Tampa Bay Devil Rays - The Early Years (1998-1999)  
   
 
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  Titles: Top Devil Rays Players of the Nineties  
  None  
    Pitchers:  
  BallPark: Roberto Hernandez (3.43) -   22  
  Tropicana Field Rolando Arrojo (6.65) -   15  
    Wilson Alvarez (3.97) -   11  
  Team Name: Bobby Witt (0.76) -   6  
  Devil Rays (1998 - 1999) Tony Sanders (2.43) -   5  
    Ryan Rupe (2.17) -   4  
  Owner:  Jim Mecir (2.65) -   3  
  Local Owners Group A (1998 - 1999) Albie Lopez (1.86) -   3  
    Esteban Yan (0.97) -   3  
  General Managers: Julio Santana (0.73) -   3  
  Chuck LaMar (1998 - 1999)    
    Catchers:  
  Managers: John Flaherty (1) -   14  
  Larry Rothschild (1998 - 1999) Mike DiFelice (1.38) -   3  
       
  No Hitters: First Basemen:  
  None Fred McGriff (6.9) -   14  
       
  Hall of Famers: Second Basemen:  
  Fred McGriff Miguel Cairo (3.88) -   9  
       
  Rookie of the Year: ShortStop:  
  None Kevin Stocker (2.09) -   5  
       
  MVP: Third Base:  
  None Bobby Smith (0.89) -   5  
    Wade Boggs (1.18) -   1  
  Cy Young:    
  None Outfield:  
    Jose Canseco (2.71) -   8  
  Notable Events: Quentin McCracken (0.85) -   7  
    Randy Winn (1.62) -   7  
  1998 - For decades, there had been rumors of one team after  Bubba Trammell (2.43) -   4  
   another moving down to Tampa, whether it was the White Sox Dave Martinez (0.86) -   3  
    or the Giants or whomever was the franchise du jour in turmoil.    
   Finally, Tampa got their team as an expansion franchise. Notable Events:  
    The problem was that there was no ownership group in Tampa     
   with the money to support a major league team properly.  1998 - Initial stocking of the team:  
  The Rays have been operating the team on a shoestring since □  OF - Bobby Abreu, 6th pick in expansion draft - bad trade to Phillies for SS Kevin Stocker  
  its inception - no bueno. On top of that, the Rays have the □  OF - Dmitri Young, 16th pick in expansion draft - bad trade to Reds for Mike Kelly  
   worst ballpark in the big leagues, by far.  □  OF - Randy Winn, 58th pick in expansion draft- after five productive years with the Rays   
  You walk in there and it looks like you're indoors. It's dingy.   was dealt to Seattle in an unusual trade for manager Lou Piniella in 2003  
  And small. And not very attractive.  And they've got a lease □  RHP - Victor Zambrano, 21, signed after being released by the Yankees  
   on the thing that they can't break that goes on forever.    
   Not surprising then that for the first decade of the team's  The Devil Rays make some nice draft picks in their first two years of existence:  
   existence, they average a 64-98 record with their high water  □  1998 - 3B Aubrey Huff, 5th round pick - solid slugger in Rays lineup for seven years  
  mark in 2004 when they actually make it to the rarified air  debuted in 2000 at age twenty three  
  of fourth place and a 70-91 mark. If you're looking for strike  □  1999 - OF Josh Hamilton (first overall) - HOF worthy  talent with drug problems.   
  three (strikes one and two being ownership with shallow   Never was able to exorcise his demons while in the Tampa organization  
   pockets and playing in an awful stadium), here it is: □  1999 - OF Carl Crawford (1st pick in 2nd round of draft) - was an outstanding player   
   they are playing in the same division with the deep pockets for the Rays for nine years - debuted in 2002  
   Yankees and Red Sox - not to mention that the Orioles    
   and Blue Jays have been  usually pretty decent, as well.