60 Fun Facts About Tampa Bay Rays

In which city is the Rays' home ballpark, Tropicana Field, located?

The dome was built in the late 1980s as the Florida Suncoast Dome to lure a team; the Rays did not arrive until 1998.

In which season did the franchise begin play as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays?

They joined alongside the Arizona Diamondbacks after decades of failed expansion and relocation bids.

Which owner won the Tampa Bay expansion franchise in 1995, partly settling his suit over a blocked Giants purchase?

He had agreed to buy the San Francisco Giants and move them to St. Petersburg in 1992 before MLB owners vetoed it.

Naimoli's first choice of name, 'Sting Rays', was already owned by a minor-league club in which location?

The Maui club offered to sell the name for $35,000; Naimoli picked a different species of ray instead.

Which alternative name did Naimoli offer to adopt if fans rejected 'Devil Rays' in a telephone poll?

Some local pastors objected to the word 'devil', but fans approved the name.

Which two failed 1990s expansion bids were led by Roy Disney and Frank Morsani?

Morsani later sold the 'Panthers' trademark to Wayne Huizenga, who used it for his NHL team.

Which future star outfielder did the Devil Rays draft in 1997 and trade for Kevin Stocker?

The deal is widely regarded as one of the worst in recent MLB history.

Which two Tampa natives and future Hall of Famers did the Devil Rays add before their first season?

Boggs hit the team's first home run and later got his 3,000th hit, a homer, as a Devil Ray in 1999.

Who was the Devil Rays' first manager, hired in November 1997?

He was fired partway through 2001 after consecutive 69-win seasons.

Which team did the Devil Rays face in their first-ever game on March 31, 1998, an 11–6 loss?

Rookie Rolando Arrojo won the next day for the franchise's first victory.

Wade Boggs's 3,000th career hit, achieved as a Devil Ray in 1999, was notable for being what?

He remains the only player to reach 3,000 with a homer, doing it against Cleveland on August 7, 1999.

What was the Devil Rays' aging slugger group of McGriff, Castilla, Canseco and Vaughn nicknamed?

They were mostly past their prime, and the team lost 93 games in 2000.

What was the Devil Rays' franchise-worst record, set in 2002?

Hal McRae was moved to the front office and Tampa native Lou Piniella took over.

Which Tampa native, who had won a World Series with the Reds, managed the Devil Rays from 2003 to 2005?

He grew frustrated with ownership and was bought out for $2.2 million by new owner Stuart Sternberg.

Which outfielder led the AL in triples and steals in 2004 and holds the franchise record with 60 steals?

His 19 triples in 2004 are also a team record.

Which manager, hired from the Angels in 2006, led the Rays to their first pennant?

He left after 2014 when Andrew Friedman's departure triggered an opt-out; his Rays record was 754–705.

Which executive did Stuart Sternberg install to run baseball operations in 2006, replacing Chuck LaMar?

He built the 2008 pennant winner and left for the Dodgers in 2014.

When the team dropped 'Devil' in 2008, the shortened name was said to also refer to what?

A sunburst appears on the uniform front and a manta ray on the sleeve.

What was the Rays' payroll in 2008, still the lowest in baseball, after Sternberg finally raised it?

That team went from the worst record in the league to the AL pennant.

Which team did the Rays beat in seven games in the 2008 ALCS to reach their first World Series?

They had beaten the White Sox in the ALDS for their first-ever playoff series win.

Which team beat the Rays four games to one in the 2008 World Series?

The Rays lost again in the 2020 Series to the Dodgers and remain one of five teams without a title.

What was the Rays manager's mathematical mantra for the 2008 season?

Nine players playing nine hard innings would make one of the eight playoff teams; it became 9=4, 9=2 and 9=1 as the run went on.

What was the nickname for the mohawk haircuts Rays players sported during the 2008 World Series run?

The trend lasted for several years until Maddon left after 2014.

Which pitcher threw the Rays' first no-hitter, against Detroit in 2010?

That team had the AL's best record but lost to Texas in the ALDS.

Whose 12th-inning walk-off homer against the Yankees clinched the 2011 wild card on the final night?

The Rays edged Boston, whose collapse ended the same night in Baltimore.

Who became the first Rays pitcher to win the Cy Young Award, in 2012?

He was traded to Detroit in 2014 for a package including Willy Adames.

Who was named the Rays' manager in December 2014, the youngest in the league at the time?

He was 37 and led the Rays to the 2020 pennant.

Which pitcher went 21–5 with a 1.89 ERA in 2018 to win the Rays' second Cy Young Award?

Both figures remain franchise single-season records; he was traded to San Diego after 2020.

What pitching innovation did the 2018 Rays pioneer, with a 'bulk man' following a short first stint?

Traditionalists grumbled, but the Rays had the AL's second-best team ERA.

