Disrespect

Tonight in Texas, your Tampa Bay Rays were ahead 7-3 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. At the plate was Josh Hamilton, 2 for 4 in the game, the tying run, hitting .302 with 28 home runs and 112 RBIs; perhaps, this year, the most dangerous hitter in baseball.

The Rays walked him. Intentionally. To force in a run, and put the tying run on first base, and the winning run at the plate... in the form of ex-Phillies OF Marlon Byrd (.290, 8 and 34).

Unfortunately for the Rangers, Hamilton didn't pull the Kelly Leak trick (Bad News Bears, original) of swinging at the intentional pitch. Because the Rays' closer of the moment with Troy Percival out again, Dan Wheeler, got Byrd swinging, and that was the ball game. Tampa stays 4 up of Boston in the East, with the second-best record in the AL and the third-best record in all of baseball.

Plus, they get major cojones points for their ability to do, well, anything to get a win... including adapt to the bandbox environment of Texas, and insult Marlon Byrd in a way that he probably hasn't felt since he was in Philly...