Rays of Sunshine

Friends,

Yesterday morning, the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team was in first place...a first for the usual bottom feeders (pun intended, perhaps) at this time of year. What is the difference? Of course, I have to believe it is because they "knocked the 'devil' out of their name." They were the Tampa Bay Devil Rays from their inception (1998)...a nickname or description that I could never like, nor was it a team I could ever cheer for...even if I wanted to do so. Now, the new look Rays, with their new manager Joe Maddon (who?), mixture of young players sprinkled with a few good veteran players are on top of the AL East. What I wouldn't give to see these guys "hang on," put together a good year (win 90 to 100 games) and beat the stuffing out of the Yankees and Red Sox (just once, mind you, with the Sox -- I know I am on thin ice with family members here -- but they could beat the Yanks every year and most of the country would be happy). So...when your division leaders are Minnesota, Arizona, Tampa Bay, Florida, etc. maybe baseball is finally showing the parity of football where different teams have an opportunity to win every year. Well...we can't get too carried away, but it is refreshing that certain "small market" teams (with lower payrolls), like Oakland, Minnesota, Florida, who have good leadership (general managers, managers, scouts, etc.), end up in the playoffs, or at least with a winning record nearly every year. Perhaps, it is now the Rays' turn. Maybe the Mariners could take a page out of their book. :-) And...a final shout out -- to the Texas Ra(y)ngers who were being ridiculed (and their manager was on the hot seat) just a month ago and now are sniffing .500, pretty amazing. Blessings,

Don