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2008 Tampa Bay Rays
American League Champions
American League East Champions
Major League affiliations
Location
Results
Record97–65 (.599)
Divisional place1st
Other information
Owner(s)Stuart Sternberg
General manager(s)Andrew Friedman (de facto)
Manager(s)Joe Maddon
Local televisionFSN Florida
WXPX (Ion TV 66)
Local radioWHNZ
WGES (español)
<Temporada anterior      Próxima temporada>

The 2008 Tampa Bay Rays season was the 11th season in franchise history, and the first season in which they were known as the Tampa Bay Rays, formerly being known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. This was the third season with Joe Maddon managing the club. After being plagued by futility as the Devil Rays, amassing just a .398 winning percentage over their first 10 years as a franchise and finishing in last place nine times, the team finished their first season as the Rays with a 97–65 record to win their first American League East division title. In the postseason, they beat the Chicago White Sox three games to one in the ALDS, and beat the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox in seven games in the ALCS to advance to their first World Series in franchise history. They would go on to lose to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games.

Summary[edit]

Spring training[edit]

The Rays, with their off-season acquisitions and continued prospect development, fostered high hopes both within the organization and from analysts for the team to perform well during the 2008 season. Their performance on the field during spring training justified those hopes. On March 23, they won their team-record 15th spring training game, and finished with a record of 18–8 with two ties and two cancellations due to rain, along with having the highest winning percentage of all teams in spring training.

Sin embargo, quedaban preguntas pendientes. El lanzador estrella Scott Kazmir había estado acosado con dolor en el brazo durante toda la primavera y fue colocado en la lista de lesionados de 15 días , retroactivo al 21 de marzo. Se esperaba que estuviera listo a principios de mayo. Ben Zobrist , quien había sido preparado para un papel de súper utilitario, sufrió una fractura en el pulgar durante la segunda semana del entrenamiento primaveral. Rocco Baldelli , después de perderse la mayor parte de la temporada 2007 por una lesión en el tendón de la corva, fue marginado indefinidamente debido a una fatiga crónica que se cree que es causada por una enfermedad mitocondrial , y fue colocado en la lista de lesionados por 60 días pocos días antes del inicio de la temporada.

Elliot Johnson , un prospecto de cuadro en la lista de 40 hombres que pasó la temporada anterior con los Durham Bulls , fue noticia durante un juego contra los Yankees de Nueva York cuando chocó contra el receptor prospectivo de los Yankees Francisco Cervelli en una jugada en el plato. Fue etiquetado, pero la colisión provocó que Cervelli se rompiera la muñeca. Si bien la organización de los Yankees dijo que la medida fue injustificada, la mayoría de los analistas afirmaron que fue una buena jugada de béisbol. El propio Johnson declaró que nunca tuvo la intención de lastimar a Cervelli. Se cree que el acto provocó un aumento de las tensiones en su próximo juego el 12 de marzo, lo que provocó un incidente en el que el jardinero de los Yankees, Shelley Duncan, se deslizó con sus picos hacia Akinori Iwamura., lo que llevó a una pelea entre Duncan y Jonny Gomes . Durante la pelea para limpiar el banco , Melky Cabrera golpeó al tercera base de los Rays , Evan Longoria . Duncan, Cabrera y Gomes fueron suspendidos por tres, tres y dos juegos respectivamente. Los tres retiraron sus apelaciones y sus suspensiones se redujeron en un juego.

El lanzador David Price , la selección # 1 en el Draft Amateur de 2007, hizo su debut en los entrenamientos de primavera el 8 de marzo (antes del incidente de Elliot Johnson), golpeando accidentalmente a Francisco Cervelli en el brazo antes de ponchar a 2 para pasar la entrada. Su bola rápida alcanzó las 99 mph en los radares. Después de tres apariciones, fue asignado oficialmente a High-A Vero Beach, pero se esperaba que avanzara rápidamente a través de las ligas menores.

La rotación inicial inicial de los Rays fue James Shields , Matt Garza , Andy Sonnanstine , Edwin Jackson y Jason Hammel .

Abril [ editar ]

April turned into feast-or-famine for the Rays. The bullpen, which was derided as the worst in baseball in 2007, was the best in the league at the end of the month, with a 2.52 ERA. New closer Troy Percival saved 5 games, and did not allow a single run.

Carlos Peña was bringing the lumber that made him a superstar in 2007, having six home runs in the first 20 games, but finished the month with 31 strikeouts, and had difficulty getting on base with a batting average of just .200. The bigger surprise has been Eric Hinske. Appearing in 25 games, he hit .293 with 6 home runs and 15 RBI. On April 22, against the Toronto Blue Jays in Orlando, he was a single away from hitting for the cycle, which would have made him the first Ray to ever accomplish such a feat. For the second year in a row, the Rays won a sweep during the home series at Champion Stadium.

Evan Longoria fue uno de los últimos recortes en los entrenamientos de primavera, sorprendiendo a los fanáticos de los Rays. Fue llamado a filas el 11 de abril después de que su tercera base elegido, Willy Aybar , fuera a la lista de lesionados. Después de seis apariciones, firmó un contrato de seis años y $ 15 millones. Su futuro parecía prometedor para la temporada, con un promedio de .250 y 3 jonrones en abril. En un juego contra los Yankees, Longoria conectó un jonrón que coronó una entrada de 5 carreras para empatar el juego, y unas semanas después, conectó un jonrón frente a Josh Beckett de los Medias Rojas, lo que proporcionó un colchón para que el equipo completara su primera barrida de los Boston Red Sox en la historia de la franquicia.

James Shields , con la ausencia de Scott Kazmir , se convirtió en el lanzador estrella del equipo. En seis aperturas, se fue de 3-1, y la única derrota fue ante los Yankees de Nueva York, frente a su as Chien-Ming Wang . El 27 de abril, lanzó su primer juego completo de su carrera en un juego contra los Medias Rojas, donde permitió que solo 3 bateadores llegaran a la base. Pocos días después de la salida de su carrera, fue nombrado Jugador de la Semana de la Liga Americana .

Después de su barrida sobre los Medias Rojas, los Rays tuvieron marca de 14-11, que fue la última vez que el equipo estuvo 3 juegos por encima de .500 en una temporada. En 26 juegos durante el mes, los Rays tuvieron marca de 14-12, lo que marcó la primera vez en la historia de la franquicia que el equipo tuvo un récord de victorias para el mes de abril.

May[edit]

After winning a series in Baltimore on May 1, the Rays were 16–12, the first time ever the team was 4 games over .500. Although they suffered a sweep to the Red Sox at Fenway Park immediately following, they bounced back with a series win against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre and a sweep of the Angels at Tropicana Field. After a win over the Yankees in extra innings Hank Steinbrenner, Senior Vice President and part-owner of the New York Yankees, expresó su frustración con su equipo en ese momento, diciendo que los Yankees "empezaron a jugar como están jugando los Rays", y que deseaba que los Rays estuvieran en una división diferente. Hank también dijo que estaba feliz por los Rays, pero que deseaba que jugaran en la Liga Nacional . [1]

Después de una victoria en el Día de los Caídos , los Rays se convirtieron en el primer equipo en más de 100 años en tener el mejor récord de la liga hasta el Día de los Caídos, después de tener el peor récord de la liga el año anterior. El último equipo en hacerlo fueron los New York Giants en 1903. [2]

El cerrador Troy Percival fue colocado en la lista de lesionados por medidas de precaución luego de su remoción de un juego en el que sintió tensión en el tendón de la corva después de ponchar a un bateador y luego caer al suelo. Percival lanzó varios lanzamientos de calentamiento pero luego abandonó el juego.

