Rise, repeat: Rays prepare with perspective

American League East Preview

This time last year, the Tampa Bay Rays were hoping to shed the loser label that dogged them for the franchise's first 10 seasons.

They wanted to show they were no longer the American League East's doormat.

Mission accomplished - in a big way.

The Rays went from the worst record in the majors in 2007 to the World Series in 2008, losing in five games to the Philadelphia Phillies. From 96 losses to 97 wins and their first division and league titles.

Now, the Rays and manager Joe Maddon have a different challenge.

"You can't expect everything to break the way it broke last year," Maddon said. "We're going to have to build a new road this year."

Always positive, Maddon senses how confident his team is this spring. But he's also realistic as to what it will face attempting to repeat.

"We walked out there the first day, and I knew the challenge was to put it in perspective," he said. "We talked about humility and gratitude a lot because we want to get back there.

"If you talk to our guys, you aren't going to find anybody who thinks that last year was a fluke in any way."

Talent-wise, the Rays have the roster to be a perennial contender. The majority of their starting position players are 30 or younger, and the oldest member of the rotation is James Shields, who turned 27 in December.

The rotation has a returning 14-game winner in Shields, a 13-game winner (Andy Sonnanstine), a 12-game winner (Scott Kazmir) and an 11-game winner (Matt Garza). The rotation is so deep it doesn't include phenom David Price, the 6-foot-6, 23-year-old left-hander who excelled in the postseason but will begin the year at Triple-A.

They lost several solid role players, such as fifth starter Edwin Jackson and part-timers Cliff Floyd, Rocco Baldelli and Eric Hinske. But the offense might have improved with the addition of slugger Pat Burrell, who will be the club's full-time designated hitter after bashing 33 homers and winning a championship with the Phillies last season.

"Even though we got there last year and made the World Series, we're not going to be satisfied with that," infielder-outfielder Ben Zobrist said. "We're not going to think all of a sudden, 'We're there.' Each year is a new year, and you've got to start from the bottom at first."

Zobrist, who hit 12 homers in 198 at-bats after being recalled from the minors, represents one of the club's biggest challenges - initially, anyway. Zobrist is expected to start the season in center field while budding superstar B.J. Upton recovers from offseason shoulder surgery.