There's Always Next Year, Rangers Fans

After the most ridiculous Game 6 in the history of baseball forced the decisive Game 7 Friday night at Busch Stadium, the Texas Rangers were confident that they'd bring their first ever World Series Championship back home to Arlington. However, it looks like they're going to have to wait until next October... kinda like last season.

Leading the game for a whole half an inning, the Rangers never did catch up during their 6-2 Game 7 loss, scoring only once in the first inning on a Josh Hamilton RBI double. The National League Wild Card-winning Cardinals, who were 10 1/2 games out of contention in late August, have achieved what seemed impossible, with players like MVP David Freese and Allen Craig coming up big throughout the entire postseason to bring an 11th Championship to the city of St. Louis.

But enough about that incredible World Series ride and the guys who are going home Champions, let's have a look at the losers. In sad photo montage, of course...

There's Always Next Year, Brewers Fans

The St. Louis Cardinals won Game 6 of the National League Championship Series Sunday night to bring their 18th pennant home and punch their ticket to their World Series for the first time since 2006 when they won it all.

After rallying from a 10 1/2-game deficit at the end of August, the Cards played their asses off to earn the Wild Card before defying the odds and beating the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. It took them six exciting games, but they tossed the Milwaukee Brewers out of the postseason to make it to the Fall Classic and take on the American League Champion Texas Rangers.

Meanwhile, Tony Hush, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and the rest of the Brewers will disperse to their offseason homes. Where the free agent Fielder will go, no one is quite sure. Speaking of sad things, here is the Brew Crew's farewell to a fantastic season. In unfortunate photo montage...

There's Always Next Year, Tigers Fans

The Detroit Tigers' season is over after an embarrassing Game 6 effort in Arlington in which they lost 15-5 to the American League Champion Texas Rangers.

Thanks in large part to a nine-run third inning by Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth, and Rick Porcello, the Motor City Kitties hung their heads and watched the red and blue confetti fly throughout Rangers Ballpark Saturday night. But enough about the game, let's see the Tigers off with a bang, in sad photo montage, of course.

There's Always Next Year, Phillies Fans

ONE HUNDRED AND TWO REGULAR SEASON VICTORIES. ONE GIANT FAILURE.

The one game the Philadelphia Phillies needed to win -- Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Wild Card-winning St. Louis Cardinals Friday night -- they lost 1-0 thanks to Chris Carpenter's rocket arm and a Skip Schumaker RBI.

Carpenter was lights out all night long, allowing only three hits with three strikeouts. Meanwhile, Roy Halladay pitched his little heart out, surrendering just the one run on six hits with seven Ks over eight solid innings. Not quite phucking solid enough though.

But enough about that incredible pitcher's duel. Highlighting this season's fourth edition of There's Always Next Year, let's see the Phillies off with a bang into their long, long offseason. In sad photo montage.

There's Always Next Year, Yankees Fans

Moving right along with this season's second edition of There's Always Next Year...

The Detroit Tigers are headed to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2006 after scraping past the New York Yankees 3-2 Thursday night with an exciting Game 5 victory in the Bronx.

The Texas Rangers, who advanced to the ALCS on Tuesday after taking three of four Division Series games over the Tampa Bay Rays, were ready and waiting and probably didn't give a crap who they faced in the end, as long as they get another shot at the World Series.

But enough about the winners. Let's have an emotional look at the losers. In sad photo montage, of course.

There's Always Next Year, Rays Fans

Here we go again, kicking off another postseason of "There's Always Next Year, Dot Dot Dot." We absolutely love this part.

The Tampa Bay Rays, who fought so damn hard to get into the playoffs in the first place, find themselves the very first team to be eliminated out of postseason contention after the insane bat of Adrian Beltre and the Texas Rangers knocked them back into the offseason Tuesday afternoon. We know.... we wish we could give Evan Longoria a hug too. Among other things.

There's Always Next Year, Phillies Fans

It was looking more and more like the Philadelphia Phillies were headed for their third straight trip to the World Series Saturday night, right up until Big Bad Ryan Howard stood at the plate, bat still in hand, watching the San Francisco Giants celebrate their first NL pennant since 2002.

Stranding 11 runners on base during Game 6, Philadelphia just couldn’t seem to get a timely hit, resulting in a 3-2 loss in front of a sad and stunned crowd at Citizens Bank Park.

There's Always Next Year, Yankees Fans

It's been two whole years since we've seen the ever-loving New York Yankees in a There's Always Next Year post.

Maybe the Spring Training cap general manager Brian Cashman was sporting during postgame interviews in the visitor's clubhouse will make Yankees fans feel better about going home after their Game 6 loss to the AL Champion Texas Rangers.

Probably not.

There's Always Next Year, Rays Fans

Last week it looked as though the Tampa Bay Rays might be headed to another ALCS before they went and dropped the first two games against the Rangers in St. Petersburg. Then they came back to win the next two in Arlington before losing the finale to a dominant Cliff Lee Tuesday night at home while the Rangers won their first postseason series ever. Pretty impressive.

