Expansion Revision: 1998 Devil Rays and beyond

[Moriarty9]

Johnson bests Pedro again
Mariners force Game 7 tomorrow night
October 15, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For the third year in a row, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays will be playing in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. They can only hope this time turns out better than the first two times.

The Seattle Mariners narrowly defeated Tampa Bay, 3-2, at Tropicana Field in Game 6 of the ALCS tonight, forcing a decisive Game 7.

“They’re a good team, you’ve got to hand it to them,” said Devil Rays manager Christian O’Neal of Seattle. “They’re making us fight for every run and every out.”

Pedro Martinez, infallible most of the time, suffered the loss for the second time in this series – both times when being matched up with Mariners ace Randy Johnson. Martinez gave up three runs on nine hits and two walks in eight innings, while Johnson was charged with two runs on nine hits and three walks in 7 1/3 innings.

Tampa Bay took the lead in the third inning with a two-out RBI triple from Carlos Beltran, but some control issues from Martinez led to a three-run fourth for Seattle. After back-to-back hits, Martinez walked Troy Glaus to load the bases and soon let up a RBI single to Desi Relaford and a two-run single to Matt Lawton before hitting Chris Stynes with a pitch, only to escape the inning with just three runs allowed.

Craig Wilson brought the Devil Rays within one by hitting a solo home run off Johnson in the bottom of the fourth inning.

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Heading to the World Series
Six-run eighth inning decides fate of ALCS
October 16, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A devastating six-run eighth inning for the Seattle Mariners have propelled the Tampa Bay Devil Rays into their first World Series appearance, just six years into the franchise’s existence.

The Devil Rays defeated the Mariners 9-3 in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series tonight, securing their first pennant.

“I’m really proud of these guys,” said Tampa Bay manager Christian O’Neal. “They fought all year to get here and now we’ve got one more hurdle to clear.”

The Devil Rays were trailing 3-1 with just seven outs remaining in the game when they began their attack. With two out in the seventh, Jimmy Rollins hit a double to extend the inning and bring Garret Anderson to the plate. Anderson capitalized by hitting a two-run shot to deep right field for a game-tying home run.

Tampa Bay would take the lead and create some insurance in the bottom of the eighth inning. After back-to-back singles from Aubrey Huff and Eric Munson to open the inning, Mariners hurler Francis Beltran buckled down to record the next two outs, and it appeared the game may head into the ninth still knotted up at three runs per team. A wild pitch then allowed Huff to score, giving the Devil Rays the slim 4-3 lead. Beltran then walked Craig Wilson and gave up a RBI single to Aaron Rowand, making it 5-3. John Riedling came on and quickly induced a grounder back to the mound off the bat of Jimmy Rollins, but Riedling bobbled the ball as he tried to make the throw to first before getting a grip on it, loading the bases. Anderson knocked in a run with a single, Carlos Beltran and Huff were each walked to push across runs, and Munson capped it off with a RBI single of his own.

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Coming up...

[Storm]

Can we expect to see an all Florida World Series?!?!

[Moriarty9]

Originally Posted by Storm

Can we expect to see an all Florida World Series?!?!

It was a possibility before, however, the Marlins (91-71 on the year, Wild Card winners) were eliminated in Game 5 of the NLDS by the Chicago Cubs.

The World Series will be between the Devil Rays and San Francisco Giants, winners of the NL West at 90-72.

[Moriarty9]

Uribe makes impact off bench
Zito strong in 5-3 win in Game 1 of World Series
October 18, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Juan Uribe wasn't in the starting lineup for Game 1 of the World Series, but he proved to be the biggest contributor to the offense.

Uribe entered the game in the fourth inning after a hand injury to secondbaseman Adam Kennedy. He made the most of his playing time, going 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBI as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat the San Francisco Giants 5-3 in Game 1 of the World Series at Tropicana Field.

Uribe led off the fourth inning with a solo home run, knocked in a run on a groundout in the fifth inning, and pushed across another run with a sacrifice fly to rightfield in the seventh inning.

