To this point in franchise history, most of the Tampa BayDevil Rays' playoff aspirations have been the stuff of imagination. So I guess it makes sense that the team has landed Kevin Costner, who built a career out of suspension of disbelief and playing fake baseball players, to help launch its new uniforms, team colors and logos.
It all makes perfect sense to Costner, who claimed a special kinship with Rays manager Joe Maddon.
"[Maddon] didn't make it into the bigs as a player, and ... I kind of dig that," Costner said. "That's kind of who Crash Davis was."
The extravaganza will also include a fashion show, with Maddon, Wade Boggs and Fred McGriff modelling the Rays' new look uniforms. And if that doesn't scream "something I need to see before I die," I just don't know what would.
After scratching out the AL east's worst record, the Devil Rays weren't about to jack up ticket prices for 2008. But they are re-instating their parking fee at the Trop with one environmentally-friendly twist: Cars with more than four passengers park for free.
"We were talking about a lot of things and the idea got thrown out," [Senior VP Mark] Fernandez said. "We thought we'd walk the talk about being green, and it became a really cool thing for families."
For vehicles with less than four passengers, the cost will be $10 for the main lots and $5 for remote lots, the same as it was before Stuart Sternberg bought the team and made the free parking offer for the 2006 season, and extended it a second season, costing the team an estimated $2-million per year in revenue.
Despite the fact that the product on the field has yet to climb out of the division cellar, the Rays offer one of baseball's best deals: A family of four can see a game for 36 bucks, get free parking and, if they choose, bring in their own food and drink. A far cry from places like, for example, Fenway Park, where $36 would just about get you a couple hot dogs and beers.
The Red Sox hit the Trop April 25-27. But every other weekend at home will find the Rays tackling the likes of Kansas City, Florida, Detroit, Baltimore, Toronto, the White Sox and Houston. Notably missing are any weekend series against the Yankees and the Cubs, who'll be bringing along former Rays skipper Lou Piniella.
Rays ownership can thank Major League Baseball for any impact on their finances. But at least they're taking the high road.
"While the timing of particular home series certainly affects attendance, what is of greater importance is the experience we offer at Tropicana Field and the quality of play on the field," team president Matt Silverman said.
Nothing like a profanity-filled tirade to cap a season. Like the one Devil Rays outfielder Delmon Young launched yesterday after being pulled from a game by manager Joe Maddon.
Maddon accused Young of disrespecting the game by not running out a ground ball during yesterday's match-up against the Blue Jays. Young responded with a verbal carpet bombing, claiming he'd been unfairly singled out, and saying he was pulling himself out of today's season finale
"S---, everybody else is m-----f------ doing it," Young said. "S---, I'm the only one who m-----f------ gets in trouble for the s---. ... I play every day. I don't complain about going out there. So, I'll see you guys next year. I'm shut down for (today)."
Maddon stuck to his guns, explaining that The Game is bigger than even one of his team's best players.
"I'm not angry, I'm not upset, I'm disappointed," Maddon said. "That is my major rule among position players, just to run hard to first base. I believe this: when you run hard to first base every time you put the ball in play, that permeates your entire game. That makes you a better player. For us, for the Rays, we're going to run hard to first."
For a guy who seemed a sure contender for AL Rookie of the Year accolades, Young didn't do himself any favors with this outburst. It will be interesting to see how this bizarre finish to his 2007 season influences voters.
Unable to land tickets to see the Sox at home, where Fenway Park seats roughly 26 average-sized humans, Boston fans have made road tripping a seasonal tradition. But other teams are apparently tiring of hearing cheers for the oppostion on their home turf.
"You know it's going to be nothing but a sea of red when the Red Sox are there and then next week nothing but Yankees fans," Kazmir said. "You go out for the first inning and next thing you know they've got one guy on and already that Red Sox chant is going on. That stuff really bothers me. It does. We're a major-league team too. It's tough. It seems like okay, we're just renting-the-place type stuff. I don't know. It's just wrong. It really is."
"I think it's ridiculous," Upton said. "You're supposed to be the home team and the place is sold out, but it's 98 percent the other team's fans. I think you kind of get used to it, but at the same time it gets old. We're playing in the Trop and it's more like Fenway than anything. We go in and play at home and it's like a road game at home."
Hey, if the Rays can start to turn it around -- and, at least on paper, they've got the young talent to do it -- those pesky out-of-towners might just find themselves shut out at the ticket window. Until then, ownership can just keep re-investing those piles of Boston and New York dollars back into the team.
When your team's more than 25 games out of contention with less than 15 games left to play, it's probably safe to set your sights on 2008. But the Devil Rays could still pull a surprise out of their hat before the season ends: the return of Rocco Baldelli.