Scott Kazmir estableció un nuevo récord de franquicia por la mayor cantidad de victorias en un mes. Kazmir perdió su primera apertura de la temporada en Boston, pero luego ganó sus siguientes cinco aperturas luego de esa derrota, también luciendo una efectividad de 1.22 en las seis aperturas. Debido a esto, fue nombrado Lanzador del Mes de la Liga Americana. [3]

Los Rays terminaron mayo con un récord de 34-22, el mejor récord de la Liga Americana, liderando la división por un juego sobre los Medias Rojas de Boston, y tuvieron su primer récord ganador en el mes de mayo (19-10).

Junio [ editar ]

Los Rays y los Medias Rojas se pelean en Fenway Park, 2008.

Carlos Peña se fracturó el dedo índice izquierdo el 4 de junio y fue colocado en la lista de lesionados. Regresó al equipo el 26 de junio, usando un acolchado protector fuera de su guante de bateo izquierdo para ayudar a aliviar el impacto. El mánager de los Rays, Joe Maddon, declaró que una vez que los Rays terminaran el juego entre ligas y volvieran a jugar contra equipos de la Liga Americana, consideraría poner a Peña en el rol de bateador designado para ayudar a aliviar la carga de trabajo en su dedo índice izquierdo, ya que los Rays estaban más preocupados por su habilidad para lanzar la pelota, más que tener que balancear el bate. [4]

On June 5 the Rays were involved in a benches clearing brawl at Fenway Park with the Boston Red Sox following a series of events leading up from the previous night's game. In the previous game, Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp attempted to steal second base, and slid into the base head first. Rays Shortstop Jason Bartlett who was covering the base on the play, knelt on his left knee while attempting to catch the throw from Catcher Dioner Navarro, que bloqueó la base y causó que Crisp hiciera contacto con la pierna de Bartlett, bloqueando el pulgar de Crisp. Crisp estaba seguro en la jugada. Crisp dijo que las acciones de Bartlett "no son algo que haces. Puedes hacer eso, pero eso es turbio. Y él no es un mal tipo, pero eso fue turbio. Si vas a lastimarme, volveré y te lastimaré". "

En el mismo juego, Crisp llegó a la base en su siguiente turno al bate e intentó robar la segunda base una vez más. Sin embargo, en este intento de robo, el segunda base de los Rays, Akinori Iwamura, estaba cubriendo la bolsa. A diferencia de su intento de robo anterior, Crisp deslizó los pies primero, similar a la forma en que un corredor intenta romper una doble jugada deslizándose hacia el jugador que cubre la base. Crisp estaba en la obra. El manager de los Rays, Joe Maddon, se enfrentó a una acalorada discusión con Crisp sobre Maddon haciendo una visita al montículo, y Crisp estaba en el banquillo de los Medias Rojas en ese momento. Joe Maddon dijo después de la conclusión del juego: "No estaba satisfecho con el deslizamiento. Sentí totalmente que había una intención de lastimar a nuestro infielder central y eso es lo que me molestó. No hay lugar para eso cuando intentas lastimar a alguien intencionalmente". [5]

La noche siguiente, el lanzador de los Rays James Shields golpeó a Crisp por debajo de la cintura en el primer lanzamiento en el primer turno al bate de Crisp del juego. Luego, Crisp cargó contra el montículo, ambos jugadores lanzaron golpes y los bancos de ambos equipos se vaciaron en el campo. Shields y Crisp fueron expulsados ​​del juego, así como el bateador designado de los Rays Jonny Gomes . [6]

Following the brawl, suspensions were given to players on both teams. For the Rays, Shields was given a suspension of 6 games, and for their actions in the fight, Gomes and pitcher Edwin Jackson were given 5 game suspensions, left fielder Carl Crawford was given a four-game suspension, and Iwamura was given a three-game suspension. For the Red Sox, Crisp was suspended for seven games, and for their actions in the fight, pitcher Jon Lester was given a 5-game suspension, and first baseman Sean Casey was given a 3-game suspension.[7]

Tanto Crisp como Iwamura apelaron sus suspensiones. El 27 de junio, se anunció que se mantuvo la suspensión de Iwamura, mientras que la de Crisp se redujo a 5 juegos, lo que ya no lo convirtió en el jugador suspendido más largo de todos los involucrados. Iwamura no estaba contento de que se mantuviera su suspensión, por lo que tuvo que perderse el primer juego de la siguiente serie contra los Medias Rojas. El mánager de los Rays, Joe Maddon, dijo que la decisión lo "desconcierta" y buscó una explicación de quienes toman las decisiones. Ambas suspensiones comenzaron al día siguiente y la decisión hizo que Crisp se perdiera la siguiente serie contra los Rays en el Tropicana Field. [8]

El 12 de junio, se informó que el cerrador de los Medias Rojas, Jonathan Papelbon, había hecho comentarios sobre el incidente diciendo que, en su opinión, fue "un montón de tonterías lo que hicieron [los Rays]. , hombre. La venganza es una puta, te diré una cosa ", y que" esto no está todo arreglado y hecho ". Papelbon también dijo que las cosas serían diferentes en el Tropicana Field la próxima vez que los Medias Rojas estuvieran allí, a diferencia de la última vez en la que los Medias Rojas fueron barridos por los Rays por primera vez en la historia de la franquicia. [9] En esa serie del 30 de junio al 2 de julio, los Rays barrieron a los Medias Rojas en casa por segunda vez en la temporada, y Papelbon nunca lanzó en la serie.

El 19 de junio, los Rays barrieron a los Cachorros de Chicago en una serie de 3 juegos. Fue la primera vez en la historia de la franquicia que los Rays barrieron a un equipo con el mejor récord del béisbol, ya que los Cachorros entraron en la serie con el mejor récord de la liga con 45-25. [10]

Los Rays tuvieron marca de 16-10 en junio, mejorando a 50-32 en general y liderando la división sobre los Medias Rojas por ½ juego.

Julio [ editar ]

Troy Percival fue colocado en la lista de discapacitados una vez más el 1 de julio debido a una nueva lesión en el tendón de la corva, esta vez después de correr para retroceder un tiro a tercera base. El mánager de Percival y los Rays, Joe Maddon, tuvo una breve discusión sobre la decisión de Maddon de sacar a Percival del juego, pero Percival finalmente salió del campo y comprendió la preocupación de Maddon. [11]

El 2 de julio, los Rays completaron una barrida de 3 juegos sobre los Medias Rojas de Boston , que fue la primera serie entre los dos equipos desde su altercado a principios de junio. Fue la segunda barrida en casa de los Rays de los Medias Rojas en la temporada, y aumentó su ventaja divisional a 3.5 juegos sobre los Medias Rojas, además de darle a los Rays el mejor récord de la liga.

