Rays found the right mix to build

After 10 years of getting sand kicked in their face, of course the Tampa Bay Rays were going to turn it around, right? By drafting high in the first round every year, weren't they liable to find talented youngsters who eventually would become impact, All-Star-caliber players?

In other words, shouldn't this Cinderella season have happened a little bit earlier?

The Rays lost more than 90 games every year over the last decade, including three seasons with over 100 losses. They joined Major League Baseball in 1998, along with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 1999, the D-Backs won 100 games and their first division title, and in 2001 they won the World Series.

The previous expansion class - the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies in 1993 - was just as quick to succeed. The Rockies made the playoffs in their third season. The Marlins won the World Series in 1997, and again six years later. Among recent expansion teams, only the Seattle Mariners, who joined the major league ranks in 1977 with the Toronto Blue Jays, waited longer for their first playoff berth (19 years) than the Rays.

After years of spinning its wheels with frugal ownership, Tampa Bay quietly began its turnaround three years ago, when Stuart Sternberg bought out Vince Naimoli. Andrew Friedman, a Tulane grad, Houston native, and former analyst for investment firm Bear, Stearns & Co. took over as general manager, and with the aid of veteran adviser Gerry Hunsicker, a former Astros GM, brought the Rays to this apex.

"There's no doubt they've made several very good moves identifying good veteran players who fit in with their young home-grown talent," said one American League executive. "They've had the luxury of really building their team through their farm system. The pressures of playing in Tampa Bay aren't what they are in other baseball cities, so they've been allowed to build this very patiently."

After winning 13 of their final 25 games in 2007, the Rays came into spring training with a new attitude, sensing they could compete with the AL East bigshots who had beaten them up for so long. The veterans were tired of losing. During a spring training game, they ganged up on Yankees first baseman Shelley Duncan, who slid into second base with cleats high, in retaliation for a home plate collision in their previous exhibition match.

Athletic moves

Like any expansion team, the Rays had to be brought to the next level, and Chuck LaMar, the team's first GM, had something to do with that. LaMar had his duds. He was said to be infatuated with athletes rather than baseball players, but that philosophy served him well. He took Josh Hamilton with the first pick in the 1999 draft; unfortunately Hamilton, who has resurrected his career with Texas, became a drug addict and never rose above Double A with Tampa Bay. LaMar also hit the jackpot in that draft when he chose Carl Crawford in the second round. In 2000, he added Rocco Baldelli, the sixth overall pick, and found James Shields in the 16th round.

LaMar had taken Dan Wheeler in his first draft in 1996, in the 34th round. Wheeler was released in 2001, but he was reacquired at the trade deadline last season and has become the team's closer. Aubrey Huff was taken in the fifth round of the '98 draft and fit into LaMar's vision of establishing a younger core after years of spending big on past-their-prime players like Wade Boggs, Fred McGriff, and Vinny Castilla.

By 2002, the current team was taking shape. Center fielder B.J. Upton, then a shortstop, was drafted second overall, and within two years he was in the majors. LaMar selected outfielder Delmon Young with the first overall pick in 2003, a player Friedman traded last offseason in return for righthander Matt Garza and shortstop Jason Bartlett. LaMar also found a gem in Andy Sonnanstine, a 13th-round pick in 2004, LaMar's penultimate draft with the Rays.

LaMar also made a franchise-changing trade July 30, 2004, when he sent veteran pitcher Victor Zambrano to the Mets for hard-throwing lefty Scott Kazmir, who has anchored the staff.

After that, however, it was all Friedman and Hunsicker.

Relief on the way

Prior to the 2006 season, they pawned off fading closer Danys Baez on the Dodgers in exchange for young righty Edwin Jackson. In June of '06, they traded for lefty J.P. Howell, who was moved to the bullpen this season with sparkling results. He led all AL relievers in innings (89 1/3) and tied for the lead among relievers in strikeouts (92).

Just a week after the Howell deal, Friedman acquired catcher Dioner Navarro, a first-time All-Star this season, from the Dodgers. A month later, Huff, a drain on a tight payroll at nearly $7 million, was shipped to the Astros for Ben Zobrist, who has become the Rays' super utilityman, and reliever Mitch Talbot.

Prior to last season's trade deadline, Friedman made two key trades on the same day, instantly shoring up an area that had long tormented Tampa Bay - the bullpen. He plucked Australian righty Grant Balfour from the Brewers, and acquired another setup man, Wheeler, from the Astros, who wanted infielder Ty Wigginton for their playoff push. Howell, Balfour, and Wheeler have become the foundation of one of the best bullpens in baseball.

The Young-Garza deal got the most attention, but Friedman also made some minor trades of impact this year, getting Willy Aybar (Braves) in January, Gabe Gross (Brewers) in April, and submariner Chad Bradford (Orioles) in August.

But there was more.

In the winter of 2006, although he had drafted third baseman Evan Longoria with the third overall pick in the previous draft, he signed Akinori Iwamura, a six-time Gold Glove third baseman in Japan. His scouts assured him that Iwamura could eventually move to second base when Longoria was ready. Sure enough, Longoria looks like the Rookie of the Year, and Iwamura has been terrific at second base.

An interesting side note is that Friedman took some heat this spring for having Longoria start the season in Triple A. Some accused Friedman of trying to delay Longoria's arbitration clock, but that theory was dismissed when Longoria was called up two weeks into the season and given a nine-year, $44 million contract one week later.

Power source

Even Friedman couldn't imagine the production he would be getting when he signed first baseman Carlos Peña to a minor league contract before the 2007 season. Peña, who played for five teams in his first six seasons in the majors, gave the Rays a much-needed lefthanded power source, blasting 77 home runs over two years.

Not to be downplayed is Friedman's hiring of Joe Maddon in 2006. He didn't have the managerial pedigree of the previous field boss, Lou Piniella, but Maddon has the patience of a teacher and shared the GM's enthusiasm for statistical analysis.

Did it take a while for this whole process to bear fruit? Sure did. But Friedman, Maddon, and the new Rays ownership have accelerated things the past three years. They've been able to maintain a $43 million payroll despite a fan base that's not quite sure if they're willing to support the Rays long term.

"I have no idea what happened here before I got here," said Longoria. "I just know that this team just has a great blend of veterans who have really taught us younger guys how to play the game. It just seems as if it's been this way for a while, but I know it wasn't long ago that we really struggled here."

So here they are, and it appears they'll be contenders for some time. Baseball America voted them the No. 1 farm system at the start of this season. Friedman has continued to draft well, taking lefty David Price first overall in 2007 and using the No. 1 pick last June on Georgia high school shortstop Tim Beckham.

Sternberg wanted to recreate the team brand last offseason so he dropped "Devil" from the nickname and changed the uniforms and color scheme. He's also trying to find a way out of the stale surroundings of Tropicana Field. He was hoping to build a waterfront stadium in St. Petersburg, but the complex negotiations involving construction were too difficult to resolve for a November referendum. Now the Rays are looking to move to Tampa, where they believe a stronger fan base will increase attendance.

The Rays are one of four teams that have never played in a World Series, along with Washington, Texas, and Seattle. But they're aiming to escape that group, and the challenge starts tonight.