In sports, teams often raise and sink, it is the way of the game. No one would be entertained if the same teams and players always won year after year. Seldom does it happen, however, that a team pulls out a winning streak from nowhere. The Tampa Bay Devils Ray did just that in the 2008 season. They pulled up from being the worst, to the best in the AL East (American League East) and went on to fight their way almost through the entire playoffs as baseball champs. Unfortunately, a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies pushed the Rays 2008 post season to an early close.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays literally rose from the ashes; they went from being at the very bottom to the very top in one of the most difficult divisions in all of baseball. During the 2008 season the Rays successfully pulled back many wins, coming from behind and pulling up what seemed to be many potential losses in the last few innings. No single player did particularly well this year or any better than the other teammates for that matter; the Rays truly pulled through this season due to a team effort. Certainly, many believed it would never happen, and it’s true a lot of the players on the team are even still in awe about the successful wins.

“When you actually break it down, I’m so proud of our guys and how they performed in the moment,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “How they have stayed together, the unity of the group right now, this is just the beginning.” The Rays plan to duplicate their 2008 season in 2009. “I really believe the Rays’ way has been established,” Maddon said. “I’m really looking forward to next Spring Training. The fact we’re going to have less time before Spring Training is a negative, but now we have time to go there and homogenize our program throughout the whole organization, and I find that exciting.”

Ray fans sure are hoping the team can improve on last season’s success and pull out as the champs in the 2009 season.

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