GRANT BALFOUR felt a twinge of regret at the closure of Yankee Stadium this week but nothing for the demise of its primary tenants. It was Balfour's team, after all, which effectively ended the New York Yankees' run of 13 straight play-off appearances this month, ensuring that wrecking balls, as opposed to fast ones, will feature at The House That Ruth Built in the gold rush month of October.
Balfour has played no small role in this stunning turn of events. A prominent figure in the Tampa Bay Rays' bullpen this season, the hurler from the Sydney suburb of Kellyville is equal second in Earned Run Average (1.42) among all major league pitchers with 50-plus innings, and has averaged an outrageous 12 strikeouts per nine innings in the process (80 in all). In all, he has amassed a 6-2 win-loss record and collected four saves - all for an unfancied, unheralded franchise that continues to lead all comers in the American League East entering the final week of the regular season.
The enormity of the Rays' efforts cannot be overstated. The Florida franchise is the only major league club never to have made a post-season appearance, and entered the season with the second lowest payroll in the game, precisely $165,260,981 in arrears of the Bronx Bombers. One Yankees player, Alex Rodriguez, earns roughly 70 per cent of the entire Tampa roster. Sporting stories don't come much more Cinderella.
"I couldn't care less how much they earn out there," Balfour said from Baltimore, just hours before he decimated the Orioles for his sixth win of the season on Monday. "They're just another guy to get out. In fact, it probably pumps me up a bit when I'm facing the big names. We've proven that we're good enough to beat these teams, even with our small payroll.
"I was watching [New York] on TV last night after their last game at Yankee Stadium, and you could tell this wasn't how they wanted things to be. You could see it in Derek Jeter in particular. He has never not been to the play-offs in his entire career, so I'm sure they're all disappointed. They've had a good run. It's time for someone else to get in there, and why shouldn't it be us?"
Tampa Bay have romanced, enthralled and overwhelmed America all summer long. Most pundits tipped them to finish last in their division - hardly a radical call on the back of their 96-loss season in 2007 - and, even after their brisk start to the season, few truly believed the Rays could maintain their course through the grinding 162-game regular season.
They have. On Tuesday, the Rays extended their lead over the Boston Red Sox in the AL East, having already clinched at least a wildcard spot for the play-offs.
Should they maintain their ascendancy through Sunday, Tampa will have topped their division - and the story of their Australian relief pitcher will command more space on the televisions, newspapers and computer screens of a captivated nation.
Balfour pitched a scoreless seventh inning in Tampa's victory over Minnesota last Saturday; a win which propelled the Rays into the play-offs for the first time.
The right-armer was even more dominant against the Orioles on Tuesday, striking out two during a scoreless eighth inning at Camden Yards. He has not conceded a run since September 5.
"It was a pretty amazing feeling to clinch [a play-off berth] the other night," he said. "You didn't want to be the one to blow it."
Balfour is no stranger to post-season baseball, having previously advanced to the play-offs with the Minnesota Twins in 2004, but never has there been such hype surrounding his appearance. Having started the season in the minor leagues, Balfour's steady control and mid-150kmh fastball has prompted much excited chatter since his mid-season elevation to the majors, almost certainly ensuring a multimillion dollar addition to his current $US175,000 ($209,000) contract for next season.
"I'd like to sign a multi-year deal, but that's all ahead of me," he said.
"If we win a world series, that will make the negotiations much easier, you'd think."
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