"It's not like he's a guy without experience or a guy who isn't used to playing," said Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal. "He was playing every day in San Diego when we acquired him, so he knows how to play and he knows the Giants."

Eric Munson drove in Tampa Bay's other runs with a two-run home run off Ken Cloude in the fourth inning. It was Munson's first home run of the playoffs after hitting 40 during the season.

"It felt really good to get that one out of the way," said Munson, whose 2-for-4 performance boosted his post-season batting average to .222. "I haven't had the kind of October I'd like personally, but I'm playing in the World Series so its tough to complain."

Barry Zito had his best start in more than a month, holding the National League champions to three runs on eight hits and one walk, striking out seven in 7 2/3 innings. Albert Pujols hit a three-run home run off Zito in the eighth inning to chase the left-hander from the game.

[2004RedSox]

It's nice to see the Devil Rays in the World Series. I was rooting for them this past year and I'm rooting for them now. So far so good.

Before I forget, congratulations on being in the World Series.

[Moriarty9]

Homers hurt Halladay
Giants even series in Game 2 win
October 19, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The San Francisco Giants snuck out of Tropicana Field with a 4-3 win in Game 2 of the World Series.

The Giants hit solo home runs in three consecutive innings off Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitcher Roy Halladay, but it was an A.J. Pierzynski RBI double in the eighth that put San Francisco on top for good.

Danny Bautista hit a two-out home run in the third inning, Albert Pujols led off the fourth inning with a homer, and Aramis Ramirez went deep in the fifth.

Carlos Beltran hit a solo home run off Ted Lilly in the third inning for Tampa Bay.

[Moriarty9]

Pedro in fine form for Game 3
Devil Rays take 2-to-1 World Series lead
October 21, 2003

SAN FRANCISCO — Pedro Martinez was back to his dominant self in Game 3 of the World Series, as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays ace held the Giants lineup down.

Martinez worked eight innings, holding San Francisco to one run on four hits and no walks, striking out seven in the 7-1 Devil Rays win.

"It's the World Series, man, if that's not enough to motivate you, I don't know what is," Martinez said. "We're going to win this thing."

Playing in the National League park, Martinez even contributed offensively, going 1-for-4 and scoring the game's first run. He led off the third inning with a basehit, and was advanced to third base by a Jimmy Rollins single before scoring on an Aubrey Huff groundout.

A Juan Uribe RBI double in the fourth inning made it 2-0, and then it was quickly 4-0 after the top of the fifth thanks to a RBI triple from Huff and a Carlos Beltran sacrifice fly. The Giants picked up their lone run of the game in the home half of the fifth inning as Magglio Ordonez, who opened the inning with a double, scored on an Aramis Ramirez groundout.

Uribe knocked in a run with a groundout in the eighth inning, and Garret Anderson scored on an error at shortstop by a routine groundball hit by Martinez. Erubiel Durazo, in the top of the ninth, added another run to the tally with a RBI groundout plating Beltran.

[Moriarty9]

Fernandez pounded by Devil Rays
Giants starter pulled after four outs in Game 4
October 22, 2003

SAN FRANCISCO — Alex Fernandez hit the showers much earlier than he had hoped as he was knocked the Giants starter out of the game in the second inning during a 7-2 Tampa Bay Devil Rays win in Game 4 of the World Series.

Fernandez was hit for five runs on five hits and two walks in just 1 1/3 inning of work before being yanked from the ballgame as the Devil Rays put up seven runs in the first two innings.

Tampa Bay scored three runs in the first inning, all with two outs. With Carlos Beltran on first base and two down, Aubrey Huff singled and Eric Munson walked to load the bases. Erubiel Durazo took a 3-2 fastball to deep centerfield for a three-run double.

Garret Anderson hit a two-run home run in the second inning, knocking Fernandez out of the game in favor of Willis Roberts. After a couple walks and a fielder's choice, Roberts was tagged with a two-run single in the second.

