enlarge The Associated Press

Dustin Pedroia leaves the dugout after Boston’s Game 7 loss to Tampa Bay Sunday night in the ALCS. The Red Sox nearly earned another World Series trip after wins in Games 5 and 6.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — An hour after Game 7 of the American League Championship Series ended, they were gone. The Boston Red Sox cleared out of the visiting clubhouse quickly while, down the hall, the smell of champagne wafted in the air.

The Red Sox flew out of Florida in the wee hours of Monday morning. They won't return until February when spring training commences in Fort Myers.

Here in the Tampa Bay area, the festive mood was apparent. There was even trash talking by Southwest Airlines personnel at Tampa Airport.

"We're sorry to report the demise of the Boston Red Sox," came the announcement at the terminal.

In a highly unusual twist, the talk on an autumn Monday morning was not of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 20-10 football win against Seattle, but of professional baseball.

"Hello, World!" blared the headline in the St. Petersburg Times.

The NL-champion Philadelphia Phillies were scheduled to fly in Monday, and an all-comers party was planned that evening near downtown St. Petersburg. The media frenzy begins today, and the World Series starts Wednesday night.

As for the just-completed ALCS, we are left with memorable images:

• Josh Beckett stood on the mound for the longest time. Without his usual fastball of 95-97 mph, he needed to figure out another way to win.

He pitched a truly remarkable game on Saturday, allowing two runs and four hits in five innings. Too bad he couldn't have figured out his new strategy in Game 2, when he got shelled. Who knows what might have happened?

It was annoying, however, that Beckett kept insisting he was fine. His velocity was down, a fact proven by every radar gun, although Beckett blamed it on their improper placement.

If Beckett's strained oblique was still bothering him, why not just say so? Everyone, including the Rays, knew something was wrong.

• Rocco Baldelli looked worn out when he sat in front of his locker. He may have been tired from constantly trying to explain his very rare and difficult-to-explain condition – mitochondrial disorder.

Because of his illness, Baldelli fatigues easily and needs time to recover. A wonderfully gifted outfielder from Rhode Island, Baldelli no longer can play every day.

But he hit a home run in Game 3 and singled home the go-ahead run in Game 7.

Baldelli's contract is up after this season. If a solution to his illness is not discovered, he may have to retire.

That reason alone makes the Rays worth cheering for in the World Series.

• David Ortiz swung at a high fastball, striking out on a full count in the sixth inning of Game 7. To compound matters, Dustin Pedroia was thrown out trying to steal second for an inning-ending double play.

Ortiz usually stays away from such high pitches. A walk would have put two runners on with one out.

Ortiz, like several of his teammates, was overmatched by the Rays' Matt Garza. But Red Sox fans are used to Ortiz being a clutch hitter in such situations.

Ortiz went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts in Game 7. He has not been the same since coming back from a wrist injury. Not having Manny Ramirez for protection did not help, either.

But holding on to Ramirez was not an option – and good luck to the team that shells out big money for Manny. Once he has his guaranteed contract, there is no motivation for him to give it his all.

As for Ortiz, Red Sox fans should desperately hope off-season rest is all his valuable wrist needs.

• Tim Wakefield spoke after his Game 4 start, in which he gave up five runs in 2 2/3 innings. Wakefield talked of his disappointment for putting his "team in a hole."

But can the Red Sox expect any better than that? Wakefield provides a useful No. 5 starter during the season. He ate up 181 innings, second only to Jon Lester, in 2008.

But to depend on Wakefield in the playoffs is too much of a gamble....