The Hangover: DRays Bay Still Committed To Tampa Bay Rays Despite New Colors

Devil Rays (66-96)
Our questions have been answered!

DRaysBay will be changing their colors to match those of the new Tampa Bay Rays uniforms and logos that will debut next season. They will also be changing their logo (Please make it a sunburst!). Patrick Kennedy sounds like a kid losing his woobie when he talks of trying to refer to the team by their new moniker.

I will try and respect the team’s decision and refer to the team as the ‘Rays’ as much as I possibly can, although having grown up a fan of the Devil Rays and having written about the team online for 33 months, that will be admittedly difficult.

But one thing will not change at DRaysBay…

we are all committed to wanting the Devil Rays to become a championship organization as soon as possible.

Thats right folks. DRaysBay writers are “committed to wanting” the Rays to be good. We are not sure what “committed to wanting” means, but we envision all the writers at DraysBay already have “Tampa Bay Devil Rays: World Champions” tattooed on their asses. Now that is “commitment to wanting”.

DRaysBay to Change as the Team Does [DRaysBay]

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• On the last day of the season, Jim Hickey, passed Randy Johnson, and took home the “Most White Trash Story of the Year” Award. [Drunk Jays Fans]
• The Hardball Times takes a close look at Scott Kazmir and try to answer questions concerning where his career is headed. One has to wonder if Derek Carty was the right choice to write this piece. Can a Mets fan truly analyze Kid K from an unbiased viewpoint? [The Hardball Times]
• When Jake McGee and Wade Davis go out to dinner, do they go to the bathroom together? Once again the two pitching prospects are found attached at the hip. This time it is on Baseball America’s list of the top 20 prospects in the Florida State League. McGee and Davis are #3 and #4 respectively. [Baseball America]
• Joe Henderson believes that the Rays may regret the decision to not extend the contract of Bill Evers. We don’t like the idea of losing a guy like Evers will all his experience and old-school style, but a bench coach needs to be a consigliere…His confidant. Apparently Joe Maddon and Bill Evers did not have this type of relationship and bench coach is the one assistant that the manager needs to be completely comfortable with. [TBO]

[THE HANGOVER] Winningest Manager In Devil Rays History Is Let Go

Devil Rays (66-96)

DEVIL RAYS WEBTOPIA…

• The longest tenured member of the Devil Rays organization, Bill Evers, is being let go by the Rays. Joe Maddon, felt that he and Evers did not have a strong enough relationship. Evers leaves the Rays having compiled the best managerial record in the history of the franchise (2-0). He won both games in which he served as manager in 2006, while Maddon was away for personal reasons. [tampabay.com]
• Carlos Pena was named Comeback Player of the Year. A few weeks ago, we questioned whether or not Pena was deserving of the honor, because we weren’t sure if Pena had ever actually “been here” before. First of all, Pena has never been anywhere close to “here” before, but then again, few people have. And then we read the following line and we were sold: “One season after being released by three teams…” That is one hell of a Comeback. [Yahoo! Sports]
• At least one blogger agrees with our original assessment that Carlos Pena was never here in the first place, so how can he be “Comeback” Player of the Year. [The Futon Report]
• Carlos Pena finished in the top 5 in 7 offensive categories. On a side note: We heard this during a broadcast in the final week: Did you know that for all the talk about Pena “using the whole field” and not pulling the ball as much, and how that was a reason for his resurgence in 2007…Pena was actually in the bottom 5 in all baseball for number of opposite field basehits. Strange.[Bradenton Herald]
• Joe Maddon discusses the 2008 lineup as he looks forward to next season. [Devil Rays]
• There will be plenty of rumors about Carl Crawford this offseason, but unless the Giants are willing to move Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain, don’t look for CC to be playing for San Francisco in 2008. With Elijah Dukes’ personal issues and Rocco Baldelli’s glass legs, the Rays no longer have a deep major league outfield. [Yahoo! Sports]