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The '''Count's of Falkenstein''', were German nobility named after the [[Burg Falkenstein (Donnersberg)|'''Burg Falkenstein''']] at [[Donnersbergkreis|Donnersberg]] in what is now the [[Rhineland-Palatinate]].
{{MLB infobox |
name = Tampa Bay Devil Rays |
established = 1998 |
misc = |
logo = TampaBayDevilRays_100.png |
WS = (0) |
WORLD CHAMPIONS = None |
LEAGUE = AL |
P = (0) |
PENNANTS = None |
misc1 = |
OTHER PENNANTS = |
DIV = |
DV = (0) |
Division Champs = None |
misc5 = |
OTHER DIV CHAMPS = |
WC = (0) |
Wild Card = None |
misc6 = |
current league = American League |
y1 = 1998 |
division = [[American League East|East Division]] |
y2 = 1998 |
misc2 = |
nickname = Tampa Bay Devil Rays |
y3 = 1998 |
misc3 = |
ballpark = [[Tropicana Field]] |
y4 = 1998 |
misc4 = |
Uniform logo = Al 2005 tampabay 01.gif |
Retired numbers = 12 |
Retired names = [[Wade Boggs]]♦ |
Retired pos = [[Third baseman|3B]] |
Retired date = [[4 July]] [[2000]] |
misc7 = |
Team = Devil Rays |
Team1 = Devil_Rays
}}
In 1255 the family inherited by marriage land from the Count's of '''Hagen-Münzenberg'''. In this manner they came to be established in the [[Frankfurt Rhein-Main Region]]. At '''[[Königstein im Taunus]]''' they built their new Castle '''[[Burg Falkenstein (Taunus)|Burg (Neu-)Falkenstein]]'''.
The Falkenstein's als inherited the town of [[Offenbach am Main]] from the Count of Münzenberg. They leased the town to the neighbouring town of [[Frankfurt am Main]] for 1,000 [[Gulden]].
The '''Tampa Bay Devil Rays''' are a [[Major League Baseball]] team based in [[St. Petersburg, Florida]]. They are in the [[American League East|Eastern Division]] of the [[American League]].
Count [[Werner von Falkenstein|Werner III. von Falkenstein]] († 1418) was [[Archbishop of Trier]] from 1388 until his death in 1418. He is remembered for his provokation against the people of Frankfurt by developing rivalry with that town and Offenbach.
== Before the Devil Rays ==
[[image:Devilrays.jpg]]
The Falkenstein male line died out with the death of Werner III. in 1418. Their landed estates were inherited by '''[[Herren von Eppstein]]''' family as well as the Counts von Solms.
The [[Tampa]]-St. Petersburg area, one of the fastest growing areas in the United States during the 70s and 80s, made many attempts to acquire a baseball team before receiving the Devil Rays in the 1998 expansion. The main obstacles were city infighting and the lack of a stadium. That changed with the building of the state-of-the-art [[Tropicana Field|Florida Suncoast Dome]] in [[1990]]. The dome was built without any notification of receiving a team (Major League Baseball recommended highly against it), and was solely meant to attract an existing team. Soon, teams started to look in to moving to the area, the first being the [[Chicago White Sox]], who but for a last minute action by the Illinois Legislature would have moved to St. Petersburg. The price for keeping the White Sox in Chicago was high--a brand new [[Comiskey Park]] (now [[U.S. Cellular Field]]). The [[Seattle Mariners]] also looked at the area. While nothing came of it, an indirect result was what became [[Safeco Field]]. The [[San Francisco Giants]] also came close to moving there in [[1992]] but the team was eventually purchased and resultingly [[AT&T Park]] came about. Prior to the building of [[Tropicana Field]], The [[Minnesota Twins]] expressed interest in moving to Tampa in 1984, before the team was sold to local businessman [[Carl Pohlad]].
The 1993 expansion, the first in more than a decade, brought out interest from the area. Too much, it turned out. A group from St. Petersburg entered early, expecting to be a lock until a competing group from Tampa also showed up. Not helping matters was a bid by [[Wayne Huizenga]] for a team in [[Miami]]. It was virtually taken for granted that one of the two new teams would be based in Florida. However, not wanting two Florida teams, and faced with a strong bid from [[Denver]] (which became the [[Colorado Rockies]]), MLB bypassed Tampa Bay and took Huizenga's bid. Adding salt to the wound, Huizenga named the Miami team the [[Florida Marlins]].
Another shot at baseball came when [[San Francisco Giants]] owner [[Bob Lurie]] agreed in principle to sell the team to a Tampa Bay-based group, who would then move the team to the Suncoast Dome. A press conference was announced, uniforms were drawn up, and tickets were about to be printed. However, at the last minute, MLB's owners vetoed the move under pressure from San Francisco city officials. The Giants were eventually sold to a local San Francisco group who eventually built [[AT&T Park]].
[[Category:German_Nobility]]
There was a lot of bitterness in Tampa Bay, especially at Huizenga, who voted against the move. A local boycott on [[Blockbuster Video]] stores lasted for years. Angry at MLB about the Giants, group leader [[Vince Naimoli]] threatened a lawsuit. In fear, baseball decided to have another expansion, this time admitting Naimoli's group and a group from [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] (the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]]).
