Tampa and St. Petersburg, FL are home to several minor league baseball teams. Why is it that whenever I turn on a Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball game, I can't help but think that one of these minor league teams snuck under the radar and tricked professional ball clubs into believing they're an actual MLB organization?
Beginning in 1998, the franchise from the Bay area has done nothing but lose, finishing last in their division in every year except for 2004. They are a career 518-775, a .401 winning percentage. In other words, of every five games these guys play, they drop three. The last time these guys have won (as of this writing of September 18th) was September 9th. They've won four games in the month of September alone. They won eight in August. Almost six weeks of playing and they have eight wins to show for it.
Does anyone else see anything wrong with that?
Their best hitter is only slugging .532. What? Are you kidding me? He's only making contact with the ball half of the time he steps up to the plate?! That's not Major League Baseball. That's not even Triple-A. There are nine teams in the AL with at least one (and sometimes two) players that have better slugging percentages.
It gets better. Every single team in the AL has at least one (and sometimes two or three) players on their regular lineup that have higher batting averages than outfielder Rocco Baldelli's team-leading .308 BA. Their team batting average of .255 is coincidentally an AL-worst.
They are in the bottom three of the AL of almost every single statistical category, whether it's doubles, triples, hits, RBIs, on-base-percentage — you name it, the Devil Rays stink at it.
But, there is a glimmer of hope. They are third in the American League in one statistic:
Strikeouts.
With the offensive woes facing this team, the bullpen isn't faring much better. Their pitching staff has the fourth-highest ERA (.499) and second-most hits given up (1480) in the league. That's roughly five runs and 10 hits given up by the Devil Rays' pitchers a game.
Devil Rays, stop trading players in their prime for prospects that could potentially be better than what you've got. Start from scratch, and stick with the players you get. Then, claw your way to an average record and third place in your division and then maybe you'll get a player or two in free agency that will move you to a place where you can fight for a division title.
There needs to be a return to the basics of putting the bat on the ball. There needs to be new life breathed into a franchise that is just keeping its head above .380 this season.
Florida is as ripe with some of the best young baseball talent as any state out there. Bringing football to Tampa worked. Heck, even bringing hockey to Tampa worked.
Why hasn't it worked yet for baseball?
September 22, 2006
Mike Round:
Ryan
Tampa can’t keep the veterans it wants because they don’t wanty to stay. The team offered Julio Lugo a good contract which he declined, which is symptamatic of their problem. They don’t have the revenue to pony up big money for free agents so have to go with youngsters and hope they pan out. Then they have to trade them before they bolt for more money than the Rays can afford, as will happen with Scott Kazmir eventually.
The Bucs can pay big money for free agents because the NFL’s finances are so different to MLB’s. If the Rays were a NL team they could compete, as the Marlins have. In the AL East they have no hope. Only by relocation can they hope to attain respectability. Otherwise they should be contracted as fans don’t support professional baseball in South Florida.
Cheers, MIke