2008 Tampa Bay Rays

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1 2008 Tampa Bay Rays / Franchise: Tampa Bay Rays / BR Team Page
2 Season Highlights

[edit] 2008 Tampa Bay Rays / Franchise: Tampa Bay Rays / BR Team Page

Record:, Finished in AL Eastern Division (2008 AL)

Ballpark: Tropicana Field

[edit] Season Highlights

[edit] Off-season

The Tampa Bay Rays turned over a new leaf for the 2008 season by changing their name from the "Devil Rays" to simply the "Rays." They also changed their colors from green, black, and blue to navy blue, light blue, and yellow. To coincide with the name and color changes, they unveiled a new logo, with a sunburst prominently featured in the middle.

The Rays made one very significant trade in the off-season, sending outfielder Delmon Young to the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Matt Garza and shortstop Jason Bartlett. The objective was to shore up a defense that was among the majors' worst in 2007, thereby also giving some help to the team's roster of promising young pitchers. The Rays went into the season as a young team, but they did sign a few lower-priced veteran free agents in the off-season in Cliff Floyd, Troy Percival, and Eric Hinske to add some experience around their young core, and picked up a number of pitchers to improve what had been an awful bullpen.

The team went into the season generally recognized to be improved over the previous years' editions, which had almost unfailingly finished last in the AL East. Very few observers had anticipated the dramatic improvement that would take place, however.

[edit] Season

The Rays started 8-11 through their first 19 games. However, starting with an April 22 game against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Rays reeled off 6 straight victories, putting them three games above .500. With ace Scott Kazmir missing the season's first days, Andy Sonnanstine posted a surprising record in April (4-1) as the team finished the first month of the season 15-12. Pitching prospect Jeff Niemann starting the April 13 and April 18 games before being optioned back down to Durham.

The Rays started improved their 31-20 by Memorial Day. This gave them MLB's best record at that point. Only one team in major league history had the best record at that point in the season one year after finishing with the worst mark in MLB - the 1903 New York Giants. Still, the team kept on playing well, even if hitting the occasional snag, and when the 2008 All-Star Game rolled around, the team no longer had the majors' best record, but was only a half game behind the Boston Red Sox in the NL East.

[edit] Awards and Honors

All-Stars: Scott Kazmir, Evan Longoria and Dioner Navarro

[edit] Team

Tampa Bay Rays
Designated hitters: Jonny Gomes, Cliff Floyd, Akinori Iwamura
Infield
Catchers: Dioner Navarro, Shawn Riggans	First basemen: Carlos Pena, Cliff Floyd, Eric Hinske
Second basemen: Akinori Iwamura, Ben Zobrist, Willy Aybar	Third basemen: Evan Longoria, Willy Aybar, Eric Hinske
Shortstops: Ben Zobrist, Reid Brignac, Willy Aybar, Jason Bartlett
Outfield
Left fielders: Carl Crawford, Jonny Gomes	Right fielders: Gabe Gross, Eric Hinske, Jonny Gomes, Cliff Floyd
Center fielders: B.J. Upton, Jonny Gomes, Rocco Baldelli
Pitchers
Starting: Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza, Andy Sonnanstine, Edwin Jackson
Relief: Dan Wheeler, Trever Miller, J.P. Howell, Jason Hammel, Gary Glover, Grant Balfour, Al Reyes, Chad Orvella, Troy Percival
Other
Coaches: Tim Bogar, Tom Foley, Steve Henderson, George Hendrick, Jim Hickey, Dave Martinez, Bobby Ramos	Manager(s): Joe Maddon