[[Category:Taunus]]
The Dome finally had a team, but the stadium that had built 3 other teams' new stadiums was now out of date. Naimoli needed more than $70 million US from the city in renovations. In a biting irony, the team that was supposed to put St. Petersburg on the map was named
[[Tampa Bay]]. Many never forgave the team.
== Franchise history ==
[[Image:Devilraysearly.gif|thumb|150px|left|A 2000 picture of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. From left to right: [[José Canseco]], [[Vinny Castilla]], [[Greg Vaughn]], and [[Fred McGriff]].]]
===1998-2003===
From their inception in [[1998 in baseball|1998]], the Devil Rays have yet to be major contenders, finishing in last place in the [[American League East]] every year from 1998 to 2003. In [[2003 in baseball|2003]], the team signed manager [[Lou Piniella]] (a Tampa native), a proven manager who led the [[Cincinnati Reds]] to a [[World Series Trophy|World Championship]] in [[1990 in baseball|1990]] and then helped the [[Seattle Mariners]] become competitive in the mid-[[1990s]]. They also acquired solid veterans, and even future Hall of Famers such as Wade Boggs. However, by the time they came to the Devil Rays franchise, their best years were behind them and they failed to do much individually. They also were not much help in making the Devil Rays a competitor in the American League East.
===2004===
Expectations were low for the team entering the [[2004 in baseball|2004]] season, but the team surprised most baseball experts by compiling a 42-41 record (.506) in their first 83 games (thanks in large part to a twelve game winning streak), staying within 5 games for the American League wild card, a remarkable feat considering the team was 18 games below .500 at one point. However, the team soon returned to its losing ways, finishing the 2004 season with a record of 70-91, the best in team history, and in 4th place in the American League East, also a team best.
===2005===
After setbacks in the [[2005 in baseball|2005]] season that left them again last place in the division, and tired of what he felt was an insufficient commitment to winning by the ownership group, Piniella agreed to a buy out of the last year of his contract. There were positives in the situation, as the team went on a tear after the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Break]], leaving them above .500 for the remainder of the season. They finished 67-95 overall, making them 39-34 since the All-Star Break after a 28-61 start. The Rays continued to play spoilers in the second half, with a winning record and timely victories over contenders such as the [[New York Yankees]], [[Cleveland Indians]], and [[Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim]].
===2005-2006 Offseason===
Immediately after the season ended, [[Stuart Sternberg]], who bought into the ownership group in [[2000]], took over from Naimoli as managing general partner, thus taking over executive control of the team. He immediately fired [[Chuck LaMar]], who had been the team's [[general manager]] since the team's first season, and most of the front office. Matt Silverman was named as team president, and [[Andrew Friedman]] took the role of Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. [[Gerry Hunsicker]], former General Manager of the [[Houston Astros]], has taken over as Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations, and will advise Friedman. Sternberg has decided not to have a ''[[de jure]]'' General Manager, calling the position "outdated", and Friedman and Hunsicker will share that role at MLB functions. [http://www.sptimes.com/2005/11/04/Rays/Sternberg_presents_wi.shtml]
The team may have also set the tone for future contention with the play of young stars and up and coming players such as outfielders [[Carl Crawford]], [[Jonny Gomes]], Infielder [[Jorge Cantu]] (who hit 28 home runs and drove in 117 runs in his rookie season of [[2005]]) and pitcher [[Scott Kazmir]] (who finished in the top 5 in the American League in strikeouts). In [[2006 in baseball|2006]], the Rays also should have centerfielder [[Rocco Baldelli]] back, who missed the 2005 season with injuries, along with super prospects [[Delmon Young]] and [[BJ Upton]]. The next manager has tools to work with provided the new ownership group spends the money necessary for the team to contend.
Despite a good recovery at the end of the 2005 season, Lou Piniella decided not to return as manager. In December 2005, [[Joe Maddon]] was announced as the new manager for the Devil Rays.
Although Sternberg has committed to keeping the team in Tampa Bay, rumors have begun to surface that he may change the name of the team in the near future. It was later stated that any name change would not come until after the 2007 season. A poll of season ticket holders suggested that the change may be as simple as the term "Devil" being dropped, making the team the "Tampa Bay Rays". [http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=2464054]
===2006===
The chosen theme for the 2006 season is "We come to play".
On [[April 10]], [[2006]], the official attendance at Tropicana Field for the Rays' home opener was over 40,000 making it the highest turnout since the 1998 Inaugural Season Home Opener.