The Rays had the American League's best regular season record this year, so their 2010 wasn't a complete failure. Hang in there Rays fans, don't be sad... there's always next year!

There's Always Next Year, Reds Fans

First Roy Halladay tossed a no-hitter. Then the offense rallied behind Roy Oswalt. Then Cole Hamels struck out nine in a five-hit performance.

Then Jayson Werth soaked his beard in champagne for the second time in about a week.

After polishing off the sweep of the once-hopeful Cincinnati Reds, the seemingly unstoppable Philadelphia Philles are headed to the NLCS once again with their eye on a third straight pennant.

No fans ran onto the field, no little girls were puked on. All in all, it was a successful series for the Phillies.

There's Always Next Year, Twins Fans

The Minnesota Twins were the first team to enter the playoffs this season, and upon meeting the New York Yankees in the ALDS, they were the first team to make an exit.

Between the lack of hitting, poor pitching, awful base-running, craptastic bullpen management, ridiculous throwing errors, etc. on behalf of the Twins, I'm not exactly sure what happened there.

There's Always Next Year, Twins Fans

Alex Rodriguez has erased almost all notions of his unclutchness in October, as the New York Yankees swept the Minnesota Twins in their ALDS with a 4-1 Game 3 win on Sunday at the now-extinct Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

The Twins fought an incredible uphill battle to get to the postseason, winning 17 of their final 21 games to force and win a tiebreaker against the division rival Detroit Tigers. However, not even Metrodome magic could stop the Yankees in their quest for a World Series title.

There's Always Next Year, Sox Fans

Well, I pretty much needed a good 24 hours after my team was eliminated from the playoffs to regroup. You'll be happy to know I've moved on and it's time to make fun of the losers. Yes, even my Twins.

The Los Angeles Angels rallied from a 5-1 deficit in Game 3 of their ALDS against the Boston Red Sox to come out on top with the sweep. Big hits, amazing catches and fantastic pitching -- not to mention the memory of fallen teammate Nick Adenhart -- has carried this team through the postseason thus far.

There's Always Next Year, Sox Fans

They did it. The Tampa Bay Rays pulled off a 3-1 Game 7 victory on the heels of Matt Garza's 7 beautiful innings, to knock the Boston Red Sox out of the playoffs and head to their first ever World Series.

But enough about the Rays and their all-encompassing badassery (I'm looking at you, David Price). Let's enjoy some heart-wrenching photography. As always, click for a better view...

There's Always Next Year, Angels Fans

So once again, the Boston Red Sox are off to the American League Championship Series. Another year, another pennant, yada, yada, yada.

Instead of going on and on about how fricking awesome the Sawx are, we're gonna go ahead and make fun of the Los Angeles Angels for being the best team in baseball from start to finish, yet still managing to deflate like A.J.'s ego after Sunday's loss.

There's Always Next Year, Sox Fans

The Chicago White Sox won four straight elimination games this weekend, only to blow it on a 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of their AL Division Series Monday night.

Gavin Floyd had seen better days, after a breakout season which ended with a fourth-inning bow-out to put the nail in the coffin of a craptastic postseason for the South Siders. Even Junior went 0-for-4 in the final game.

There's Always Next Year, Brewers Fans

Was there anyone who didn't want the Milwaukee Brewers to do well this post-season?

We could wax poetic about how the baseball world was pretty excited to see the Beer Makers playing baseball in October after 26 looooong years, how CC totally kicked ass, the late-season slumping, Prince Fielder's awesomeness, the steamrolling at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies...

Instead, like always, we'll let the pictures do the talking. Click to enlarge the goodness:

There's Always Next Year, Cubs Fans

Oh, the Cubs. This was their year, right? Sweet Lou had a commercial for bottled water....Kosuke Fukudome was going to blow our minds with his mad skills....Kerry Wood was back, baby!...all those millions of dollars were spent and finally, all the pieces were going to fall into place. Nothing could stop it. It was fate.

Stop me if you've heard this one before.

As always, we'll let the pictures do the talking. Click to enlarge.

There's Always Next Year, Rockies Fans

Once again, instead of going on and on about how amazing it is that the Boston Red Sox swept the World Series for the second time in four years, how awesome Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury are, and how Manny being Manny is the only way we want him, we'll let the photo montages do the talking.

After winning an improbable 21 of 22 games to get to the top, here it is: the Colorado Rockies monumental collapse.

Look for the deliriously triumphant recounts of the Series from Melissa and Lizzy after their crazy writing-about-baseball superstitions/hangovers wear off.

The Eulogies...

[All Things Rockies] | [The Fanhouse] | [Purple Row] | [Epic Carnival]

The Celebration...

[Extra Bases]

There's Always Next Year, Tribe Fans

Yet again, instead of giving the losing team (in this case the heart-broken Cleveland Indians) the decency of a farewell post, we're gonna let the pictures do the talking.