El lanzador Scott Kazmir y el receptor Dioner Navarro fueron nombrados para el equipo All-Star de la Liga Americana el 6 de julio. Fue la primera selección de Navarro, mientras que Kazmir había sido seleccionado previamente en 2006.

Third baseman Evan Longoria was named to the American League All-Star roster on July 10. It was the first time the Rays sent three players to the All-Star Game. Longoria was voted into the roster by the All-Star Final Vote, where fans vote for one of five players for each league to be the final players selected for the All-Star Game. The chance to vote began on July 6 after the initial All-Star lineups were announced. Longoria was reported to have received over 9 million votes out of 47.8 million total votes cast. He won over Jermaine Dye, Jason Giambi, Brian Roberts, and José Guillén.[12]

Longoria también participó en el Home Run Derby , el primer Ray en hacerlo. Fue eliminado rápidamente, conectando solo tres jonrones en la primera ronda, el menor de cualquier competidor.

Los Rays entraron en el receso del Juego de Estrellas con una racha de siete derrotas consecutivas. Habían ganado 7 seguidos antes de esa fecha. La racha perdedora hizo que los Rays cayeran al segundo lugar en el Este de la Liga Americana, pero a solo medio juego detrás de los Medias Rojas de Boston . A pesar de que los Rays perdieron el liderato de la división, todavía lideraron el puesto de comodín por 2+1 ⁄ 2 juegos.

Apenas manejando un récord ganador para el mes de julio en 13-12, los Rays, sin embargo, entraron en agosto con el líder de la División Este de la Liga Americana con un récord general de 63-44.

Despite many rumors and reports that the Rays would make a deal before the July 31 trade deadline, the Rays made no trades. Andrew Friedman, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Rays, commented on the lack of trade activity saying, "At the end of the day we didn't find something that lined up for us. We're in first place on July 31 and we control our own destiny. I feel we have the talent on hand to continue to do what we did the first two-thirds of the season."[13]

August[edit]

The Rays acquired relief pitcher Chad Bradford on August 8 from the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named later.[14] To make room for Bradford on the roster, relief pitcher Al Reyes, who was the Rays' closer from the 2007 season and had 26 saves in that role, was designated for assignment.[15]

On August 9, against the Seattle Mariners, the Rays equaled their franchise record, set in 2004, of 70 wins in a season. The following day, the Rays won again meaning at the season's conclusion, the Rays will have won more games in one season than in any other season in franchise history.

The injury bug bit the Rays a few times in August. On August 3, Shortstop Jason Bartlett was hit by a pitch on his right index finger, the result of a failed bunt attempt. Bartlett was not placed on the Disabled List but missed several days before returning to the lineup as the designated hitter.[16] He did not return to his position in the field until August 15.[17] Left fielder Carl Crawford was placed on the disabled lst on August 10, with a hand injury. Crawford's injury was called by the Rays as a "tendon subluxation" in the middle finger of his right hand, simply meaning that the tendon is not in its normal position. Crawford opted to have surgery, deciding not to place a splint on his hand instead. An initial report stated that there was a possibility that Crawford could miss the rest of the season,[18] but after it was announced that he would undergo surgery, he was reported to "likely, though not absolutely" miss the rest of the regular season.[19] One day after placing Crawford on the Disabled List, the Rays place third baseman Evan Longoria on it as well, retroactive to August 8. The injury to Longoria's right hand, suffered from being hit by a pitch, was at first thought to be just a bruise, but turned out to be a fracture. Executive Vice President, Andrew Friedman, stated that Longoria was expected to be out for three weeks.[20] Closer Troy Percival was removed from another game on August 14, because of a right knee sprain which he suffered from fielding a bunt and tagging the runner out. After further evaluation, it was reported that there was "cartilage involvement" in Percival's injury, but it was not a tear. The following day, Percival was once again placed on the Disabled List. When the announcement was made that he would not have surgery, Percival revealed that he may return sooner than expected.[17][21]

Because of Crawford's injury, Rocco Baldelli was finally activated to take his place on the roster. On August 10, Baldelli started the day's game in right field, his first major league game since May 15, 2007.[22]

On August 29, the Rays recorded their 82nd win of the season, needing just 133 games to reach the milestone, and thus clinching the first winning season in franchise history.

By the end of the month, the Rays' entire starting rotation, Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, Edwin Jackson, Andy Sonnanstine, and James Shields, had recorded at least 10 wins.

On the last day in August, shortstop Jason Bartlett hit his first home run as a member of the Rays, and his first home run overall since August 27, 2007, spanning 471 at-bats.

Despite the injuries to Longoria, Crawford, and Percival, the Rays had the best single month in franchise history, going 21–7 for the month of August. With an 84–51 overall record, the Rays went into September with the best record in baseball, with a 5+1⁄2-game lead in the division, and eyeing their first playoff appearance in franchise history. As Jason Bartlett stated, the Rays were "pumped" for the final month of the season, "no one wants to play us, especially at home,"[23] and the team was determined to prove that they were a legitimate post-season contender.[24]

September[edit]

Troy Percival was activated from the disabled list on September 2. In Toronto for his second outing since his return, he allowed a walk-off grand slam with two outs when the Rays were ahead by a single run and in position to win the game in extra innings. Against Boston during another extra inning game, Percival came in to close with a three-run lead and allowed the first three batters to reach base. He was removed from the game in favor of Jason Hammel, who had never recorded a save at the MLB level, and was the only remaining reliever available for the Rays in the game due to its length. Hammel converted the save opportunity, but many questioned if Percival should remain as the team's closer.[25] The reason for Percival's removal from the game against Boston was a stiff back, and not for the game's situation, or for any sort of leg injury that had plagued him throughout the year. Percival stated that because of warming up multiple times throughout the game, only to not come in until the Rays took a lead, was what pained his back. Percival acknowledged that he knew he didn't feel well, and that he should have called for his own removal, but decided that with the lead the Rays had, he was able to get the job done. As a result of the game, the Rays decided to not use Percival too often on consecutive nights, and using him in a tie game if the situation of the game changes while he is warming up. He still was listed as the team's closer.[26]

Instant Replay made its debut in Major League Baseball at Tropicana Field on September 3 after Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees hit a ball near the left-field foul pole that was initially ruled a home run by third base umpire Brian Runge. Rays manager Joe Maddon argued that the ball was foul and asked for a review. After a conversation among the umpires, though all agreed the play was ruled correctly, crew chief Charlie Reliford allowed the replay to take place and after review, upheld the home run call.[27] On September 19 at Tropicana Field, instant replay overturned a call on the field for the first time ever in Major League Baseball. A fly ball hit by Rays' first baseman Carlos Peña, the umpires ruled, was interfered with by a fan sitting in the front row of the stands, when the ball hit the hands of the fan and fell back onto the field of play. After Joe Maddon requested the umpires hold a conference to discuss the play, the umpires, headed by Gerry Davis, decided to look at instant replay. Just over four minutes later, Davis returned to the field and signaled that the ball was a home run.[28]

David Price, the Rays' first overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft, was called up from Triple-A class Durham on September 12. Price made his way up through the ranks, accumulating a 12–1 record, and a 2.30 ERA in 19 starts.[29] He made his first career start against the Baltimore Orioles on September 22, pitching 5+1⁄3 innings, allowing four hits and two runs (one earned), while striking out three, but did not pick up a decision in the Rays 4–2 win that night.

