BaseballHappenings.com

The numbers back it up. They have gone from 90 losses to 90 wins. With the Rays in the midst of their first winning season in the franchise history, the baseball gods delivered another sign last night. Carlos Pena’s was the recipient of the good fortune in the historic call that had his double being overturned into a home run, with a call to the booth.

I have been following this Tampa team through the rough years and this year puts the Rays on the baseball map. Prior to this season, the Rays claim to fame has been that they play well in inter league play. The Cubs and their image of a long time losers at least had 1984. No longer can the Tampa Bay Rays be the punch line to every baseball joke. This turn around all started in spring training when the Rays showed the Yankees that they are no pushover with the Shelly Duncan incident. That bench clearing series events helped shed the forgettable past, and transform this team to a squad with a chip on their shoulder.

However, the vision was only a concept until the Rays realized their destiny when they came into Yankee stadium and embarrassed the Yankees on the field. The Rays who had a track record of lacking to develop any pitchers have a deep stable of young starting pitchers. This team can almost taste October baseball, and with their slogon of “We Are One Team”, their new team name of simply the Rays , along with the new team uniforms, they are simply erasing the past.