Mark Mulder pitched well, hitting his only bumps in the road during the eighth inning. Mulder threw seven shutout innings before giving up two runs in the eighth. He finished the night with two runs on six hits and two walks in eight innings. Josh Fogg threw a 1-2-3 ninth inning, throwing just eight pitches to finish out the game and give the Devil Rays a 3-1 lead in the World Series.

[Moriarty9]

Giants hit Zito to force Game 6
Cloude throws gem as Devil Rays fall 8-1
October 23, 2003

SAN FRANCISCO — Ken Cloude was dominant. Barry Zito was not.

Cloude led the San Francisco Giants to an 8-1 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Game 5 of the world Series tonight. The right-hander let up one run on two hits and one walk, striking out nine, in eight innings on the mound.

"He kept us guessing all day long," said Devil Rays manager Christian O'Neal. "Throw in what their bats were able to do early on, and it put us in a big hole."

Zito struggled early, giving up five runs in the third inning. Overall, the lefty was hit for seven runs on eight hits and one walk in 6 1/3 innings of work.

Danny Bautista and Aramis Ramirez each hit a home run for the Giants.

The two teams will return to St. Petersburg, Fla. for Game 6, and a potential Game 7, if necessary.

[Moriarty9]

Devil Rays win World Series
Hallday throws four-hit shutout in Game 6
October 25, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In just their sixth season, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have won the World Series.

Roy Halladay threw a complete game four-hit shutout of the San Francisco Giants in Game 6 of the World Series, sending Tropicana Field into a frenzy.

"This is unbelievable," Halladay said after the game. "I'll never forget this feeling."

Halladay threw nine innings of scoreless ball, giving up four hits and one walk. He struck out five.

Carlos Beltran hit a solo home run in the first inning, and Jimmy Rollins tagged on a RBI single in the fifth for Tampa Bay. Miguel Cabrera had two of San Francisco's four hits, both were doubles. Albert Pujols doubled and Magglio Ordonez tripled for the Giants, meaning all four of the team's hits were for extra-bases.

[Moriarty9]

Veteran managers given axe
Baker, Cox, Piniella all out of work
October 28, 2003

Between the three of them there are 3,789 wins in the big leagues and three World Series championships. Between the three of them, there isn't one with a job.

Veteran managers Dusty Baker, Bobby Cox, and Lou Piniella were fired today as their respective former employers begin working on the 2004 season.

Baker, along with General Manager Ron Scheuler, were fired by the Chicago White Sox after a disappointing 68-94 season that put the Pale Hose in last place. Baker, who has managed the White Sox since 1998, was surprised by the news, noting that he had led the team to division championships in 2001 and 2002.

"It's definitely not something I expected, but when a team fails the way this team did this year, something is going to change," said Baker.

Baker owns a career managerial record of 856-808.

Cox was also fired along with his GM, in this case the Houston Astros fire Cox and Ed Wade after a 67-95 season. Cox spent just one season as Astros skipper, coming aboard after one season managing the Texas Rangers to a 60-102 record in 2001. He did not manage at all in 2002.

Cox owns a career record of 1,699-1,512, won the World Series with the Atlanta Braves in 1995 and 1997, and took his team to the playoffs eight times. Some sources expect Cox, 62, may retire or search for a front office position.

One man who will not be retiring, so long as he has something to say about it, is Piniella, ousted as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards were the worst team in baseball this year, going 56-106, finishing 44 games out in the National League Central.

Piniella is 1,234-1,151 in his career, winning the World Series with the 1990 Cincinnati Reds and guiding teams to the playoffs four times.

The most surprising firing may be that of Angel Ramos by the Montreal Expos. Ramos led the Expos to a 346-303 record in his four years with the financially-strapped franchise. Many baseball insiders expect he will be hired relatively quickly. Montreal finished third in the NL East with a record of 89-73, just two games back in the Wild Card.

The Atlanta Braves, last in the East at 73-89, fired first-year manager Michael Miller.

