox 3-1 Sunday night behind Matt Garza's masterful pitching in Game 7 of the AL championship series.

"It's unbelievable," center fielder B.J. Upton said. "We battled a lot of adversity this year. We stuck together as a team."

And, they showed a bit of Boston-like resolve when they needed it.