Third baseman Evan Longoria made his return to the Rays as a starter on September 13 in the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, more than a month after being hit by a pitch in his hand, causing a fracture.

On September 18, it was reported that left fielder Carl Crawford would miss the rest of the regular season due to a finger injury suffered in the previous month. Joe Maddon stated that the concern was over Crawford's inability to swing a bat, and that if he were to be used at all before being completely healed, it would be for defense and baserunning. Crawford said that if the Rays were to make the ALCS or the World Series, he had a chance to come back.[30]

On September 20, the Rays clinched their first playoff berth in franchise history, after a 7–2 victory over the Minnesota Twins. On September 24, St. Petersburg mayor Rick Baker declared 2008 the "Year of the Rays" in the city.[31] On September 26, despite losing that day, the Rays clinched their first ever AL East Division Championship when the Boston Red Sox lost to the New York Yankees.[32]

Going 13–14 for the month, the Rays suffered their only losing month of the season.[33]

The Rays finished the regular season 2 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox for the division championship with a 97–65 record, the third best record in the league, and 31 games better than their finish in the 2007 season. They also surpassed the record for most wins by a team in a single season having finished with the worst record in the previous year, set by the Atlanta Braves in 1991 who went 94–68 after finishing 65–97 in 1990.[citation needed]

Postseason[edit]

American League Division Series: vs. Chicago White Sox[edit]

Further information: 2008 American League Division Series

The Rays began their first playoff run in franchise history against the AL Central division champion Chicago White Sox, who finished the regular season 89–74 and advanced to the playoffs after defeating the Minnesota Twins in a one-game playoff to decide the winner of their division. In the regular season, the Rays were 5–2 against the White Sox. The Rays had home-field advantage for the series.

On September 30, it was announced that Carl Crawford would start for the Rays in his regular left field position, his first start in nearly two months after injuring his right hand and undergoing surgery thereafter.[34]

In Game 1, Rays first baseman Carlos Peña started the game, but left after his first at-bat after reportedly having blurry vision because of an eye injury suffered at his home the previous night. Rays third baseman Evan Longoria hit a solo home run in the 2nd inning on the first pitch of his first career post-season at-bat, giving the Rays the early one-run lead. White Sox left fielder DeWayne Wise hit a 3-run home run in the next inning to put Chicago ahead 3–1. The Rays came back in the bottom half of the 3rd inning with three runs of their own, including another home run by Longoria, putting the Rays back on top 4–3. Two more RBI singles in the 5th inning gave the Rays a 6–3 cushion. In the 7th inning, Rays relief pitcher Grant Balfour appeared to get into an argument with White Sox shortstop Orlando Cabrera. After Balfour's first pitch to Cabrera, which was a ball to Cabrera's far side, Cabrera kicked some dirt in Balfour's direction. Balfour, who is known to get fired up by shouting to himself, may have yelled something that Cabrera took offense too. After words were exchanged between the two, play continued and Balfour finished the at-bat by striking out Cabrera. Cabrera later stated that he was unaware of Balfour's tendency to pump himself up, and that "it was just heat of the moment." Dan Wheeler came in to close for the Rays in the 9th inning. After giving up a leadoff home run, he retired the next three batters, capping off a 6–4 win for the Rays in their first playoff game in franchise history, giving them a one-game lead in the 5-game series.[35]

Peña was expected to start Game 2, but was scratched before the first pitch. Still, the Rays continued to shine. After starter Scott Kazmir allowed the bases to become loaded in the 1st inning, and gave up two runs to put the Rays in an early hole, the pitching staff did not allow another run as the Rays' offense came through strong for the second consecutive night. In the 2nd inning, Dioner Navarro cut the deficit to 2–1 on an RBI single. Akinori Iwamura hit a 2-run home run in the 5th inning to put the Rays ahead 3–2. Adding some insurance runs in the 8th inning from three RBI singles by Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli, and Navarro, the Rays had a comfortable 6–2 lead going into the final inning. Chad Bradford came in to finish the game off, and did so by striking out Jim Thome of the White Sox to give the Rays a commanding two games to none lead in the best-of-five series, with a chance to win their first ever playoff series, and a trip to the ALCS in Game 3 as the series moved to Chicago.[36]

The Rays looked to be in shape to win the series early in Game 3, after Akinori Iwamura hit an infield single to bring in the game's first run, but starter Matt Garza allowed the White Sox to tie the game in the 3rd inning, and then take a 4–1 lead in the 4th inning. Juan Uribe of the White Sox added an RBI single in the 6th inning to increase the lead for Chicago. B.J. Upton hit a 2-run home run for the Rays in the 7th inning to make the game a bit closer, but the Rays could not get their bats going enough. The White Sox took Game 3 by a final score of 5–3, living to play another day only down two games to one in the series.[37]

In Game 4, B.J. Upton hit two solo home runs in his first two at-bats which gave the Rays an early 2–0 lead. Cliff Floyd added an RBI double, followed by a Dioner Navarro RBI single in the 4th inning put the Rays ahead by 4 runs. Paul Konerko put the White Sox on the board with a solo home run in the 4th inning, but was answered in the 5th inning by a Carlos Peña single that scored one run, giving the Rays a 5–1 lead. Jermaine Dye had a solo home run in the 6th inning, but once again the Rays answered back with another RBI single by Peña in the 7th inning. Grant Balfour came in to close the game and struck out Ken Griffey, Jr. to end the game, and in their first playoff series in franchise history, the Rays took the series three games to one, and advanced to the American League Championship Series.[38]

American League Championship Series: vs. Boston Red Sox[edit]

Further information: 2008 American League Championship Series

The Rays' next round opponent was their division rivals, the Boston Red Sox. Boston won the American League wild card, and advanced to the ALCS by defeating the team who had finished the regular season with the best record in baseball, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, three games to one in their ALDS series. The Rays won the season series against the Red Sox 10–8. In those 18 games, the visiting team won only three times.