[Moriarty9]

Coaching Staffs around the league

Anaheim Angels
Manager: Jim Leyland (339-309 in four years with Angels)

Leyland is signed through the 2004 season. The Angels have Marv Rettenmund as hitting coach. The team's bench coach and pitching coach positions are yet to be filled for the 2004 season. Doug Burrows is the General Manager.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Manager: Matthew Reed (476-496 in six years with Diamondbacks)

Reed is the only manager in franchise history and is signed through the 2004 season. General Manager is Kevin Towers, bench coach is Aaron LeBlanc, hitting coach is Enrique Diaz, and pitching coach is Robert Smith.

Atlanta Braves
Manager: VACANT

General Manager Dan Duquette fired rookie manager Michael Miller and is searching for his replacement. Candidates include the coaching staff: bench coach Juan Romero, hitting coach (and former Reds 2B) Ron Oester, and pitching coach Mark Walker.

Baltimore Orioles
Manager: Pedro Sanchez (81-81 in one year with Orioles)

Sanchez led the O's to an 81-81 record as a rookie manager with the assistance of veteran GM Walt Jocketty, bench coach Ron O'Farrell, veteran hitting coach Rick Down, and pitching coach Mike Cubbage.

Boston Red Sox
Manager: Lucero Vera (80-82 in one year with Red Sox)

The Mexican-born Vera has Grady Little as bench coach, Greg "The Bull" Luzinski as hitting instructor, and Vern Ruhle as pitching coach. Brian Sabean is the club's General Manager.

Chicago White Sox
Manager: VACANT

The White Sox have cleaned house, firing its GM, manager, bench coach, and pitching coach. Only hitting coach Don Baylor remains from last year's staff.

Chicago Cubs
Manager: Armando Martinez (100-62 in one year with Cubs)

Martinez had a fine rookie season as the 43-year-old led the Cubs to one of the best records in baseball. Steve Phillips is the GM with Jim Riggleman as bench coach, Hall of Fame Cubs outfielder Billy Williams as hitting coach, and Mark Wiley as pitching coach.

Cincinnati Reds
Manager: Pedro Manuel (206-280 in three years with Reds)

The Reds haven't performed well under Manuel's leadership and the skipper's contract expires at the end of the 2004 season. Some wonder if he will even make it that far before GM Bob Watson gives him the axe. Pedro Moreno is the bench coach, Larry Parrish is hitting coach, and Ray Miller is pitching coach.

Cleveland Indians
Manager: Rafael Fernandez (77-85 in one year with Indians)

Signed through 2004, Fernandez is aided by veteran Cito Gaston (the team's bench coach), hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, and pitching coach Rick Young. Randy Smith is the General Manager.

Colorado Rockies
Manager: Michael Halle (400-400 in five years with Rockies)

Halle has two years remaining on his current contract, and at a career .500 record, those years will likely determine what GM Ed Lynch does. Veteran pitching coach Dave Wallace is on the staff, as is hitting coach Jerry Manuel, and bench coach Joe Jones.

Detroit Tigers
Manager: Gene Lamont (180-268 in three years with Tigers)

Lamont may not see the end of his contract, signed through 2005, with poor performance. GM Jim Bowden has been patient with Lamont. Craig Mitchell is Lamont's bench coach, Randy Hopson is hitting coach, and Luis Sanchez is pitching coach.

Florida Marlins
Manager: Mark DeJohn (282-205 in three years with Marlins)

DeJohn and GM Omar Minaya have some spots to fill. Lloyd McClendon will return as hitting coach, but the club is in search of a new bench coach and pitching coach.

Houston Astros
Manager: VACANT

With no manager or GM at the moment, the rest of the staff is in flux. Larry Dierker served as bench coach last year and is a candidate for the manager's gig. The same applies for Jimy Williams, who served as pitching coach last year. Robert Brown is hitting coach.

Kansas City Royals
Manager: Dave Williams (299-349 in four years with Royals)

Williams is signed through 2004, leaving GM Herk Robinson with a decision to make soon. Rick Adair is pitching coach, Bruce Kimm is hitting instructor, and George Lahoda is the bench coach.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Manager: Bob Boone (230-256 in three years with Dodgers)

Boone may need a strong year to have his contract renewed at season's end by GM Sal Bando. He will need help from hitting coach Don Slaught, pitching coach Ron Gardenhire, and bench coach Davey Johnson.

