RealGM

Time to jump on the bandwagon. This team is good, and maybe very good.

A quarter of the way through the 2008 season has seen the Tampa Bay Rays establish a new order for the franchise. Officially gone in mid May are the days of waiting for NFL summer camps to open in July.

Also gone are the laughing stock comparisons to the Bad News Bears and Charlie Brown.

This year, the Tampa Bay area fan base may actually be watching what may soon be a dream season unfold. The signs for just that are becoming more clear as each week goes by.

http://baseball.realgm.com/src_teamarti ... ood_story/

As a Mariner fan, who pretty much knows his season is lost......it would be AMAZING if the Rays could keep this up....

I'd be the first one on this bandwagon.

did someone say bandwagon?






jump on board!!

HA i've never been a huge fan like i love my magic but i've always been a fan of the d-raya even when they were gay and how did i know they were gay, bc of their gay pride colors they wore on their logo LOL. but nah i didn't care for the "d" being dropped but rays is cool too bc it is Tampa and its sunny there so. i liked the dark green and black look.

Wow! I am shocked. Will it last?

prorl wrote:Wow! I am shocked. Will it last?

That is the real question here

Trying to drum up traffic for your board?

Go Rays...maybe I should find my old replica jersey from opening season and wear it again.

prorl wrote:Wow! I am shocked. Will it last?

Will first place last through the season? Probably not. The pitching and defense so far has been unreal, and while they are good, they might not be able to sustain it at quite this level. The hitting, however, has arguably underperformed, so it's not completely out of the question. Worst-to-first has happened before. Also, their record so far is great inside the division, so it isn't as if they've been beating up on bad teams that they won't play again this year.

Will they have continued success over the years to come? Absolutely.

The Rays have finally gotten a good ownership group after years of Vince Namoli's not-so-good ownership. They've put a solid front office in place that has made great decisions based on the long-term outlook for the franchise. For example, not rushing kids up to the majors just because they're talented. Trading away players who won't be in the long-term plans for players who will be. Stockpiling good young pitchers in the draft.

With all the high draft picks they have had over the years, they've hoarded a ton of talent. They have a very good, young pitching staff, with more young pitchers on the way in the minors.

They have an athletic, exciting-to-watch team that is only going to continue to improve. Feel free to hop aboard the bandwagon!

As a mostly Tampa Bay sports fan, the 08 Rays to me feel a bit like the 95 Bucs or the 01 Lightning: a young team with years of historical futility that finally has good ownership/front office and is ready to make a run at respectability, and one day, a championship.

I lost interest in the Rays a couple of years ago, is Vince Namoli finally gone? As in completely gone? What a terrible owner.

Braves fan here.

1. The Devil Rays should have changed their name, instead of just shortening it to 'Rays'. Seriously, WTF.
2. I just recently added their catcher to my fantasy team, because my starting catcher is on the DL.
3. whocares ftw

prorl wrote:I lost interest in the Rays a couple of years ago, is Vince Namoli finally gone? As in completely gone? What a terrible owner.

Namoli is gone. (Except he was sitting in the stands at the Disney series)

Sternberg, Silverman, and Friedman (gm) are the principals involved.

Also, important to note is the behind the scenes guidance of Gerry Hunsaker (formerly of Houston).

This team is built for the long run.

As a Cubs fan I am excited that they are playing the Rays this year in interleague...so I can finally see a game in person again after going to Wrigley years back. I am a little less excited to face the Rays after their hot start...but good for them, they've been working a long time to get to respectability.

I have a Wilson Alvarez jersey from their first season. I used to go to their games fairly frequently when I lived in St. Pete. It would be great to see them become any good.

TheRevTy wrote:I have a Wilson Alvarez jersey from their first season. I used to go to their games fairly frequently when I lived in St. Pete. It would be great to see them become any good.

That must have been a big jersey....

Haha, I remember wishing I had Wade Boggs or Fred McGriff, but Alvarez and Canseco were all they had. Kinda wish I went with Canseco...

go fish!