In Game 1 neither team scored until the 5th inning when Jed Lowrie of the Red Sox hit a sacrifice fly that scored a run from third base. Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka held a no-hitter through six innings until a hit by Carl Crawford leading off the 7th inning. Following Crawford's base hit, Cliff Floyd singled, advancing Crawford to a scoring position. However, the Rays could not capitalize as the next three batters were retired to end the inning. In the 8th inning, Kevin Youkilis hit a fly ball to left field for the Red Sox, which went off the end of Carl Crawford's glove, scoring Dustin Pedroia from first base and giving the Red Sox a 2–0 lead. The 8th inning for the Rays saw the first two batter reach base to send Carlos Peña to the plate with none out. With three balls and no strikes, Rays manager Joe Maddon gave Pena the green light to swing away, a move which backfired as Peña flew out to right field. Evan Longoria then grounded into an inning ending double play. The Red Sox held on to their lead and shut out the Rays by a score of 2–0, taking the first game of the series.[39]

While the first game of the series was a pitchers' duel, Game 2 was the exact opposite. The scoring opened up quickly, as the Red Sox put on a 2-out rally against Rays starter Scott Kazmir in the 1st inning from a Jason Bay double that scored Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz to put the Red Sox up 2–0. The Rays answered in their half of the 1st inning off Red Sox starter Josh Beckett, with a 2-out home run by Evan Longoria which also brought in Carlos Peña, evening the game at 2–2. Dustin Pedroia hit a solo home run to left field in the 3rd inning, which was again answered by the Rays with B.J. Upton hitting a solo home run of his own to left field to tie the game back up at 3–3. Carl Crawford hit a single to score Evan Longoria, and the Rays took their first lead of the night at 4–3. Cliff Floyd went deep to center field in the 4th inning to give the Rays a 5–3 lead. The Red Sox hit three solo home runs in the 5th inning, including Dustin Pedroia for his second long ball of the night, Kevin Youkilis, and Jason Bay, respectively, putting the Red Sox back on top at 6–5. The Rays also scored three separate times in the 5th inning, off of a single from Carlos Peña, a double by Evan Longoria, and a single by Carl Crawford, retaking the lead at 8–6. The Red Sox did not go away quietly as Jason Bay hit a bases-loaded single to center field and cut the Rays' lead to 8–7. With Dan Wheeler in to pitch for the Rays in the 8th, a wild pitch scored Dustin Pedroia from third base to again tie the game at 8–8. The game went extra innings, where in the 11th inning, and Dan Wheeler still pitching for the Rays, walked a batter with one out, and rookie David Price came in for the Rays. Price walked the first batter he faced but stuck out Mark Kotsay, and was able to get Coco Crisp to ground into a force out at second base. For the Rays in the 11th inning, Dioner Navarro walked to lead off, and Fernando Perez came in to pinch run. Ben Zobrist then walked, and a ground out by Jason Bartlett advanced the runners. The Red Sox intentionally walked Akinori Iwamura to set up a double play chance, but B.J. Upton hit a fly ball to right field deep enough to score Fernando Perez from third base on a sacrifice fly, ending the game in the Rays' favor 9–8, knotting the series at one game each as the series shifted to Fenway Park for the next three games. The time that the game took to complete was 5 hours and 27 minutes.[40]

Game 3 did play out very well for the Rays. Red Sox starter Jon Lester threw four pitches in the 1st inning, but gave up one run in the 2nd inning to put his team in an early hole. In the 3rd inning, the Rays distanced themselves from their opponents. B.J. Upton hit a 3-run home run, and two batters later, Evan Longoria added a solo home run to put the Rays up 5–0 in Boston. Rays starter Matt Garza held the Red Sox scoreless until a sacrifice fly scored a run in the 7th inning, the Rays still having a 5–1 advantage. Rocco Baldelli and Carlos Peña put the final nails in the Red Sox' coffin as far as Game 3 was concerned, Baldelli with a 3-run home run, and Peña with a solo shot in the 8th and 9th innings, respectively. The Rays won 9–1, taking a two games to one lead in the series.[41]

It was more of the same for Tampa Bay in Game 4, jumping out to a 3–0 lead in the 1st inning on Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield with a 2-run home run by Carlos Peña, immediately followed by a solo home run by Evan Longoria. Willy Aybar added a 2-run home run of his own in the 3rd inning to make it 5–0. Kevin Cash put the Red Sox on the board in the bottom half of the 3rd inning with a solo home run. The Rays however, were not finished with their offensive explosion, putting together a lead of 11–1 through six innings. The Red Sox scored a run in the 8th inning, causing Rays manager Joe Maddon to pull starter Andy Sonnanstine. Both teams scored two runs in the 8th inning, but the Rays' lead proved to be insurmountable for the Red Sox, and they won by a final score of 13–4.

Game 5, for the longest time, looked as if it was going to be the clinching win for the Rays. B.J. Upton hit a two-run home run in the 1st inning to make it 2–0. Carlos Peña hit one of his own in the 3rd inning, immediately followed by a home run by Evan Longoria, giving the Rays a 5–0 lead. Upton double in the 7th inning, scoring two more runs, increasing the lead to 7–0. In the bottom half of the 7th inning, with Rays starter Scott Kazmir having been removed from the game by manager Joe Maddon, the Red Sox began to rally. Boston scored four runs in that inning via a Dustin Pedroia RBI single, and a 3-run home run by David Ortiz which cut the Rays' lead to 7–4. With the Rays' bats quiet in the 8th inning, J. D. Drew hit a 2-run home run to bring the Red Sox within one run, and Coco Crisp singled home the tying run to make the score even at 7–7. In the 9th inning, with the score still tied and two out, Kevin Youkilis hit a ground ball to Rays third baseman Evan Longoria who made an errant throw which allowed Youkilis to advance to second base. After an intentional walk issued by the Rays, J. D. Drew came up big for Boston once again, sailing a fly ball over the head of right fielder Gabe Gross which fell to the ground and then bounced over the right field wall, scoring Youkilis on the ground rule double and capping off the largest comeback by a team facing elimination in postseason history. The Rays series lead was now down to only one game heading into Game 6, but returned home as the series shifted back to Tropicana Field.[42]

Game 6 began well for the Rays, with B.J. Upton continuing his postseason emergence with a solo home run in the 1st inning and giving the Rays the first lead of the night. The Red Sox returned that with a solo home run by Kevin Youkilis, leveling the score at 1–1. Youkilis gave the Red Sox the lead in the 3rd inning by grounding out, but scoring Dustin Pedroia from third base. In the 5th inning, Jason Bartlett hit his second home run of the entire season, another solo shot which tied the game at 2–2. Again, Boston quickly answered back, with a solo home run by captain Jason Varitek, his first base hit of the ALCS, Boston now having a 3–2 lead. Later in the inning, Coco Crisp singled, and in the next at-bat, Jason Bartlett committed a throwing error to First Base, allowing Crisp to advance to third base. David Ortiz then hit a single to give the Red Sox a 4–2 cushion, having scored Crisp. The Rays were unable to make a comeback, and lost the game by that score, their series lead now erased as a Game 7 had to be played to decide the series.[43]

