Summary
On March 9, 1995, Major League Baseball officially awarded an American League expansion franchise to a Tampa Bay-based ownership group headed by Vince Naimoli. In some ways, that moment has been the greatest in franchise history. First known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the team played its first major-league game on March 31, 1998, an 11-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. In the years since, the franchise has never won more than 70 games in a single season. Following the 2007 season, the team officially changed its name from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to the Tampa Bay Rays.
But hope may not be unreasonable. In late 2005, New York-based financial services whiz Stu...
But hope may not be unreasonable. In late 2005, New York-based financial services whiz Stu...
On March 9, 1995, Major League Baseball officially awarded an American League expansion franchise to a Tampa Bay-based ownership group headed by Vince Naimoli. In some ways, that moment has been the greatest in franchise history. First known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the team played its first major-league game on March 31, 1998, an 11-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. In the years since, the franchise has never won more than 70 games in a single season. Following the 2007 season, the team officially changed its name from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to the Tampa Bay Rays.
But hope may not be unreasonable. In late 2005, New York-based financial services whiz Stuart Sternberg became the team's principal owner and installed new upper management, including team president Matt Silverman and general manager Andrew Friedman. In turn, Silverman and Friedman hired a new manager, Joe Maddon. The new owners and management have tried new strategies to lure new fans, including offering free parking at Tropicana Field and by playing a three-game regular-season series in May 2007 at Disney's Wide World of Sport. Though the team's won-loss totals haven't improved, the franchise's minor-league system is rated among baseball's best for talented young players.
But hope may not be unreasonable. In late 2005, New York-based financial services whiz Stuart Sternberg became the team's principal owner and installed new upper management, including team president Matt Silverman and general manager Andrew Friedman. In turn, Silverman and Friedman hired a new manager, Joe Maddon. The new owners and management have tried new strategies to lure new fans, including offering free parking at Tropicana Field and by playing a three-game regular-season series in May 2007 at Disney's Wide World of Sport. Though the team's won-loss totals haven't improved, the franchise's minor-league system is rated among baseball's best for talented young players.
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366 items on Tampa Bay Rays
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Rays Make It Five Straight Wins
Edwin Jackson took a two-hitter into the eighth inning and Carlos Pena homered and drove in five runs Friday, helping the East-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 11-2 in St. Petersburg, Fla., for their fifth straight victory. Jackson (5-...Tags: Raul Ibanez, Major League Baseball, Garret Anderson, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox
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Shame on NASCAR for changing the name of the Firecracker 400
Sentinel ColumnistRunning off at the typewriter. . . . As any loyal reader knows, one of my biggest pet peeves is how NASCAR took the greatest name in sports -- the Firecracker 400 -- and ruined it by first changing it to the Pepsi 400 and bastardizing it even further...Tags: Major League Baseball, Jim Brown, Tiger Woods, Miroslav Satan, Madonna
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Small-market AL clubs keep rolling
Move over, Yankees and Red Sox. Out of the way, White Sox. A couple of small-market clubs are showing the big boys how to play. Edwin Jackson took a two-hitter into the eighth inning and Carlos Pena homered and drove in five runs Friday night, helping...Tags: Raul Ibanez, Major League Baseball, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Jonathan Papelbon
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Pena's return paying off for surging Rays
The Associated StoryThe Tampa Bay Rays surged to first place without the offensive production they're accustomed to getting from Carlos Pena. Now that he's back in the middle of the lineup, the AL East leaders are counting on him to help them stay on top. Pena homered for...Tags: Major League Baseball, Kansas City Royals, Mark Grudzielanek, Baseball
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Pink USA Softball and MLB memorabilia raises plenty of green to fight cancer
Sentinel Staff WriterThe latest wave of pink items on the auction block comes from a team that will be going for the gold later this year. USA Softball and the Amateur Softball Association have teamed up to fight breast cancer with a series of memorabilia auctions that...Tags: Major League Baseball, Mother's Day, Auction Service, Cancer, Softball
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Rays nip Red Sox 7-6 for sweep, widen AL East lead
The Associated PressEvan Longoria went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs Wednesday night, helping the surging Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6 for their second three-game sweep of the World Series champions this season. The Rays improved the best record in...Tags: Major League Baseball, Al Reyes, Kevin Youkilis, All Stars, Gary Glover
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Rays Sweep Red Sox
Courant Staff WriterIt is far too early to draw any conclusions about what took place the past three nights at Tropicana Field. Nearly three months of baseball are left. But as the Tampa Bay Rays stormed ahead in the seventh inning Wednesday night, wearing out the Red Sox...Tags: Terry Francona, Bobby Doerr, Major League Baseball, Baseball, Daisuke Matsuzaka
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Samardzija opening eyes with Iowa Cubs
Tribune reporterThe Cubs are closely monitoring the progress of pitching prospect Jeff Samardzija, who has pitched well in his first two starts at Triple-A Iowa. "Actually, he has been throwing the ball better in Triple-A than in Double-A ball," manager Lou Piniella...Tags: Ryan Dempster, Major League Baseball, Brian Fuentes, Jeff Samardzija, Felix Pie
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Swept away with Rays
The Associated PressPennant fever is alive in the oddest of places. Ticket lines are longer, television ratings are rising and the young, budget-minded Tampa Bay Rays are in first place in the AL East, looking down on the big-spending Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees....Tags: Major League Baseball, New York Yankees, Fenway Park, Baseball, Devon White
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Rays make things different for Yankees in AL East
kat.obrien@newsday.comLast year marked a turning point of sorts in the American League East when the Red Sox won the division title, knocking the Yankees from the throne they had held for almost a decade. But the Yankees still made the playoffs as the wild card, and the Red...Tags: Major League Baseball, Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, Chien-Ming Wang, Jorge Posada
Jul 5, 2008
|Story| Associated Press
Jul 5, 2008
|Column| Orlando Sentinel
Jul 5, 2008
|Story| Associated Press
Jul 5, 2008
|Story| Orlando Sentinel
Jul 5, 2008
|Story| Orlando Sentinel
Jul 2, 2008
|Story| Associated Press
Jul 3, 2008
|Story| Hartford Courant
Jul 2, 2008
|Story| Chicago Tribune
Jul 4, 2008
|Story| South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Jul 4, 2008
|Story| Newsday
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