Don't be surprised this month if baseball fans from Baltimore, Kansas City and Pittsburgh root for the Tampa Bay Rays like pilgrims saying prayers at the feet of a saint.
From 1998 to 2007, no franchise seemed more lost than the Rays, who peaked with a 70-91 record during that stretch. Their veteran signings never found the old magic, their pitchers never got anybody out and their fans never cared a lick.
But something wild and magical happened this season in baseball's bleakest wasteland. Young players met their promise en masse, a revamped defense made pitchers look good and retreads played their best ball in years. Not even injuries to their best pitcher and two best offensive players could stop the Rays from surging past .500 to a division title in the big, bad American League East. Now, they're set to play the Chicago White Sox in the postseason.
"It's fun for baseball," said veteran outfielder Cliff Floyd, who signed with the Rays (97-65) before this season after stints with five teams. "So many people can look to a team like us and maybe have some hope."
Floyd acknowledged that he had no grand expectations when he signed with Tampa Bay. "I saw the talent," he said. "But as far as going to the next level, I'd be lying if I said I thought we'd be in the playoffs this year."
Longtime Rays almost can't believe what's happening.
"It's definitely exciting to have everyone talking about us," said outfielder Carl Crawford, one of the few bright spots in the Rays' universe before this season. "For a long time, it was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel."
Players from other teams appreciate the transformation as well.
"I know that's who I'll be rooting for if I'm watching the playoffs," said Orioles slugger Aubrey Huff, who remembers how bad it was in Tampa Bay, where he played the first 6 1/2 seasons of his career. "If they could do it, why couldn't we? We've got a lot of young talent here, too."
Huff, who still lives in the Tampa, Fla., area, said it's remarkable to see people walking the streets in Rays jerseys. "You would never have seen that two years ago," he said.
Frankly, the Rays never gave fans a reason to don their colors.
They took an unconventional approach to building an expansion team by loading up on recognizable names such as Wade Boggs, Jose Canseco, Greg Vaughn and Vinny Castilla.
