Trying To Exorcise The Demons

The Devil has been given his walking papers in Tampa. Next year, Florida's American League franchise will be known only as the "Rays."

Unfortunately, the Tampa Bay Rays are now the only rhyming team in all of baseball, and of course the reality is, they could call themselves the Tampa Bay Red Sox, the Tampa Bay Canadiens, or the Tampa Bay Silly Nannies (Family Guy reference) but until they get some pitching to compliment Scott Kazmir, they're not going to get any better.

I do see what Tampa is trying to do though, and I must admit, I don't hate it. They're trying to start fresh...trying to reinvent a team that doesn't have much of an identity yet. Will the new hats and jerseys work? Not by themselves they won't. But at least the team isn't content to idle along.

This is the only franchise in baseball with a winning percentage below .400. This is a franchise that in 10 seasons, has lost 95 or more games a total of seven times, has never finished higher than 4th in the division, and has never won 71 games. They can only go up from here.

And there are teams with a more bleak outlook for 2008. In addition to Kazmir, the Rays will return Carl Crawford, promising up-and-comers B.J. Upton and Delmon Young, closer Al Reyes, and likely, newly anointed Silver Slugger winner Carlos Pena. They might not be a playoff team any time soon, but they won't be this bad for too much longer...no matter what you call them.