Audi Kowalski of Palm Harbor celebrates the Tampa Bay Rays ALCS victory outside Tropicana Field. [Chris Zuppa, Times]

Rays fans revel after the Tampa Bay Rays become the American League champions on late Sunday night after their win over the Boston Red Sox. (WILLIE J. ALLEN JR. | Times)

Ferg's sports bar bartender Denyse Deegan says a quick prayer behind the bar as she waits for the 8th inning to end in the Rays and Boston Red Sox game. Later the Rays fans celebrated the new American League champion Rays win late Sunday evening. (WILLIE J. ALLEN JR. | Times)

Donna Taylor of Tampa nervously watches the Tampa Bay Rays play the Boston Red Sox at the top of the 7th inning at Tropicana Field on Sunday, 10/19/2008. "Yes, very nervous," Taylor said. [Chris Zuppa, Times]

Karen Mathews of St. Petersburg (right) cheers as the Tampa Bay Rays go up 3-1 in the 7th inning against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field on Sunday, 10/19/2008.  [Chris Zuppa, Times]

(left to right) Tampa Bay Rays fans Ken Frapiccini (blue) and Tommy Busch both of Sarasota celebrate the Rays taking the lead in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox. Also pictured at right is Red Sox fan Jen O'Connor of Sarasota. [Chris Zuppa, Times]

Tampa Bay Rays fans watch a foul ball head to the outfield during the fifth inning at Tropicana Field on Sunday, 10/19/2008. [Chris Zuppa, Times]

(left to right) Matt Bradley (wearing glasses) of St. Petersburg and Frank Theriault of Clearwater (wearing sunglasses) celebrate the Tampa Bay Rays scoring in the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox making it 1-1 at Tropicana Field on Sunday, 10/19/2008. [Chris Zuppa, Times]

Tampa Bay Rays fans Brandon DeWeese (left) and Kyle Rolfes, both of St. Petersburg, at Tropicana Field on Sunday, 10/19/2008.  [Chris Zuppa, Times]

Tampa Bay Rays fan host Barbara Moseley of St. Petersburg cheers in the first inning for the Rays at Tropicana Field on Sunday, 10/19/2008. [Chris Zuppa, Times]

Tampa Bay Rays fan host Bob MacDonald of St. Petersburg sports a new design for the last game of the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field on Sunday, 10/19/2008. "If we win, it's all because I have this on my head," MacDonald joked. He's been changing the design for each game. "This is going to be the one to do it.  [Chris Zuppa, Times]

L-R: Rays fan Brian Moore, 25, of Tampa watches as Nava Ben-Avraham, 27, of Tampa is embraced by his cousin Ben Price, 30, of Tampa. Price says that he hasn't washed his jersey since the beginning of the playoffs. "It's disgusting," says Ben-Avraham. The three were playing flip-cup outside of Tropicana Field before the start of game seven of the American League Championship series between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. [Edmund Fountain, Times]

L-R: Larissa Wright, 21, of Bradenton, Brian Moore, 25, of Tamp, Nava Ben-Avraham, 27, of Tampa, and Ben Price, 30, of Tampa play flip-cup outside of Tropicana Field on October 19, 2008 before the start of game seven of the American League Championship Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox. [Edmund Fountain, Times]

Cary Strukel, of Pinellas Park, also known as the "Cowbell Kid" watches batting practice at Tropicana Field on Sunday, 10/19/2008. The Tampa Bay Rays are playing the Boston Red Sox in the final game of the American League Championship Series. [Chris Zuppa, Times]