The starting pitchers of Game 7 were Jon Lester of the Red Sox, and Matt Garza of the Rays, a rematch of Game 3. Lester, who was the losing pitcher in Game 3, had never lost consecutive outings in his career. Dustin Pedroia wasted no time, homering off of Garza in the 1st inning for the early 1–0 lead in favor of Boston. After that, Garza was almost unhittable until his departure. Lester was also great early, retiring the first nine batters he faced before allowing a single in the 4th inning. Later in the inning, Evan Longoria dropped a double into right field, and scored Carlos Peña all the way from 1st Base to tie the game at 1–1. Rocco Baldelli knocked a single into left field in the 5th inning, scoring Willy Aybar from second base and putting the Rays ahead for the first time in the game, 2–1. With one out the 6th inning for the Red Sox, with Dustin Pedroia on first base and David Ortiz at the plate, Matt Garza was able to get "Big Papi" to swing and miss for the strikeout, and Dioner Navarro gunned down Pedroia at second base, who was attempting to steal on the pitch, ending that half of the inning. Willy Aybar belt a solo home run for the Rays in the 7th inning to give them a slightly more comfortable lead at 3–1. Garza was removed with one out in the 8th inning, having allowed only two hits and striking out nine batters, and receiving a standing ovation from Rays fans at the game as he left the field. The defending world champion Red Sox did not go away though, loading the bases in that inning. Joe Maddon elected to go with rookie David Price in hopes of ending the threat. Price did just that by striking out J. D. Drew on a check swing. Price returned to close out the game in the 9th inning, and after two strikeouts and a walk, Jed Lowrie hit a ground ball to Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura, who stepped on second base to make the final out and send the Tampa Bay Rays to their first World Series in franchise history, defeating the Boston Red Sox four games to three. Garza, who had won two games in the series, was named ALCS MVP.[44]

World Series: vs. Philadelphia Phillies[edit]

Further information: 2008 World Series

The Rays now stood only four wins from their first world championship, with only the Phillies in their way. Philadelphia won the NL East division title, disposed of the Milwaukee Brewers in their division series in four games, and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS in five games. The Rays had home field advantage because of the American League's win in the 2008 All-Star Game.

Game 1[edit]
The teams on the field before Game 1

In Game 1, Rays starting pitcher Scott Kazmir did not get off to a good start to the Rays' first ever World Series game, giving up a 2-run home run to the Phillies' Chase Utley in the 1st inning. The Rays had a chance to get on the scoreboard in the 3rd inning with the bases loaded and one out, but did not score as B.J. Upton hit into a double play. The Phillies added another run in the 4th inning on an RBI groundout, jumping out to a 3–0 lead. Carl Crawford the longest tenured Ray on the team's roster, gave the Rays their first run in World Series history, by hitting a solo home run off of Phillies' starter Cole Hamels in the 4th inning, cutting the deficit of 3–1. In the 5th inning, Akinori Iwamura hit an RBI double to bring the Rays within one. The Rays were not able to put up any more offense, with the Phillies relief pitchers retiring the Rays' last six batters and winning the game 3–2, taking the first game of the series.[45]

Game 2[edit]

Game 2, saw an impressive performance by the Rays' "Big Game James" Shields. In this game, it was the Rays taking a 2–0 lead in the 1st inning, on two consecutive RBI groundouts, each scoring a runner from third base. In the 3rd inning, B.J. Upton singled home Dioner Navarro, with Rocco Baldelli being thrown out at home plate after the score, giving the Rays a 3–0 lead. Shields was taken out of the game in the 6th inning after getting into a jam, but he did not give up any runs to the Phillies in the game. David Price eventually came into the game for the Rays in the 7th inning, and allowed the Phillies to get on the scoreboard from a solo home run by pinch-hitter Eric Bruntlett to make the score 4–1 with the Rays still ahead. Price finished the game, with the Phillies making it interesting by scoring a runner from second base because of an error by Rays' third baseman Evan Longoria, who deflected the ball into shallow left field. Already with one out, Price then struck out Chase Utley, and retired Ryan Howard on a groundout to end the game and give the Rays the 4–2 win. The series moved to Philadelphia and Citizens Bank Park, tied at one game for each team.[46]

Game 3[edit]

With the start of Game 3 delayed by rain for an hour and 31 minutes, the series finally resumed in Philadelphia just after 10 pm EST. Jamie Moyer became the oldest pitcher to start a World Series game, facing off against ALCS MVP Matt Garza. Philadelphia was on the board early, as Chase Utley was put out on a ground ball that scored a runner from third. The Rays evened the game at one run each in the 2nd inning as Gabe Gross flew out on a sacrifice fly. The Phillies took back the back in the 2nd inning after a solo home run by Carlos Ruiz. The Phillies made it 4–1 in the 6th inning from back-to-back home runs by Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Gabe Gross scored Carl Crawford by grounding out, and Jason Bartlett did the same to score Dioner Navarro during the next at-bat to make the score 4–3 Philadelphia. In the 8th inning for the Rays, B.J. Upton singled to reach base. During Evan Longoria's at-bat, Upton stole second base, and later steal third base in the same at-bat. Trying to throw out Upton at third base, Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz made a throwing error which allowed Upton to score and tie the game at 4–4. The 9th inning went sour for the Rays defensively, as Phillies batter Eric Bruntlett was hit by a pitch. When Bruntlett attempted to steal second base, Rays catcher Dioner Navarro made a throwing error which allowed Bruntlett to advance to third base. The Rays intentionally walked the next two batters, which loaded the bases with no outs. Carlos Ruiz hit a soft ground ball down the third base line, which was fielded cleanly by Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, but trying to toss to Navarro at home to make a forceout, sailed the throw over the catcher's head, and the winning run was scored by the Phillies to win the game 5–4, and take a two games to one series lead. Because of the game's late start, it was not completed until 1:47 am EST.[47]

Game 4[edit]

The Phillies scored in the 1st inning of Game 4 on a bases-loaded walk, and never looked back. Pedro Feliz drove in a run in the 3rd inning to make it a 2–0 Phillies lead. In the 4th inning, Carl Crawford hit a solo home run to cut the deficit in half to just one run for the Rays, but in the bottom half of the inning, Ryan Howard knocked a 3-run home run to make it a 5–1 game. Eric Hinske hit a solo home run to make it 5–2, but Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton hit a solo home run of his own to make it 6–2. In the 8th inning for the Phillies, Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard each hit 2-run home runs, finishing off the Rays in the most one-sided game the series had seen by a score of 10–2. The Phillies now had the Rays on the ropes, needing just one more win to become World Champions.[48]

Game 5[edit]

Game 5 was perhaps the most interesting game of the series. The Phillies scored in the 1st inning again, on a bases-loaded single by Shane Victorino to make it 2–0. Evan Longoria scored Carlos Peña to make it a 2–1 game.

At one point, it began to rain, and the weather conditions got worse as the game continued. There was much speculation, including that from Fox baseball commentators Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, that the game may be called early because of the weather. Major League Baseball rules state that the game could have been called after the 5th inning, ending the game and resulting in the Phillies winning the World Series. MLB commissioner Bud Selig had made it clear to both teams prior to the game anyway, that the game was not going to be called early under any circumstance, as he would not allow such an important game like this to be ended before the 9th inning. However, such a controversy was prevented from happening because of the events on the field, when in the 6th inning, Carlos Peña scored B.J. Upton to tie the game at 2–2.

Following the completion of the top of the 6th inning, the tarps were pulled over the infield, and the game was delayed until 11:10 pm EST, when it was officially announced that the game was suspended, making it the first time ever for a World Series game. It was not resumed the next day, as it continued to rain in Philadelphia, but the day following that, the game resumed.

