T he Tampa Bay Devil Rays hardly had a storied history going into the 2008 sea son The team had joined the American League AL in 1998 Yet the Rays had finished last in the powerful AL East Division in all but one season After 10 years of baseball they had yet to finish a season with a winning record The team had tried to attract fans over the years by signing big stars such as Wade Boggs and Jose Canseco How ever both players were near the end of their careers by the time they arrived in Tampa The team hired Joe Maddon as manager in 2006 But they still lost 197 games over the next two seasons As a result attendance had plummeted at the team’s home ballpark Tropicana Field The team attracted only 1 3 mil lion fans in 2007 That was less than 14,000 per game No team in the AL had fewer fans that Carl Crawford’s potent bat helped the Rays make their first playoff Carl Crawford’s potent bat helped the Rays make their first playoff appearance in 2008 appearance in 2008 WORST TO FIRST 5
season The fans who did show up did not see many wins The team finished the season 66 96 The team decided to make some changes after the 2007 season For one it changed its name from the Devil Rays to the Rays It also changed the primary color of its uniforms from green to blue More than 7,000 fans cheered when the changes were announced at a rally in downtown Tampa We were tied to the past and the past wasn’t necessar ily something we wanted to be known for Rays owner Stu art Sternberg said Nobody’s running from it or hiding from it and we’re proud of certain aspects of it but this is some thing the organization was able to really put their arms around I hope and expect the fans who come out will see it as a new beginning What's in a Name What's in a Name After 10 losing seasons Devil Rays After 10 losing seasons Devil Rays owner Stuart Sternberg wanted a owner Stuart Sternberg wanted a name cha ge and new team color e and new team color name change and new team colors name cha name change and new team colors No more Devil Rays More than 1,000 No more Devil Rays More than 1,000 suggestions rolled in Sternberg suggestions rolled in Sternberg suggestions rolled in Sternberg and other club officials eventually and other club officials eventually and other club officials eventually settled on dropping the Devil from settled on dropping the Devil from settled on dropping the Devil from the name since the team was known the name since the team was known around town as the R ys any y around town as the Rays anyway around town as the R around town as the Rays anyway s an The new team name and a logo The new team name and a logo The new team name and a logo featuring a bright yellow sunburst featuring a bright yellow sunburst and a dominant blue color debuted and a dominant blue color debuted and a dominant blue color debuted in 2008 A few of the other name in 2008 A few of the other name in 2008 A few of the other name suggestions were the Dukes the suggestions were the Dukes the suggestions were the Dukes the Cannon the Stars and the Wave Cannon the Stars and the Wave Cannons the Stars and the Wave Cannons the Stars and the Wave 6 TAMPA BAY RAYS new That beginning included T-shirts that were given to every player in spring training On the shirts was an equation 9 8 It was a slogan the team would adopt for the 2008 season It meant Play hard for nine innings and then the Rays will be one of eight playoff teams Not all were so optimis tic going into the 2008 season The Major League Baseball MLB playoffs usually take
Manager Joe Maddon guided the Rays from worst in 2007 to first in 2008 in the AL East Division place during October But the facility managers at Tropicana Field were not expecting the Rays to still be playing in late October So they booked Hal loween Haunted Night events at the ballpark instead They never anticipated that the Rays would have a breakout 2008 season The new Rays came from behind to win 45 games in 2008 Many of those comebacks were in the ninth inning That helped the Rays cruise to a team-record 97 victories and a division title For the first time in 11 years a team other than the New York Yankees or Bos ton Red Sox won the AL East WORST TO FIRST 7