Milwuakee Brewers
Manager: Richard Adams (74-88 in one year with Brewers)

Adams is nearing the end of his two-year pact, so 2004 will decide what GM Chuck LaMar does with the manager. The team needs a pitching coach and will bring back hitting coach Lamar Johnson and bench coach Bryan Simpson.

Minnesota Twins
Manager: Tom Kelly (1,382-1,329 in 18 years with Twins)

TK has not shown any desire to retire and is signed through 2006. General Manager Terry Ryan has a strong relationship with Kelly, and the two are bringing back the Twins coaching staff. Bill Russell will be bench coach, Terry Crowley hitting coach, and Dick Such will be pitching coach.

Montreal Expos
Manager: VACANT

General Manager Jim Beattie is searching for a new manager and hitting coach, but will retain bench coach Kyle Greer and pitching coach Bobby Cuellar.

New York Yankees
Manager: VACANT

Manager Joe Torre and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre decided to retire this year, leaving GM Ben Whitaker with some work to do this offseason. Bench coach Diego Alvarado is returning, as is hitting coach Charlie Manuel.

New York Mets
Manager: Johnny Oates (85-77 in one year with Mets)

Oates has surrounded himself with a strong staff, including bench coach Mike Hargrove, hitting coach Cookie Rojas, and pitching coach Bob Apodaca. Gerry Hunsicker is the General Manager.

Oakland Athletics
Manager: John Turner (74-88 in one year with A's)

Turner needs a new hitting coach and is awaiting the hiring of a new GM after Doug Melvin and Oakland ownership were unable to come to terms on a new contract. Felipe Veloz returns as bench coach, however, while Clint Hurdle will be back as pitching coach in 2004.

Philadelphia Phillies
Manager: Terry Francona (569-565 in seven years with Phillies)

Francona finally led the Phillies to the playoffs, but has just one more year on his contract. Will GM Bill Bavasi renew Tito's deal? Francona has great baseball minds on his staff, including bench coach Brad Mills, pitching coach Tony LaRussa, and hitting coach Hal McRae.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Manager: Daryl Crosby (382-428 in five years with Pirates)

Crosby's coaching staff includes Chris Chambliss as bench coach, hitting coach John McLaren, and pitching coach Pete Vukovich. Cam Bonifay is the Pittsburgh's General Manager.

San Diego Padres
Manager: Bruce Bochy (80-82 in first year back with Padres)

After five years with Toronto and Atlanta, Bochy returned as manager of the Padres last season. He will bring back bench coach Rick Dailey and pitching coach Jim Beauchamp, but needs to replace Sonny Jackson as hitting coach. Jackson was not invited back. Dan Evans is GM.

San Francisco Giants
Manager: Bartolo Mediavilla (184-140 in two years with Giants)

In just his second year as manager, Mediavilla brought the Giants to the World Series. His job is pretty safe, as is that of bench coach Jose Berragan, hitting coach Jim Tracy, pitching coach Garth McCay, and GM Hunter Barrett.

Seattle Mariners
Manager: Jose Aguilar (360-288 in four years with Mariners)

Aguilar has one year left on his deal and, barring an awful season, GM Woody Woodward is expected to bring him back. Phil Garner returns as bench coach, Steve Smith as hitting instructor, and Dave Duncan as pitching coach.

St. Louis Cardinals
Manager: VACANT

The Cardinals had the worst record in baseball last year, leading to the firing of manager Lou Piniella. Surprisingly, the rest of the staff has been retained, including bench coach Patrick Jumper, hitting coach Rod Carew, and pitching coach Rafael Garcia. Ed Wheelock, the General Manager, is on the hot seat.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Manager: Christian O'Neal (553-419 in six years with Devil Rays)

O'Neal led the Devil Rays to a World Series championship this year, bolstering his reputation in Tampa Bay. Bench coach Myron Patrick, hitting coach Cecil Vaughn, and pitching coach Brian Hoskins will all be retained by O'Neal and GM Shaun Moriarty.