On [[April 26]], in a game against the [[Pawtucket Red Sox]], [[Delmon Young]] was ejected from the first inning of a game for the Triple-A [[Durham Bulls]] for arguing a third strike, and struck the umpire in his chest protector with his bat. He was suspended indefinitely the next day by the [[International League]] pending an investigation, which ultimately resulted in a 50-game suspension without pay and a minimum 50 hours of community service. [http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060509&content_id=1444862&vkey=news_tb&fext=.jsp&c_id=tb] This is considered a big setback, as Young is one of the Devil Rays' top prospects, and was expected to see time in the Majors this season. On [[June 20]], [[2006]] the Rays made their first trade of the season sending [[outfielder]] [[Joey Gathright]] and [[infielder]] [[Fernando Cortez]] to the [[Kansas City Royals]] for [[pitcher]] [[J.P. Howell]]. The rebuilding effort continued on June 27th when Tampa Bay sent two older player, pitcher [[Mark Hendrickson]] and catcher [[Toby Hall]] to the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] for pitcher [[Jae Seo]] and 22-year old catcher [[Dioner Navarro]].
==Quick facts==
:'''Founded:''' [[1998]] ([[American League]] expansion)
:'''Home ballpark:''' [[Tropicana Field]]
:'''Uniform colors:''' green, blue, black
:'''Logo design:''' The letters "TB" superimposed on a [[manta ray|devil ray (manta ray)]]
:'''Playoff appearances''' (0): ''none''
:'''Current Owner''': [[Stuart Sternberg]], et al.
:'''Current Manager''': [[Joe Maddon]]
:'''Current General Manager''': Position Eliminated by Owner (the position is currently filled at MLB functions by [[Andrew Friedman]] and [[Gerry Hunsicker]])
:'''Local Television:''' FSN Florida, WXPX 66
:'''Spring Training Facility:''' [[Florida Power Park]], [[St. Petersburg, FL]]
==[[Baseball Hall of Fame]]rs==
*[[Wade Boggs]], 3B, 1998-99, his number 12 is also the only one yet retired by the team
== Current roster ==
{{:Tampa Bay Devil Rays roster}}
==Single Season Records==
*'''Home Runs''': 34 [[José Canseco]] (1999), [[Aubrey Huff]] (2003)
*'''Runs Batted In''': 117 [[Jorge Cantu]] (2005)
*'''Batting Average''': .318 [[Fred McGriff]] (2001)
*'''Hits''': 198 [[Aubrey Huff]] (2003)
*'''Runs''': 104 [[Carl Crawford]] (2004)
*'''Doubles''': 47 [[Aubrey Huff]] (2003)
*'''Triples''': 19 [[Carl Crawford]] (2004)
*'''Stolen Bases''': 59 [[Carl Crawford]] (2004)
*'''Hitting Streak''': 18 games - [[Quinton McCracken]] (1998)
*'''Pitching Wins''': 14 [[Rolando Arrojo]] (1998)
*'''Pitching Strikeouts''': 174 [[Scott Kazmir]] (2005)
*'''Saves''': 43 [[Roberto Hernández]] (1999)
*'''ERA''': 3.77 [[Scott Kazmir]] (2005)
Average records require qualification for end-of-year awards according to [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] standards. For batting average, a player must have a minimum 450 plate appearances. For ERA, a pitcher must be have played in at least 30 games and started at least 25 of those games.
Records set in the current season, still in play, are in ''italics''. These may still increase.
[[Category:Tampa Bay Devil Rays]]
== Broadcasters ==
=== Television Announcers ===
* [[1998]]–current: [[Dewayne Staats]] ([[play-by-play]]) and [[Joe Magrane]] ([[color commentary]])
=== Radio Announcers ===
* [[1998]]–[[2004]]: Charlie Slowes (color) and Paul Olden (play-by-play)
* [[2005]]–current: [[Dave Wills]] and Andy Freed
==Minor league affiliations==
* '''AAA:''' [[Durham Bulls]], [[International League]]
* '''AA:''' [[Montgomery Biscuits]], [[Southern League]]
* '''Advanced A:''' [[Visalia Oaks]], [[California League]]
* '''A:''' [[Southwest Michigan Devil Rays]], [[Midwest League]]
* '''Short A:''' [[Hudson Valley Renegades]], [[New York-Penn League]]
* '''Rookie:''' [[Princeton Devil Rays]], [[Appalachian League]]
==See also==
*[[Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Team records|Devil Rays statistical records and milestone achievements]]
==External links==
*[http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/tb/homepage/tb_homepage.jsp Tampa Bay Devil Rays official web site]
*[http://forums.sptimes.com/Forums/ubb/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=2&SUBMIT=Go St. Petersburg Times Rays Forum]
*[http://www.thebaseballcube.com/teams/team_28.shtml The Baseball Cube] Tampa Bay Devil Rays Team Page
*[http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/al/tamparay/devilrays.html Sports E-Cyclopedia]
*[http://www.sportiki.com/index.php?title=Tampa_Bay_Devil_Rays ''Tampa Bay Devil Rays'' at Sportiki]
{{MLB}}
[[Category:Major League Baseball teams]]
[[Category:Tampa Bay Area]]
[[Category:Tampa Bay Devil Rays| ]]
[[Category:1998 establishments]]
[[de:Tampa Bay Devil Rays]]
[[ko:탬파베이 데블 레이스]]
[[it:Tampa Bay Devil Rays]]
[[ja:タンパベイ・デビルレイズ]]
[[pt:Tampa Bay Devil Rays]]
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[[zh:坦帕灣魔鬼魚]]
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