tampa bay devil rays history
tampa bay devil rays history
With nowhere to go but up, Tampa Bay Devil Rays tickets treat baseball fans with a chance to see some of the game’s future stars. Since their inception into the league in the early 1990s, the D-Rays have been the laughing stocks of baseball. No playoff appearances, not even a winning season has occurred to tide over the baseball starved fans of Florida. But if and when the Devil Rays do break through, you’re going to want to be front and center at Tropicana Field. So next time you’re scheduled to be in tropical Tampa Bay, give our fine staff at TotalTickets.com a shout out and let us put some of the best Tampa Bay Devil Rays tickets in your hand.
After another brutal season last year, the Devil Rays made some much-needed changes to their roster and on the bench. Longtime manager Lou Pinella was giving his walking papers, and Joe Maddon was brought on board. Tampa Bay’s infield is loaded with young talent. At first base, Travis Lee can hit for power and average. Across the diamond, third baseman Sean Burroughs was a highly-touted prospect with the San Diego Padres. He arrives in Tampa with a ton of unfulfilled potential. At second base, Nick Green, a former Atlanta Brave standout, also needs to come into his own in order for the Devil Rays to shake their losing ways. An speedy outfield, led by Carl Crawford and Aubrey Huff, filled up an entire highlight reel last season with amazing catch after clutch snag.
While the offense and defense both look to be improved, the Devils Rays’ fortunes lie in the hands of their infant pitching staff. Without a proven ace, Maddon will be in constant search of consistent pitching. Left-hander Scott Kazmir has the stuff to emerge as the D-Rays’ go-to guy, and crafty veteran Hideo Nomo is out to prove he has plenty of gas left in the tank. Then, there’s 6-foot-9 Mark Hendrickson, a former No. 1 draft pick out of Stanford, where he also stared on the Cardinal’s basketball team. If one of those pitchers can step to the forefront and have a breakout season, the D-Rays have enough offensive firepower to be competitive.
You have the right to be skeptical that this is the year the Devil Rays make some noise in the rugged American League East. The Yankees and Red Sox are again the favorites, but think about the fanfare that will occur if the D-Rays are in the race after the All-Star Break.