On the DL since May, Baldelli's become the Keyser Soze of Tampa Bay. On numerous occasions, he was expected to be rejoining the team, but never materialized. Joe Maddon thought he'd be playing during the Rays' recent stop in Boston, but it never happened. He may still appear during the team's upcoming west coast swing, but nothing's cast in stone.
"I'd like to get him on this road trip still, but I'm honest to God not sure if that's going to happen," Maddon said. "It still could happen in Seattle."
The last "official" word on Baldelli came back in August, when ownership said he was having "a series of tests." We've heard nothing since then, but wait with baited breath.
The Devil Rays may be twenty-six and a half games out of first, but the Powers That Be clearly like the way Joe Maddon's been handling this young team. Yesterday, they picked up Maddon's option for another two years, keeping him at the helm through the 2009 season.
In making the announcement, Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman cited Maddon as the guy most likely to transform the Rays from perennial AL East cellar-dwellars to legitimate contenders.
"These last two years have been very important in terms of building a foundation, and we feel like Joe has been an integral part of that," Friedman said. "And now that we believe that foundation is in place, it's all of our jobs to build a team that not only can compete but can win the American League East, and we feel like Joe is the right person for the job."
You can count Carlos Pena among the Rays players excited at the prospects of more Maddon-mania.
"He can't throw for us, he can't hit for us, but he brings the best out of us," first baseman Carlos Pena said. "He's the one who sets the tone as far as getting the best out of his players with his words of encouragement, with his constructive criticism, with his suggestions and his overall attitude."
Want further proof that the Gods of Baseball are big fans of irony? Today, Carl Crawford was named the Devil Rays' recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award, given to the player "who combines outstanding skills on the baseball field with devoted work in the community." Crawford was recognized for his work in spearheading the renovation of Little League fields across Florida and his support of youth teams in his native Texas.
Within the same 24-hour span, he was also suspended for two games by Major League Baseball in response to what were deemed "inappropriate actions" -- slamming his helmet and getting all up in an umpire's face -- during Monday's game against the Orioles after he as called out on a close play at first, a call replays showed was incorrect.
"What I did was wrong, you should never get into it with an umpire like that or something bad is going to happen, like a suspension," Crawford said. "I can't really say if [the disciplinary action] was bad or not. I just hate that it had to come to that."
He also noted that this suspension represented the first time he'd been disciplined by MLB since a brawl in 2004.
"So I haven't been in trouble for what, four or five years?" Crawford said.
There never seems to be a lot for the Devil Rays to celebrate. But here's something: dollar for dollar, the team may have baseball's best young outfield.
In left, they've got All-Star Carl Crawford, 26, who many agree could be a superstar on a big-market team. In center, they've got B.J. Upton (real name: Melvin Emmanuel!), 23, who has the team's best average and second-best home run total. In right, they've got Delmon Young, 21, one of the game's more promising rising stars.
Yes, all three are young, exciting to watch, and offer more than just a glimmer of hope for future Devil Rays teams to rise out of the gutters of the AL East. More importantly, as Tampa Bay Online points out, they aren't exactly costing the Rays a whole lot of cash, either. Together, Crawford, Upton and Young will earn less than $6 million in 2007. Or, roughly, about as much as Manny Ramirez will spend on video games this year.
Is there a better bargain in all of baseball? I'm not so sure there is.
Say this much for the Devil Rays' fans: even as their team sits close to thirty games out of first place, some of them are still trying to stoke whatever mojo they can.
Consider the three guys who showed up at yesterday's pre-game mixer for season ticket holders, calling themselves "Johns for Jonny" -- one dressed as John the Baptist, the other as John Belushi, and another as John Grizzly Adams, all in support of Jonny Gomes.
The Rays went on to pummel the A's, 14-3, with Scott Kazmir setting a franchise record with 13 strikeouts. Gomes in particular had a monster day at the plate, with a triple and, yes, a home run, though he denied calling his shot.
"No shot," Gomes said, "Just a kid getting lucky."
All the same, perhaps the Johns for Jonny should become a fixture at the Trop for the balance of the season.
To this point in franchise history, most of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' playoff aspirations have been the stuff of imagination. So I guess it makes sense that the team has landed Kevin Costner, who built a career out of suspension of disbelief and playing fake baseball players, to help launch its new uniforms, team colors and logos.
After scratching out the AL east's worst record, the 
Nothing like a profanity-filled tirade to cap a season. Like the one 
Unable to land tickets to see the Sox at home, where 
When your team's more than 25 games out of contention with less than 15 games left to play, it's probably safe to set your sights on 2008. But the 
The 
Want further proof that the Gods of Baseball are big fans of irony? Today, 
There never seems to be a lot for the 
Say this much for the 
