ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For Robert Shedden, the Tampa Bay Rays' latest World Series run brought back familiar feelings: hope, heartbreak, and the sense that a championship remains just out of reach.
A St. Pete native, Shedden has followed the Rays since 2008. He watched the team come within reach of a title in both 2008 and 2020, only to see those seasons end in disappointment too.
Now, after the Milwaukee Brewers defeated Tampa Bay 4-1 in Game 5 to win the World Series, Shedden is left trying to make sense of another season that ended short of the ultimate goal.
“Always the bridesmaid, never the bride,” Shedden said.
'A buzzsaw'
Shedden said he wanted to believe the Rays could pull off a championship run, but Milwaukee proved difficult to overcome.
The Brewers, he said, felt like “the same team, just a little bit better in every capacity.”
Shedden described Milwaukee as “a buzz saw” and said the Rays always seemed two steps behind.
He pointed to Game 3, particularly the eight-run fifth inning, as a turning point that made the series even harder to overcome.
“That really took our soul,” he said.
Despite the disappointing result, Shedden isn't interested in placing the blame on one person.
“I don’t think anyone’s to blame," he said. "I think people are going to look at Kevin Cash and say, ‘You pulled [Drew Rasmussen] too early. He put the wrong people out there. Bats weren’t alive.’ It was all around the board.”
The Rays avoided a sweep with a dramatic 4-3, 12-inning win in Game 4. But Milwaukee closed out the series Wednesday night, ending Tampa Bay's championship hopes.
Shedden stayed through the end of Game 5 and clung on to hope until the final swing.
Looking ahead
Even after another World Series loss, Shedden said he hopes the Rays can keep much of their roster together and improve their bullpen.
He would also like to see the team spend more money to strengthen its chances of competing for a championship. But with the organization preparing for its next chapter and a new home, he isn't sure how much that will happen until the move to Tampa.
For now, he remains optimistic about what the team can accomplish.
“I have hope, and I think we're going to be — maybe not here next year — but I think we're going to be competitive,” he said.
That hope is part of what keeps him coming back, even when the season ends in disappointment.
“It's the life of a Rays fan,” Shedden said. “You always have hope and always just a little bit short.”
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