It’s been twelve long years since the Rays made an appearance in the World Series. That was back in 2008 against the Phillies in the memorable rain game, the series where Rays wives were taunted, players were taunted, games played in the worst rain, wind and cold and lost to Philadelphia Phillies. Despite it all 2008 was a magical season that finally erased visions of the old Devil Rays away. Now The Rays get the chance to make up for all the lost time, but unfortunately thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, hometown fans will not get to see their team at the Trop, but at a neutral site in Texas. This team has evolved over and over in the last twelve years from the front office right down to the playing field. The simple fact is that even though names like Longoria, Price, Pena, Upton, Crawford, Shields, Garza, etc. may be long gone, this just might be the best all around team the Rays have brought to the post season yet, and for a number of reasons.

First let’s look upstairs at Erik Neander, who was down the line when Andrew Friedman was the GM and engineered many of the deals that would set the future in motion. Then Friedman left for the Dodgers and you can bet Neander wants this championship more than anything. Then we had Chiam Bloom who with Erik began to mold together the team we have today with clever deals and trades, brilliant signings that had some scratching their heads as the building continued and also created the number one farm system in the game. Then Bloom left for the rival Red Sox and Erik Neander was now the man running things and with Stu Sternberg’s blessing he really put a charge into this team with his moves. The deal with the Pirates giving up Archer for Glasnow, Meadows and Baz will always rank at the top. There was the signing for big money, in Rays terms, of Charley “Freakin’” Morton to a big contract. Then there were the deals that cost the Rays very littlein player personnel to bring in Yandy Diaz, Peter Fairbanks, Nick Anderson, Ji Man Choi, even Tommy Pham who is now in San Diego, and others. Neander also went shopping at the dollar store and junk yard to find scrap heap bargains with pitchers like Curtiss, Thompson,  Slegers, etc. Then there was the latest steal, the trade with the Cardinals for Randy Arozarena, your ALCS MVP and a back story that would make a Hollywood movie! If you look over the roster for the series you will see even more of the Neander touch that molded this team together into a very solid group of players who believe in themselves.

Of course we have to mention Joe Maddon and how he changed the culture of the Rays after he got here and the success he had with some of his innovations and different ways of doing things. The way he continuously redid batting orders, various shifts in the field, strange (to everyone else) pitching moves, the theme road trips, the fun aspect of playing a game and more. Then he left and the Rays did the unthinkable by hiring a 37 year old bullpen coach from the Cleveland Indians by the name of Kevin Cash. That was a big head scratcher throughout baseball when there were other known “names” available to manage the Rays. But once again Matt Silverman , Chiam Bloom,  Erik Neander and Stu Sternberg knew what they were doing when others didn’t. Since Cash, who is also a local Tampa product, took over the Rays the rise has been steady and also remarkable. Cash latched on to the culture and innovations Maddon had created. He refined it and added his own to the mix making it even more impressive. The “opener”, the four man outfield, all lefty lineup, players with tons of versatility, giving players chances to redeem themselves right away and most important, having his players backs and gaining their confidence in his way of doing things the “Rays and Cash way”. The end result is a team that through a multitude of devastating injuries, a pandemic, and a start and stop weird 2020 season that came together like a band of brothers who genuinely like and love each other. They have chemistry unlike anything you will see on another team and some of the back stories are emotional and inspirational. You can credit a lot of that to Kevin Cash and the culture he refined and continues to bring to the Rays. This is a team that believes in themselves, they believe in their manager and they relish in the support they get from the fans in Tampa Bay, and yes there are a hell of lot more of them than the national media thinks! It’s just too bad that support cannot be shown at the Trop for this World Series.

So now we come to the 2020 World Series and a showdown with the powerful Dodgers. It is a meeting of the two teams with the two best records in MLB in 2020. While the blah, blah boys at ESPN are crying because the World Series doesn’t have their beloved Yankees or even the Red Sox and Fox would have preferred Houston……….I say “too bad guys, deal with it!” We know the broadcast team will be biased and be all over Dodger Blue, but that’s okay. The Rays have been the underdog most of the time and have shown that David can beat Goliath. In this showdown can it happen again? I honestly believe it can and the idea that this will be an easy four game sweep by the Dodgers is not going to happen. This will be no walk in the park for the Dodgers, who have a lot to prove to the baseball world. But then so did the Yankees and Houston have a lot to prove and what happened? David beat Goliath twice. They say everything comes in threes, so they are one series away from making it happen. With the chemistry, drive, desire and overall talent the Rays have at their disposal, not to mention the personal reasons,  the Tampa Bay Rays are ready for this.

I will say it right now, it won’t be easy by any means, but David will slay Goliath once again and another championship will come back to “Champa Bay” at the end of the month. RAYS UP!!

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN