September Nights Author:James Shields Pennant races are the essence of baseball. Throughout the history of the national pastime, teams have been measured by how they fared down the stretch when the games mattered most. September Nights is the story of how the 2010 Tampa Bay Rays handled the heat during the most critical part of the season as seen through the eyes of All-Star pitch... more »er, James Shields. Tampa Bay entered the last month of the season knowing they had to fight off the "Beasts of the East" - the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox-if they were going to achieve their goal of winning their second American League East title in three seasons. The tension mounts as the season reaches high gear. Not only is the team striving to win the pennant, they also know they are running out of time. The Rays find themselves facing a bittersweet situation: they play for a "small market" team, so the writing is on the wall for the following season. Many of the team's players will not be back because they have outgrown their contracts and they understand the Rays will not be able to bring them back because they will have to slash their payroll in 2012. Could this close-knit team to accomplish all of their goals in the little time they have remaining as teammates? Shields not only is a master on the mound, but he also possesses a smooth narrative style for storytelling while offering insights into the Rays, opposing teams, the art of pitching, and what's was going on in his mind throughout the Rays' stretch run.« less