Which team received Chris Archer in the 2018 trade sending Glasnow, Meadows and Baz to Tampa?

The same off-season saw Evan Longoria dealt to the Giants and Jake Odorizzi to the Twins.

Which Rays rookie outfielder set records with 10 homers and 29 hits in the 2020 postseason?

He also stole home against Boston in the 2021 ALDS.

Whose eighth-inning home run off Aroldis Chapman won the 2020 ALDS for the Rays over the Yankees?

Chapman had thrown a 101-mph fastball over his head during the regular season, sparking a brawl.

Whose ninth-inning single won Game 4 of the 2020 World Series in a chaotic walk-off?

It was his first career postseason hit; Arozarena stumbled and scored the winning run.

How many games did the Rays win in 2021, the best record in the American League?

They lost the ALDS to Boston in four games, including two walk-offs.

On September 15, 2022, the Rays became the first MLB team to field what?

It happened, fittingly, on Roberto Clemente Day in an 11–0 win over Toronto.

How many straight wins did the Rays open the 2023 season with, tying the modern-era record?

They finished with 99 wins but lost the division to Baltimore and were bounced in the wild-card round again.

Who won the Rays' first American League batting title, hitting .330 in 2023?

His average is also the franchise single-season record.

Which hurricane tore the roof off Tropicana Field in October 2024, forcing the Rays to relocate for 2025?

Repairs cost nearly $60 million and the team returned for 2026.

Where did the Rays play their 2025 home games while the Trop was repaired?

It is the Yankees' spring-training home in Tampa and holds about 11,000.

Which Jacksonville home builder led the group that bought the Rays for about $1.7 billion in 2025?

The sale closed on September 30, 2025.

To which Canadian city did the Rays explore moving for half of each season?

He apologised for displaying a 'Tampa Bay/Montreal' graphic during the 2021 postseason.

What is distinctive about the top of Tropicana Field?

The tilted dome keeps out Florida's weather; the park also has a 10,000-gallon touch tank of live cownose rays.

What is the name of the touch tank at Tropicana Field where fans can pet live rays?

It holds 25 feet and 10,000 gallons of water.

Which two mascots entertain Rays fans, one a 'seadog' and one a turntable-spinning cat?

DJ Kitty began as a scoreboard rally video in 2010 and was created by entertainment director Lou Costanza.

The Rays' cowbell tradition was inspired by a sketch from which TV show?

Owner Stuart Sternberg came up with the promotion; visiting teams consider the bells a nuisance.

What feature of the Devil Rays' original 1998 uniforms was revived for Fridays in 2023?

They returned to the regular rotation in 2023 for the 25th anniversary.

The Rays' 2024 City Connect cap features a stingray beneath which local landmark?

The design is nicknamed the 'skyray'; a secondary logo shows three palms and a pelican.

The Rays' 2012-17 'fauxback' uniforms imagined a 1980 team in which club's 1970s look?

They used gold, navy and powder blue with a circular sunburst.

Which 2002 film told the story of Jim Morris, a 35-year-old first-year reliever with the Devil Rays?

Morris pitched 15 innings over 21 games with a 4.80 ERA.

Which Devil Ray charged the mound after Pedro Martínez hit him in 2000?

The game was full of retaliations and ejections on both sides.

What is the name of the Rays' interleague rivalry with the Miami Marlins?

Tampa Bay leads the series 81–60.

Which broadcaster called the Rays' TV play-by-play from their first season in 1998 onward?

He was paired with Joe Magrane for 11 seasons and with Brian Anderson from 2011.

Which slugger set Rays single-season records with 46 home runs and 121 RBIs in 2007?

His .627 slugging percentage that year was also a franchise record.

Which closer saved a franchise-record 48 games for the Rays in 2012?

His arrow-shooting celebration became a trademark.

Under what name did the Rays' domed ballpark open in 1990, years before the team existed?

St. Petersburg built it expressly to lure a big-league club; the A's, Twins, White Sox, Rangers, Royals and Mariners all flirted with moving there.

Which rookie pitcher earned the Devil Rays' first-ever win, an 11-8 victory over Detroit in 1998?

It came the day after the franchise's opening-night loss, and Arrojo went on to become an All-Star.

Which team did the Rays beat in their first-ever playoff series, the 2008 ALDS?

The 3-1 series win set up the seven-game ALCS against Boston that delivered the franchise's first pennant.

Where do the Rays hold spring training, having kept the site even while displaced in 2025?

Charlotte Sports Park stayed their spring base while the Yankees kept using Steinbrenner Field for their own camp.

Who replaced Larry Rothschild as Devil Rays manager partway through the 2001 season?

Rothschild had overseen two straight last-place 69-win seasons before being dismissed.

Through 2025, how many MLB teams besides the Rays had never won a World Series?

The Padres, Rockies, Brewers and Mariners share the distinction.