The Phillies had scored in the 1st inning in each game of the World Series in Philadelphia, and essentially did the same again as Jayson Werth singled on a pop up that scored a run in the bottom of the 6th inning to give the Phillies a 3–2 lead. Rocco Baldelli kept the Rays in it with a solo home run in the 7th inning to tie the game again. Pedro Feliz answered that home run with an RBI single that ended up being the game winner, as Phillies closer Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske in the 9th inning to end the game. The Philadelphia Phillies had defeated the Rays four games to one to win their second World Series title, and first since 1980, and the first championship for the city of Philadelphia since the 76ers swept the 1983 NBA Finals. Cole Hamels was named MVP of the series.[49]

Regular season[edit]

Season standings[edit]

  • v
  • t
  • e
AL East		WLPct.GBHomeRoad
Tampa Bay Rays97650.599—57–2440–41
Boston Red Sox95670.586256–2539–42
New York Yankees89730.549848–3341–40
Toronto Blue Jays86760.5311147–3439–42
Baltimore Orioles68930.42228½37–4331–50


Record vs. Opponents[edit]

TeamBALBOSCWSCLEDETKCLAAMINNYYOAKSEATBTEXTORNL
Baltimore–6–124–54–44–35–33–63–37–110–58–23–154–56–1211–7
Boston12–6–4–35–15–26–11–84–39–96–46–38–109–19–911–7
Chicago5–43–4–11–712–612–65–59–102–55–45–14–63–31–712–6
Cleveland4–41–57–11–11–710–84–58–104–35–44–55–26–46–16–12
Detroit3–42–56–127–11–7–113–67–114–23–67–33–46–33–513–5
Kansas City3–51–66–128–1011–7–2–36–125–56–37–23–52–72–513–5
Los Angeles6–38–15–55–46–33–2–5–37–310–914–53–612–76–310–8
Minnesota3–33–410–910–811–712–63–5–4–65–55–43–35–50–614–4
New York11–79–95–23–42–45–53–76–4–5–17–211–73–49–910–8
Oakland5–04–64–54–56–33–69–105–51–5-10–93–67–124–610–8
Seattle2–83–61–55–43–72–75–144–52–79–10–3–48–115–49–9
Tampa Bay15–310–86–42–54–35–36–33–37–116–34–3–6–311–712–6
Texas5–41–93–34–63–67–27–125–54–312–711–83–6–4–410–8
Toronto12–69–97–11–65–35–23–66–09–96–44–57–114–4–8–10
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Walk-off wins[edit]

A key component of the success of the Rays in 2008 was its ability to hang on late in games. The team took eleven walk-off victories in the 2008 regular season,[33] and one in the postseason, four of which were home runs:

  1. April 25 vs. Red Sox: Nathan Haynes hit a walk-off RBI single off of Mike Timlin with two on and no outs in the bottom of the 11th inning, scoring Carl Crawford from second base.
  2. May 9 vs. Angels: Evan Longoria hit a two-run walk-off home run off of Justin Speier with one on and one out in the bottom of the 9th inning, also scoring B. J. Upton.
  3. May 13 vs. Yankees: Gabe Gross hit a walk-off RBI single off of Mariano Rivera with one on and no outs in the bottom of the 11th inning, scoring Jonny Gomes from second base.
  4. May 25 vs. Orioles: Evan Longoria hit a walk-off RBI double off of Jim Johnson with one on and one out in the bottom of the 9th inning, scoring Carlos Peña from first base.
  5. May 30 vs. White Sox: Cliff Floyd hit a walk-off home run off of Scott Linebrink to lead off the bottom of the 9th inning.
  6. June 1 vs. White Sox: Gabe Gross hit a walk-off home run off of Matt Thornton to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning.
  7. June 21 vs. Astros: Gabe Gross hit a walk-off two-RBI double off of Doug Brocail with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, scoring Cliff Floyd and Eric Hinske.
  8. August 3 vs. Tigers: Carlos Peña took a walk from Fernando Rodney with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, scoring Shawn Riggans from third base.
  9. August 6 vs. Indians: Carlos Peña hit a walk-off three-run home run off of Masahide Kobayashi with no outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, also scoring Akinori Iwamura and Ben Zobrist. Earlier in the inning, Edward Mujica lost a three-run lead by giving up an RBI double to Eric Hinske, followed by a two-run homer to Gabe Gross.
  10. August 30 vs. Orioles: Rocco Baldelli hit a walk-off RBI double off of Rocky Cherry with one on and one out in the bottom of the 9th inning, scoring Carlos Peña from first base.
  11. September 16 vs. Red Sox: Dioner Navarro hit a walk-off RBI single off of Justin Masterson with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 9th inning, scoring Jason Bartlett from third base.
  12. October 11 vs. Red Sox: In Game 2 of the ALCS, B.J. Upton hit a walk-off sacrifice fly off of Mike Timlin with the bases loaded and one out, scoring Fernando Perez from third base.

Summer Concert Series[edit]

In March 2008, the Rays announced Tropicana Field would host seven Saturday night postgame concerts featuring various artists.[50] One concert was added to the schedule later in the season.[51] The Rays did not lose any of the eight games in which a concert followed.

  1. On May 24, The Commodores performed after an 11–4 win over the Orioles.
  2. On May 31, Trace Adkins performed after a 2–0 win over the White Sox.
  3. On June 14, Gilberto Santa Rosa performed after a 4–1 win over the Marlins.
  4. On June 21, Kool & The Gang performed after a 4–3 win over the Astros.
  5. On July 5, Loverboy performed after a 3–0 win over the Royals.
  6. On July 19, MC Hammer performed after a 6–4 win over the Blue Jays.
  7. On August 2, LL Cool J performed after a 9–3 win over the Tigers.
  8. On August 30, We The Kings performed after a 10–9 win over the Orioles.

Game log[edit]

Regular season[edit]

2008 Game Log: 97–65 (Home: 57–24; Road: 40–41)

Postseason[edit]

2008 Postseason

Player stats[edit]

Pitching[edit]

Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts

PlayerWLERAGGSSVIPRERBBK
Grant Balfour
6
2
1.54
51
0
4
58.1
10
10
24
82
Kurt Birkins
0
0
0.90
6
0
0
10.0
1
1
5
7
Chad Bradford
4
3
2.12
68
0
0
59.1
20
14
15
17
Scott Dohmann
2
0
6.14
12
0
0
14.2
10
10
7
12
Matt Garza
11
9
3.70
30
30
0
184.2
83
76
59
128
Jason Hammel
4
4
4.60
40
5
2
78.1
45
40
35
44
J.P. Howell
6
1
2.22
64
0
3
89.1
29
22
39
92
Edwin Jackson
14
11
4.42
32
31
0
183.1
91
90
77
108
Scott Kazmir
12
8
3.49
27
27
0
152.1
61
59
70
166
Trever Miller
2
0
4.15
68
0
2
43.1
21
20
20
44
Jeff Niemann
2
2
5.06
5
2
0
16.0
12
9
8
14
Troy Percival
2
1
4.53
50
0
28
45.2
26
23
27
38
David Price
0
0
1.93
5
1
0
14.0
4
3
4
12
Al Reyes
2
2
4.37
26
0
0
22.2
12
11
10
19
Jae Kuk Ryu
0
0
0.00
1
0
0
1.1
0
0
1
1
Juan Salas
0
0
7.11
5
0
0
6.1
5
5
4
8
James Shields
14
8
3.56
33
33
0
215.0
94
85
40
160
Andy Sonnanstine
13
9
4.38
32
32
0
193.1
105
94
37
124
Mitch Talbot
0
0
11.17
3
1
0
9.2
12
12
11
5
Dan Wheeler
5
6
3.12
70
0
13
66.1
25
23
22
53
Totals
97
65
3.82
162
162
52
1457.2
671
618
526
1143

