Tampa Bay Devil
Rays, professional baseball team and one of five teams in the East
Division of the American League (AL). The Devil Rays play at
Tropicana Field in Saint Petersburg, Florida. The club’s name was
selected by Saint Petersburg residents for the devil ray (also
called devilfish), a large fish that inhabits the waters bordering
Florida. The team’s colors are green, yellow, purple, blue, and
black.
The Devil Rays joined the major leagues on March 9, 1995, along with
the Arizona Diamondbacks. Major League Baseball (MLB) awarded the
Tampa Bay expansion team franchise to businessman Vince Naimoli.
Chuck LaMar was hired as general manager of the Devil Rays; as
assistant general manager of the National League’s Atlanta Braves,
LaMar helped build powerful teams during the mid-1990s.
The Devil Rays began play in 1998 under the direction of former
Florida Marlins pitching coach Larry Rothschild. Before the start of
the season, the club signed Cuban national team pitcher Rolando
Arrojo. The veteran ballplayers who joined the team included Wade
Boggs, Fred McGriff, Wilson Alvarez, and Roberto Hernandez. The team
finished last in its division in its first season. Before the 1999
season the Devil Rays signed star player José Canseco, but they
continued to struggle and finished the year last in the AL East
again.CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tampa has not played in the postseason.
TOP MANAGER
Larry Rothschild served as the teams manager from
1998 through early in the 2001 season. He compiled a 201-284 record
through the beginning of the 2000 season.
MVPS
No League MVPs
CY YOUNG
No AL Cy Young winners
ROOKIE OF YEAR
No Rookies of the Year
RETIRED NUMBERS
12 - Wade Boggs
42 - Jackie Robinson |
