The 2011 MLB regular season came to an end on Wednesday night with one of the more, if not the most, dramatic final day of the season. The Rays came back and the Red Sox collapsed, not just nearly simultaneous on Wednesday night, but in the month of September.
And now the playoffs are set:
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers
Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies
There will be, as we knew months ago, no Rocktober III for the Colorado Rockies this year.
The Rockies finished the season in fourth-place in the NL West. The 73-89 final record had them 21 games behind the Diamondbacks, who won their fifth division title. That's five in 14 years. The Rockies have zero division titles in 19 years.
And that 73-89 record? Tied for fourth-worst record in franchise history (only losing seasons listed):
| Year | W | L | W-L% | Finish |
| 2005 | 67 | 95 | 0.414 | 5th of 5 |
| 1993 | 67 | 95 | 0.414 | 6th of 7 |
| 2004 | 68 | 94 | 0.420 | 4th of 5 |
| 1999 | 72 | 90 | 0.444 | 5th of 5 |
| 2011 | 73 | 89 | 0.451 | 4th of 5 |
| 2002 | 73 | 89 | 0.451 | 4th of 5 |
| 2001 | 73 | 89 | 0.451 | 5th of 5 |
| 1994 | 53 | 64 | 0.453 | 3rd of 4 |
| 2008 | 74 | 88 | 0.457 | 3rd of 5 |
| 2003 | 74 | 88 | 0.457 | 4th of 5 |
| 2006 | 76 | 86 | 0.469 | 4th of 5 |
| 1998 | 77 | 85 | 0.475 | 4th of 5 |
Let's just hope that the Rockies aren't out to repeat the 2001-02 pattern