Tampa Bay Rays are the team to beat in 2009
2008 American League Baseball Champions
Tampa Bay Rays Baseball Fan Site |
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Let's
face it, since 1998 when the Tampa Bay Devil Rays came into major
league baseball they had been a joke to baseball fans. It was not
cool to be a Rays baseball fan was the thought of most. Born and breed
in Tampa Bay my heart has always been with the Rays. I love the underdog,
and I love Tampa Bay, and I love baseball so you do the math. Attending
ball games at Tropicana Field
was never a hard ticket, especially after 9 consecutive last place
finishes. That is all now history since the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays shocked
the world going from worst to first to win the AL East, and then go
in in the playoffs to become the American League Champs. And even
though they didn't win the World Series, they did something far more
rewarding in the long term. They took all their top prospects and
early-round draft picks, developed them together, promoted them together,
and turned them into the nucleus of the league's next dynasty. Yes,
that 2008 season represents merely the first step in a long run of
greatness for the Rays.
Tampa Bay Rays 2009 offseason moves:
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| 2008 AL East Division Standings | |||||
| Team | W | L | WL% | GB | |
| Tampa Bay | TBR | 97 | 65 | .599 | Division Champs |
| Boston | BOS | 95 | 67 | .586 | 2 |
| New York | NYY | 89 | 73 | .549 | 8 |
| Toronto | TOR | 86 | 76 | .531 | 11 |
| Baltimore | BAL | 68 | 93 | .422 | 28.5 |
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2009 Rays Baseball Outlook | |
| "We're
the team to beat." James Shields With all of the Rays talent, most of it young, they only had to do some slight retooling in the off season to keep pace with the competition. While their additions don't compare to the Yankees' in quality (CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira) or the Red Sox's in quantity (John Smoltz, Brad Penny, Rocco Baldelli, Takashi Saito, etc.), the Rays took care of their one need (power) with two under-the-radar acquisitions (Pat Burrell and Matt Joyce), setting the stage this year for what will likely become a three-team race for the ages.
Price might seem like the most obvious sleeper on this team, but his name has floated around Fantasy circles for so long now that he couldn't possibly take anyone by surprise. The real under-the-radar player in Tampa Bay is Joyce, who hit 12 home runs in only 242 at-bats with the Tigers last year, making him almost a slam dunk for 25 if he reaches 500. He knows how to draw walks and hasn't yet reached his peak at age 24. Of course, he might not get a chance to play against left-handed pitchers with Gabe Kapler, Gabe Gross and Ben Zobrist all clamoring for at-bats off the bench. Think of Joyce as more of an AL-only option entering the season, but don't be surprised if he makes an impact in mixed leagues before season's end. |
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Rays Team Facts | |
| Founded:
1998 (American League expansion) Home ballpark: Tropicana Field Uniform colors: Navy Blue, Columbia Blue, Gold Logo design: The word "Rays" in a baseball diamond Mascot: A six-foot, six-inch (198 cm) seadog named "Raymond" Playoff appearances: 1 Owner: Stuart Sternberg, et al. President: Matthew Silverman Executive VP of Baseball Operations (de facto General Manager): Andrew Friedman Manager: Joe Maddon Local Television: FSN Florida Public Address Announcer: David Pygman Spring Training Facility: Charlotte Sports Park, Port Charlotte, Florida Awards: Evan Longoria 2008 AL Rookie of the Year (Unanimous Vote), Joe Maddon 2008 AL Manager of the Year, Carlos Pena 2008 Gold Glove Winner |
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© 2009