So why don't Floridans embrace this franchise that has been in the playoffs 3 of the past four years? Why don't they show up by the boatload to see this team that has won 2 AL East crowns and an AL Pennant in the last four years? The world may never know.
But one can still make conjectures. Their park, the Trop, is an eyesore. The Tampa Bay area has only been a baseball city since 1998, and until about 2007, the team was the butt of every joke in major league baseball. Until 2008, they had only won 70 games once in their history. I think these fans either can't believe, or are just largely unaware that this team exists. After suffering through about a decade of ineptitude, the Rays have become one of the top teams in the league. They've developed a bevy of young talent and succeeded with it. Last year was admittedly a "rebuilding" year, but with all the talent, they made winning 91 look easy. Still, no one came to the park, and I know why. Steve Irwin.
The victim of a sting ray barb, the ghost of Steve Irwin, unable to keep the team from winning, has decided to haunt the stadium. The people are so scared that they will have to sit through an episode of his show, that they don't come. Or maybe it's out of respect. Whatever it is, it is the only plausible explanation. Steve Irwin, the phantom of the Trop.
I still remember September 28th, 2011. The 6 run 8th, the Dan Johnson shot to tie it, and Evan Longoria winning it in the 12th. The Rays did the unthinkable and made up the largest deficit in the history of the game. Give it a watch. I'll wait.
Longoria Wins It
The Rays were a bit of an aberration last year compared to the other playoff teams, especially in the AL. They didn't really have a high powered offense They finished in the middle of the pack or worst in almost every major offensive category. They did hit 175 home runs, tied for 9th in the majors, and that helped elevate their slugging percentage to .402 (13th). But they still only scored 707 (15th) runs and only batted .244 (25th). So guess how they won games? Pitching.
The Rays finished with an ERA of 3.58. Only the Angels, at 3.57, had a better ERA in the AL. The staff also posted a WHIP of 1.22, bested by only the Phillies in the majors. So without runners getting on base against them, the Rays were able to win a great many close games over the course of the season.
Last year, the team that finished the season was much different than the one that took the field opening day. The good news about that is the team we expect to see in 2012 looks pretty similar to a team we grew to admire last fall.
Leading the charge will be the aforementioned Longoria (.244/31/99). His numbers were down last year, but I wouldn't count him out. He still shows the skills of one of the top players in baseball. Returning with him is doubles machine Ben Zobrist (.269/20/91/26 2B (T3rd)). I love watching him play. He consistently impresses me with his versatility and results. At second base, he is a great source of offense for the team. Sean Rodriguez (.223/8/36) returns as well, and the Rays will look to him to hit a little bit more than he did last year. The final remember of the lineup returning from 2011 opening day is the longest tenured Ray, BJ Upton (.243/23/81). BJ had an up and down year, and his success or failure might be the barometer of the 2012 lineup.
Returning to the roster from last summer are Desmond Jennings (.259/10/25/20 SB) and Matt Joyce (.277/19/75). Both made huge splashes with their contributions last summer. My money is on the two to not enter any sort of sophomore slump. If I'm right, the Rays lineup starts to look really good.
This is especially true because of the three additions to the lineup. Returning to the Rays after a year with the Cubs is former Oakland Athletic, Carlos Pena (.225/28/80). The slugger will probably only hit about .220, but the Rays won't care if he hits the 30 home runs he's capable of. Also new to the team is Luke Scott. He had something of a breakthrough in 2010 in Baltimore. 2011 was not, say, his best season, though he was injured for a fair portion of it. Though some may see it as a fluke, his bat won a few games for the birds that year and there's no reason why it can't do the same for the Rays. The final new piece of the puzzle is the venerable Jose Molina. Molina has only played in 100 games once, in 2008. That's right, he's a career backup. Still, he's a good game caller, and should do well with the young staff, as well as show rookie Jose Lobaton the ropes.
The pitching staff should be strong once again. Their entire rotation returns from last year, and they even get to add another stud of a rookie to the mix. Matt Moore comes in highly touted, and even more so after a brilliant start where he gave up only a solo run in the division series against the Rangers. He'll take the fifth role, poking the incumbent Jeff Niemann to the bullpen. Reigning AL Rookie of the Year Jeremy Hellickson (13-10, 2.95) will try to continue what was a brilliant start of a career from the three spot. The ace of the rotation is still Cy Young contender David Price (12-13, 3.49, 218K). Nuff said. James Shields (16-12, 2.82, 225K) came out of nowhere last year to pitch an unheard of in this day and age 11 complete games. He, along with Hellickson, were probably the two best reasons why the Rays were so successful last year. Rounding out the rotation is Wade Davis (11-10, 4.45). The big man has some great stuff and can throw hard, but hasn't quite put it together yet.
The bullpen surprised nicely last year after being a big question mark heading into the season. Kyle Farnsworth (25 SV/ 31 SVO) eventually won the closing job last year, and he'll take the ball in the ninth again. He'll be set up by Joel Peralta, Jake McGee, and JP Howell. All three are reliable and had great seasons last year. It's no longer a question mark, it's the final piece of a very solid contender in a very strong division.
After much discussion and thought: the 2012 Tampa Bay Rays
C Jose Molina
1B Carlos Pena
2B Ben Zobrist
SS Sean Rodriguez
3B Evan Longoria
LF Desmond Jennings
CF B.J. Upton
RF Matt Joyce
DH Luke Scott
SP David Price
SP James Shields
SP Jeremy Hellickson
SP Wade Davis
SP Matt Moore
CL Kyle Farnsworth
Best Case Scenario
After getting off to a bit of a slow start, the Rays find themselves in fourth place, but still within striking distance of the leaders. Once the lineup starts gelling when BJ Upton goes on a 35 game hitting streak, the Rays leap into the thick of it. In August, the Red Sox rotation implodes and the Yankees lineup starts being accepted into the AARP, so the Rays and their youth take over the East and don't look back. After launching into the playoffs, the Rays make quick work of the Angels in the DS, and face the Tigers for the pennant. Fortunately for TB, good pitching beats good hitting, and it takes 6 games for the Rays to earn their second pennant in team history. In the lowest scoring series ever, the Rays are able to turn away the Giants in 7 games when Price outduels Lincecum in game seven in a game that ranks as one of the top 5 classics in World Series ever. Tampa brings home their first Commissioners Trophy, and the Rays take over as the premier team in the AL.
Worst Case Scenario
Though the pitching is solid, the lineup struggles. Upton, Pena, Molina, and Rodriguez all hit under .210 by June 1. Jennings and Joyce can't match the expectations set for them, and the whole lineup fails on a nightly basis. Amazingly, the pitching is good enough that by the break the Rays are still playing .500 baseball. Eager to get over the hump and encouraged by how well The Rookie worked out, the Rays hold an open tryout to try to find a designated hitter. Unfortunately, the guy they end up hiring is Jose Canseco. Canseco plays well at first and his success leads the ownership to listen to some of his ideas. Canseco points out that the Marlins have stolen what should have been the Rays thunder with their new garish color scheme, and convinces the Rays to switch to a color scheme that incorporates ever color in the Rays, Marlins, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Heat, and Magic. The resulting monstrosity alienates the last 6 loyal season ticket holders, and the Rays famously play a game to a crowd of under 300 late in the season. The Rays finish fourth in the East and with a franchise is disarray. In order to recover from the debacle they are forced to trade away most of their young talent, and the franchise slips out of playoff contention for another ten years.
The ROokie, Logo
What Will Probably Happen
95-67, AL East Crown
Song for the Rays
I feel like I've posted this before, but it's such a gem
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