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  1. #1
    SoonerFans.com Elite Member AllAboutThe'O''s Avatar
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    Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    I can't think of any. At least the Clippers have gone to the playoffs and the Buccaneers, despite losing their first 26 games of existence, went to the NFC title game in their fourth season.
    What do the Devil Rays have to show for their existence, since 1998? One year where they didn't finish in last place, and Wade Boggs' 3,000th hit and that's about it. The cross-state Marlins have won two World Series in a little over 10 years and the Diamondbacks, the Rays' expansion cousins, have won the ring.
    Now, the Devil Rays are winding down a road trip that has been awful even by their dismal standards. In a four-city swing, they've won only once and they've won the fewest road games this year of anybody in MLB with four. Their bullpen blew two late leads to the Mariners. They couldn't hold a 6-1 second-inning lead against the Reds and blew another late-inning lead to the Reds the next night.
    The Pirates (THE PIRATES!) scored 18 runs on them last night and they rallied from a 5-2 deficit today to force extra innings.
    When does Bud finally get his head out of the sand and realize that putting a team in Tampa Bay was a bad idea to begin with? Now that the former Expos franchise is thriving in Washington, it's time to do something with the D-Rays.

  2. #2
    SoonerFans.com Elite Member AllAboutThe'O''s Avatar
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    Well, whaddaya know? The D-Rays won in 13 innings, breaking a seven-game skid.

  3. #3
    Sooner All-Big XII-2-1+1-1+1 Sooner04's Avatar
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    Yeah, they're pretty terrible, but you've got to remember that the D-Backs, Rockies and Marlins are the exception to the rule. Heck, the Rockies have done nothing since winning the Wild Card in '95 anyway. They're terrible too.

    Look how awful the Mariners were when they came into the league in '77. They didn't win a division title for over 20 years. The Padres won nothing from '69 until '84. The Expos made it to the NLCS in '81, but that's their only playoff appearance too.

    The D-Rays suffer from a terrible ballpark and a stingy front office. One of the whole reasons for Piniella taking the job down there was to spike the payroll a bit. Management has yet to do so, and that's why they still suck. They'll get with it in a few years. There's too much talent in that area not to succeed. They'll get it together.

    Calling them a pathetic sports franchise is a little rash, especially when the Arizona Cardinals haven't been mentioned as an alternative.

  4. #4
    Uber Dad Cam's Avatar
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    There cannot be a franchise worse than one ran by a Bidwell. They've set a very, very, very low standard.

  5. #5
    SoonerFans.com Elite Member AllAboutThe'O''s Avatar
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    Quote Originally Posted by Cam
    There cannot be a franchise worse than one ran by a Bidwell. They've set a very, very, very low standard.
    Well, at least they've had their moment in the sun. They beat my Cowboys in the '98 NFC playoffs.

  6. #6
    Angry Bird OUthunder's Avatar
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    St. Louis Cardinals/Arizona Cardinals are pretty pathetic.
    My kids rock the flock!

  7. #7
    SoonerFans.com Elite Member GDC's Avatar
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    I've been a Saints fan since the early 70's and for long-term misery they're tough to match.

  8. #8
    Ready for Baseball Season tulsaoilerfan's Avatar
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    Quote Originally Posted by AllAboutThe'O'
    Well, at least they've had their moment in the sun. They beat my Cowboys in the '98 NFC playoffs.
    And pretty much have faded back to Bolivia since then.

    John

  9. #9
    Sooner All-Big XII-2-1+1-1+1 Ruuuuuufus's Avatar
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    Tampa Bay has one of the best farm systems out there today.

    Delmon Young, BJ Upton, Joey Gathright, Chad Orvella, Jason Hammel, with recent (last couple years) callups of Rocco Baldelli, Jorge Cantu, Carl Crawford and Scott Kazmir (though admittingly he spent most his time in the Mets' system.)

  10. #10
    Sooner All-Big XII-2-1+1-1+1
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    the tejas rangers (& #2 washington senators) have won only (1) one,
    post season game in their 45th year of existence.

    but they did have nolan ryan.

