Why are the called the Rays?
Vince Naimoli, owner of Tampa Bay’s expansion team, chose Devil Rays out of more than 7,000 suggestions submitted by the public in 1995.
The reaction was not positive.
“So far, I’ve fielded about 20 phone calls protesting Devil Rays, and most of the callers have described themselves as Christians who are upset about the word devil,”
It’s likely it bought up images of those shitheads from Duke University (fair enough)
Naimoli reportedly wanted to nickname his team the Sting Rays, but it was trademarked by a team in the Hawaiian Winter League. The team dropped the “Devil” after the 2007 season and the curse that had plagued the franchise for the previous decade was apparently lifted, as Tampa Bay made a surprising run to the World Series the following season.
Why am I excited to see their city?
Northern Florida is where its at!
I’m keen to see all the washed up wrestlers who now reside in Tampa, the boardwalks where you can sip frozen alcohol by the beach, and indulge in some of the trashiest activities in the USA.
GIVE ME TAAAAMMMPPPPAA!!
What is a tradition at their ballpark?
It’s apparently a thing that this ballpark has literally no soul and is not the greatest fan experience (apparently not many fans give a fuck about the Rays).
It’s an indoor stadium as the tropical weather of Tampa is prone to storms, and unlike other teams with indoor stadiums (for example Arizona), the Rays stadium has a tradition of balls which are hit actually HITTING the roof – a fatal design flaw.
That being said, there is one tradition where the fans ring cowbells every home game. No this is not because Tampa Bay is known for cows (I don’t think there’s a cow within 5 hours of the place), but rather because the owner of the team enjoyed a Saturday Night Live skit involving cowbells, and thus, a tradition is born……….
GIVE ME TAAAAMMMPPPPAA!!
Who is a famous fan?
It’s not easy to find a famous Tampa Bay fan because, quite simply, baseball just isn’t a big deal in Tampa.
But there is one guy, and I alluded to where he might come from before. He is the guy who told you to say your prayers and take your vitamins. An inspiration to us all, the one and only real American, HULK F’N HOGAN!
CUE THE MUSIC!
A fun/weird fact about the Rays?
The Rays look quite plain today with their uniforms and colours, but this wasn’t always the case. In their early days, the Rays were one of the coolest neon go-getters this side of 1989!
Whilst not traditional baseball attire, I bet we all wish the team would go back to wearing these right?
GIVE ME TAAAAMMMPPPPAA!!
Thirty before 30 