Texas Rangers
Manager: Paul Daniel (151-173 in two years with Rangers)

GM Billy Beane seems to be getting the itchy finger in terms of pulling the trigger on Daniel and his coaching staff. The Rangers bench coach is Bruce Benedict, hitting coash is Otis Ladds, and pitching coach is Dan Warthen.

Toronto Blue Jays
Manager: Paul Thompson (203-230 in three years with Toronto)

The Blue Jays need to find a new GM after Gord Ash walked away from the club's contract offer. Bench coach Gene Tenace is back, as is hitting coach Jack Johnson and pitching coach Jim Cranney.

[Moriarty9]

Howard, Teixeira top rookies
Slugging firstbasemen honored with awards
November 7, 2003

PHILADELPHIA — A couple big young hitters were honored today with the Rookie of the Year awards.

Philadelphia Phillies rookie Mark Teixeira and Oakland Athletics slugger Ryan Howard were given the awards today.

Howard hit .324 with 33 home runs and 72 RBI in 377 at bats. Teixeira, who started the year with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit .326 with 28 homers and 85 RBI in 120 games.

[Moriarty9]

Schilling named NL's top gun
Phillies ace wins first Cy Young Award
November 8, 2003

PHILADELPHIA — With speculation that he was getting too old to be the ace of the staff, Phillies right-hander Curt Schilling dedicated himself like never before in the offseason, and it paid off as he won the Cy Young Award.

Schilling, 36, went 21-5 with a 2.88 ERA and 210 strikeouts this year in 35 starts for the Phillies. It is the first time he has won 20 games and is a noticeable improvement from his 14-11, 3.36 ERA 2002 season, and his 11-15, 3.96 ERA 2001 season.

The award comes at the best possible time for Schilling, who is set to become a free agent later this month. While no teams other than Philadelphia are allowed to talk to the Cy Young winner just yet, the Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Yankees are among those that are considered the front-runners for Schilling's services next year.

[Moriarty9]

Pedro does it again
Devil Rays ace wins fifth award
November 8, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Five consecutive Cy Young awards. Unprecedented.

That is what Pedro Martinez of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays has won, five straight Cy Young awards.

Martinez won his latest award today after posting a 20-4 record, 2.46 ERA, and 274 strikeouts in 32 starts this season.

"After the first one, you kind of get used to it. I've been so many things that I don't seem impressed by winning one more award," said Martinez. "It's always special to be recognized, it's great, but it comes with a lot of responsibility that you have to answer back to next year."

[bucketsndimes]

Will Pedro win yet another Cy Young Award?

[Moriarty9]

MVP winners

[Moriarty9]

Cards, Rays swap lefties
Chen heads to St. Louis for Fuentes
November 10, 2003

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays will have to send Bruce Chen his World Series ring in the mail after the team traded the left-hander to the St. Louis Cardinals for minor league reliever Brian Fuentes.

Chen, 26, had been an original member of the Devil Rays organization, joining the franchise when taken from the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1997 expansion draft. He first worked as a starter for Tampa Bay before moving into the bullpen the last few seasons, making a start when necessary.

Chen was 4-1 with six saves and a 4.70 ERA in 43 games last season, making one start. In his six-year career, he has gone 28-19 with a 4.47 ERA in 116 games, 56 of which have been starts.

Fuentes, 28, is a left-hander with 27 big league games under his belt, but none since pitching out of the bullpen for the San Diego Padres in 2000. That season, Fuentes went 1-2 with a save and a 4.99 ERA in 30 2/3 innings. Since then, he has worked in AAA, last season getting a fair amount of time to close out ballgames.

In 46 games with St. Louis' AAA affiliate last year, Fuentes went 3-1 with 23 saves and a 2.02 ERA and 0.96 WHIP.

Chen is pencilled into the Cardinals rotation at the moment, said General Manager Ed Wheelock. St. Louis had the worst record in baseball last season and is currently without a manager. Wheelock said Chen's experience with a winning team such as Tampa Bay, as a starter and as a reliever, "brings a valuable asset to the organization."