Once again, Major League Baseball did not disappoint its fans in 2008. From the longest World Series game ever played, to Manny being the “Manny-est” he’s ever been, to my beloved Yankees not making the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons—the headlines this year never ceased to keep on coming.
Every team seemed to give us something to talk about at some point during the year.
Yet, during a year in which the underdog always seemed to make some kind of a stand in almost every sport, it would only be appropriate that Major League Baseball’s 2008 Team of the Year would be a team with a history of not only being the underdog, but of being the worst.
Tampa Bay began the year with a mission: to change its losing ways.
The Devil Rays had not had a winning season since their inception at the start of the 1998 season.
A team looking for something to change its persona at the beginning of the year, Tampa Bay began 2008 by dropping the “Devil” from their name and changing their uniform colors from that revolting green to a cool blue and white.
However, even with their new-found identity, it was still hard for any of us, including the Tampa Bay faithful, to believe that the team would have enough firepower to compete with the American League East superpowers way up north.
I first caught a glimpse of what the now Tampa Bay Rays were going to be when I attended an April 4th game between the Rays and Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
The Bronx Bombers hardly resembled anything that their nickname suggests by getting pummeled 13-4 by the Rays that night.
As the season continued, and spring turned into summer, New York and Boston fans alike began to realize that the talent and determination to win that the Rays were exhibiting was not simply a fluke.
For the majority of the year, the Yankees and Red Sox had nowhere to look but up, and the first place Rays, nowhere but down.
For crying out loud, who ever thought that the importance of a midsummer series between the Yanks and Sox would be control of a wildcard spot?! Well, that was the case in 2008.
The Rays eventually outlasted both teams to claim their first division title in their 11 year history. They held a two game lead over the Red Sox (who took the American League Wild Card) after 162 games.
And the Yankees? They were not even a factor.
The Rays would take care of the Chicago White Sox with ease during the Division Series, winning in four games.
Next up was a familiar foe in the Boston Red Sox, who had made short work of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in their respective Division Series.
After the Rays jumped out to an early 3-1 ALCS lead, the Red Sox began to display their famous comeback ability. Boston took Game Five 8-7 at Fenway Park, despite being down 0-7 as late as the seventh inning.
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