  11. #11
    Sooner All-Big XII-2-1+1-1+1
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    OUthunder
    before saint louis, the cards were in chicago.

  12. #12
    SoonerFans.com Elite Member AllAboutThe'O''s Avatar
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    Quote Originally Posted by soonerjoker
    the tejas rangers (& #2 washington senators) have won only (1) one,
    post season game in their 45th year of existence.

    but they did have nolan ryan.
    They've also won three divisional titles and could have possibly won more. They're a better franchise than you might think, they've had good teams in the past. Unfortunately, the A's in the early 70s, the Royals in the late 70s and early 80s and the A's in the late 80s-early 90s were a shade better.
    Besides Nolan Ryan, the Rangers have employed Ferguson Jenkins, Toby Harrah, Buddy Bell, Jeff Burroughs, Jim Kern, Sparky Lyle, Jim Sundberg, Pete O'Brien, Ruben Sierra, Charlie Hough, Jeff Russell, Rafael Palmeiro, Julio Franco, Pudge Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Will Clark, Dean Palmer, Rusty Greer, Kevin Elster, John Wetteland, Hank Blalock, Mark Teixeira, Alfonso Soriano, Mike Young, Kenny Rogers and Kevin Mench. Oh, yeah, also the shortstop that went to the Yankees.
    Not to mention managers such as Ted Williams, Whitey Herzog, Billy Martin, Don Zimmer, Bobby Valentine, Johnny Oates and Buck Showalter.
    That's pretty much an All-Star talent collection right there.

  13. #13
    Sooner All-Big XII-2-1+1-1+1
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    it would be a great team if they'd had all those guys @ the same time.

    the best (IMHO) manager they had (in washington) was the late Gil
    Hodges. he got them up to (if memory serves) .500 when they had
    only been pitiful before. he then went to the mets & won the world series.

    ted williams was a great (obviously) hitter ,but not much of a manager.

    "they could have won more" ?? everybody could've won more.

    before last year they were in last place for 3 years. with "that" shortstop.

    they need pitching as badly as anyone, so they draft a 1st baseman
    at least they didn't give him 1/4 billion dollars.

    the most under-rated player they've had is Ferguson Jenkins. won 25 games with a mediocre team.

  14. #14
    SoonerFans.com Elite Member AllAboutThe'O''s Avatar
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    Quote Originally Posted by soonerjoker
    the most under-rated player they've had is Ferguson Jenkins. won 25 games with a mediocre team.
    Fergie won 25 games for the '74 Rangers, who finished in second place five games behind the world champion A's, the first good Ranger team in franchise history. They also had the AL Manager of the Year (Billy Martin), AL Rookie of the Year (Mike Hargrove) and AL MVP (Jeff Burroughs) that year, and Jenkins was also the AL Comeback Player of the Year. Hardly mediocre if you ask me.
    Last edited by AllAboutThe'O'; 6/15/2005 at 11:46 PM.

  15. #15
    SoonerFans.com Elite Member AllAboutThe'O''s Avatar
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    Quote Originally Posted by soonerjoker
    it would be a great team if they'd had all those guys @ the same time.
    Yeah, if only....

    Quote Originally Posted by soonerjoker
    the best (IMHO) manager they had (in washington) was the late Gil
    Hodges. he got them up to (if memory serves) .500 when they had
    only been pitiful before. he then went to the mets & won the world series.
    If Hodges hadn't died suddenly, he may have gone down as one of the greatest managers of all time.

    Quote Originally Posted by soonerjoker
    ted williams was a great (obviously) hitter ,but not much of a manager.
    Agreed there. Reading the Ted Williams biography right now BTW.

    Quote Originally Posted by soonerjoker
    "they could have won more" ?? everybody could've won more.

    before last year they were in last place for 3 years. with "that" shortstop.
    You think I miss that shortstop? Not one iota.

  16. #16
    Sooner All-Big XII-2-1+1-1+1
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    Re: Is there a more pathetic sports franchise than the Devil Rays?

    we agree on most everything, i'm just not a fan of rangers.

    one of my many character flaws is that i can't root for the home team.
    don't know why, was same when i lived in LA. i'm just "strange".

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