Ladies and Gentlemen:

I give you, for the first time in their brief history, the 2-0 Tampa Bay Devil Rays!

Ok, so they've only beaten the Tigers. I'm enjoying it while I can. I'm sure they'll still lose upwards of 85 games, but even this marks a turnaround for this team.

Last night in the bottom of the 12th, 2B Brent Abernathy got on base with a single, SS Chris Gomez bunted him to second, LF Jason Tyner drew a walk, and CF Randy Winn (oo-la-la) slapped a single into left to drive Brent home for the win. That was fun. The kids are alright.

[ April 04, 2002: Message edited by: raysnjays ]

Make that the 3-0 Devil Rays. Woo-hoo!!

Gary Shelton, sports columnist for the St. Petersburg TImes and not exactly a Rays cheerleader, said this morning: "It's never too early for a bad baseball team to start changing its face. The Rays set a franchise record by winning their first three games, which broke the record they set Wednesday by winning their first two. For the Yankees, three games like that are 'early.' For the Rays, it is pronounced 'wheeee!' "

Of course we play the Yanks today. In their home opener. With Pettitte on the mound, the West Point Cadets unfurling a huge American flag in honor of the academy's 200th birthday, and the Yanks receiving their ALCS rings. So much for "wheeeee."

Opening day pic of a most unlikely couple (1B Steve Cox and (giggle) closer Esteban Yan):

http://www.tbsports.net/images/opening_day...-02/cox-yan.jpg

[ April 05, 2002: Message edited by: raysnjays ]