Today I am featuring the franchise that I am starting to dislike. I like the players and the team is easy to root for, but there is no team that reminds me more of the inherent problems between the big-markets and the small-markets than the Tampa Bay Rays. Every good player that is on the Rays is as good as gone after 5 or 6 years. Except for Evan Longoria and that is just because of the very risky (though brilliant in hindsight) contract given to him before he became a superstar. Both the manager (Cubs) and the general manager (Dodgers) departed this franchise since the season ended to move up to big market franchises. Not to mention the fact that Tampa Bay has the worst stadium (well except for maybe Oakland) and least fanbase of any team in the league.
Tampa really reminds me of the Montreal Expos. No, not the current Montreal Expos that people remember nostalgically. The actual Montreal Expos from the 90s and early 2000s. They were playing in a horrible stadium in front of maybe 5,000 fans on a good day and when they fielded a third place team it was considered a victory. Tampa has been more successful, but I have a feeling that we are heading back to the "Devil Rays Days" when Tampa failed to win 75 games for their first 10 seasons or so. It makes me mad because aside from the 2007 Rockies and the 2014 Royals, the 2008 Rays were my favorite World Series team of the 21st century. Now they are heading for a decade or more of being nothing more than a AAAA organization.
RAYS
TEAM TRIVIA
Total # of Rays in 2014 - 43
# of new Rays in 2014 - 17
Best score in 2014 - April 19 vs. Yankees 16-1
Worst score in 2014 - September 25 at Red Sox 11-1
Border color that worked best with this team - Green
# of new Rays in 2014 - 17
Best score in 2014 - April 19 vs. Yankees 16-1
Worst score in 2014 - September 25 at Red Sox 11-1
Border color that worked best with this team - Green
Border color that worked least with this team - Red
Position on last year's list - #4 = DOWN 3
Let's take a look at the first half of the 2014 Tampa Bay Rays with the manager's card leading the way.
PURPLE
GREEN
BLUE
I'll be back tomorrow with Part 2. As usual, your thoughts are always welcome and encouraged.
Thanx for reading.
3 comments:
I hope the Rays stay a small market team and eventually fold or turn into an entirely different team. Serves them right for employing rapists, fellons and making fun of the dead.
The Price has to be one of the best cards I've seen so far.
Cow on a card. A first?
Love the "faux" throwback uniform on the Cobb, which looks extra great with the high socks and being taken mid-windup.
Yeah, baseball is better when the Rays are good.
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