Roster[edit]

2008 Tampa Bay Rays
Roster
Pitchers
  • 50 Grant Balfour
  • 24 Kurt Birkins
  • 53 Chad Bradford
  • 27 Scott Dohmann
  • 22 Matt Garza
  • 47 Gary Glover
  • 49 Jason Hammel
  • 39 J. P. Howell
  • 36 Edwin Jackson
  • 19 Scott Kazmir
  • 57 Trever Miller
  • 34 Jeff Niemann
  • 40 Troy Percival
  • 14 David Price
  • 28 Al Reyes
  • 11 Jae Kuk Ryu
  • 52 Juan Salas
  • 33 James Shields
  • 21 Andy Sonnanstine
  • 51 Mitch Talbot
  • 35 Dan Wheeler
Catchers
  • 20 Mike DiFelice
  • 41 Michel Hernández
  • 28 John Jaso
  • 30 Dioner Navarro
  •  9 Shawn Riggans

Infielders

  • 16 Willy Aybar
  •  8 Jason Bartlett
  • 44 Reid Brignac
  • 41 Andy Cannizaro
  •  1 Akinori Iwamura
  • 24 Dan Johnson
  • 43 Elliot Johnson
  •  3 Evan Longoria
  • 23 Carlos Peña
  • 18 Ben Zobrist
Outfielders
  •  5 Rocco Baldelli
  • 13 Carl Crawford
  • 31 Jonny Gomes
  • 26 Gabe Gross
  • 37 Nathan Haynes
  • 32 Eric Hinske
  • 38 Fernando Perez
  • 10 Justin Ruggiano
  •  2 B. J. Upton

Other batters

  • 15 Cliff Floyd
Manager
  • 70 Joe Maddon

Coaches

  • 72 Tim Bogar
  •  6 Tom Foley (third base)
  • 55 Steve Henderson (hitting)
  • 25 George Hendrick (first base)
  • 48 Jim Hickey (pitching)
  •  4 Dave Martinez (bench)
  •  7 Bobby Ramos (bullpen)
  • 60 Don Zimmer (senior advisor)

Farm system[edit]

See also: Minor League Baseball
LevelTeamLeagueManager
AAADurham BullsInternational LeagueCharlie Montoyo
AAMontgomery BiscuitsSouthern LeagueBilly Gardner Jr.
AVero Beach Devil RaysFlorida State LeagueJim Morrison
AColumbus CatfishSouth Atlantic LeagueMatt Quatraro
A-Short SeasonHudson Valley RenegadesNew York–Penn LeagueJoe Alvarez
RookiePrinceton RaysAppalachian LeagueJoe Szekely

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Hank: Yanks need to be more like Rays". Blogs.tampabay.com. May 14, 2008. Archived from the original on June 17, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008.
  2. ^ "Kazmir leads Rays over Rangers 7-3". Fox News. AP. May 26, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  3. ^ Topkin, Marc (June 2, 2008). "Kaz is AL's Mr. May". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  4. ^ Pena returns to Rays; Zobrist sent down
  5. ^ Rays fall out of first, not happy with Sox
  6. ^ Emotions run high as Rays swept by Sox
  7. ^ Suspensions handed down after fracas
  8. ^ Iwamura unhappy about suspension
  9. ^ Papelbon to Rays: Payback's coming
  10. ^ Rays rule Cubs with seven-run seventh
  11. ^ Rays place Percival on disabled list
  12. ^ Longoria, Hart are fans' final All-Stars
  13. ^ "Front office believes current Rays can carry on". Archived from the original on August 5, 2008. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
  14. ^ "Rays nab veteran reliever Bradford from Orioles". Archived from the original on August 12, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2008.
  15. ^ Reyes designated to make room for Bradford
  16. ^ Riggans OK; Maddon doesn't anticipate a Bartlett DL stay
  17. ^ a b Bartlett's back; Percival's out 2–4 weeks
  18. ^ "Rays' Crawford may be out for season with hand injury". Archived from the original on August 14, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2008.
  19. ^ Crawford to have surgery
  20. ^ Longoria joins Crawford on DL
  21. ^ Percival ok, no surgery needed
  22. ^ Rocco's Return
  23. ^ "Bartlett offensive star as Rays sweep Orioles". Archived from the original on September 3, 2008. Retrieved September 1, 2008.
  24. ^ Baldelli bashes Burres to finish sweep
  25. ^ "Rays must demote Percival as closer". Archived from the original on September 13, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  26. ^ "Rays to lighten workload for ailing Percival". Archived from the original on September 15, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  27. ^ Instant replay goes off without a hitch
  28. ^ Rays benefit from first overturned call
  29. ^ Price called up
  30. ^ Crawford out for rest of regular season
  31. ^ St. Pete loves the Rays! from St. Petersburg, Florida, city website
  32. ^ Cherry, Gene; Sonia Oxley (September 27, 2008). "Rays claim AL East title to cap turnaround". Reuters. Archived from the original on September 30, 2008. Retrieved September 28, 2008.
  33. ^ a b Chuck, Bill. 100 random things about the Red Sox, Rays, and Yankees, The Boston Globe. Published April 2, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
  34. ^ Crawford will play
  35. ^ Longoria's two homers help Rays power past ChiSox
  36. ^ Never counted out, Rays take Game 2
  37. ^ Chance to advance spoiled for Rays
  38. ^ Rays clinch, punch ticket to ALCS
  39. ^ Missed chances haunt Rays
  40. ^ Worth the wait: Rays even up ALCS
  41. ^ Monster inning wins Game 3 for Rays
  42. ^ Rays unable to finish off Red Sox
  43. ^ No time to dwell on loss for Rays
  44. ^ Magnificent 7: Rays amaze, top Sox
  45. ^ Rays in familiar spot after narrow loss
  46. ^ New life for Rays after Game 2 victory
  47. ^ Night to remember in Philly
  48. ^ Stakes are Rays'd after Game 4 loss
  49. ^ Dream season ends in disappointment
  50. ^ Rays introduce Summer Concert Series, presented by Hess Express, following seven home games this season, as part of Rays Saturday Nights, presented by Catch 47 / Bright House Networks
  51. ^ Bradenton group 'We the Kings' added to Rays Summer Concert Series presented by Hess Express

External links[edit]

  • 2008 Tampa Bay Rays season at Baseball Reference