Tampa Bay Rays Tickets

The Tampa-Bay Rays are a professional baseball team. the rays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball, Baseball's American League.

The Ray's are based in St. Petersburg, Florida, and from their initial game in 1998 to date they have played in Tropicana Field. The Tampa-Bay Ray's were formerly known as the Devil Ray's, up to 2007.The Ray's is described by owner principal, Stuart Stemberg as, a beacon that shines throughout Tampa Bay and across Florida.

The Tampa-Bay Rays are one of four active teams never to have played in a World Series, the other three teams being the Texas Rangers, the Washington Nationals, and the Seattle Mariners.

The club is an expansion franchise and was founded in St. Petersberg in 1998. The Rays are the only team never to have made it to the playoffs. However, they did finish fourth in their division in 2004.

In the 1980s and 1990s Local Leaders tried to establish a major league baseball team, but they were not successful in their efforts.

Many of the teams were considering moving to Tampa or St. Petersberg but then decided against the move, choosing to stay in their current locations Topicana Field formerly The Florida Suncoast Dome, was built in St. Petersberg in 1990 with the intention of attracting a major league team.

It was widely speculated, when MLB announced that it would add two expansion teams for the 1993 season that one of the teams would be posted in St. Petersberg, Instead the teams were granted to Denver (Colarado Rockies) and Miami (Florida Marlins).

It was St. Petersberg Times publisher, Jack Lake who suggested St.Petersberg acquire a Major League baseball team. With his influence he managed to convince the concerned administration. This changed St/ Petersberg from spring location to a major league city.

And in early 1995, new franchises were awarded to Naimoli's Tamps Bay group and a group from Phoenix (the Arizona Diamondbacks). Tampa Bay finally had a team, and they were scheduled to begin play in 1998.

In 1993 the stadium in St. Petersberg needed upgrading, it was renamed the Thunderdome and became the home of the Tampa Bay lightning hockey team and the Tampa Bay Storm Arena Football League team.

After the emergence of the Rays, the naming rights were sold to Tropicana Products and $70 million was spent on renovations.

In 1995 former Atlanta Braves assistant general manager Chuck LaMar became the senior vice president of baseball operations and general manager. The Devil Rays began to build their organization, and the franchise's first minor league games took place in the 1996 season.

In early November 1997 Larry Rothschild was named the Devil Rays first manager. The team acquired 35 players in the Expansion Draft on November 18, 1997. Tony Sanders from the Florida Marlins was the first player drafted by the Devil Rays.

The team also drafted future star Bobby Abreu and promptly traded him for Kevin Stocker, who brought little success for the Rays.Star players Wade Boggs, Fred McGriff, and Wilson Alvarez were acquired before the 1998 season.

The Devil Rays won the rights to negotiate a contract with Japanese Infielder Akinori Iwamura. On November 15th, 2006, he signed a three-year $7.7-million contract on December 15th and finally made the 2007 Opening Day running schedule. The Devil Rays paid $4.55 million USD to the Tokyo Yakult Swallows for the rights to Iwamura,

In the 2007 series the Devil Rays played a series at The Ballpark (now called Champion Stadium) at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex .the series chosen were the May 15-17 series versus the Texas Rangers. The Devil Ray's swept the Rangers in that series.

The Devil Rays officially became the "Tampa Bay Rays" on November 8, 2007, along with their new uniform. The team colors are "navy, Columbia blue and a touch of gold, and the new team logo which is a bright yellow sunburst that represents the Sunshine State of Florida.

And to quote the principal owner Stuart Stemberg: "We are now the Rays". The pitch for the 2008 season was announced February 22, 2008.

During the 2007 off season the Rays stated that they were negotiating to build a new $450-million, 34,000 seat, open-air baseball stadium at the site of Progress Energy Park/Al Lang Field, their spring training facility on the St. Petersberg waterfront, to open by 2012.

The deal would see owner Stu Stemberg providing $150 million to athe project, and the remaining money would be covered by the sale of redevelopment rights to Tropicana Field and the state of Florida's 30 year, $60-million sales tax rebate for new venues.The city of St.Petersberg would also pay about $75 million that the city has already committed to the franchise.

Primary rivals of the Tampa Bay's are the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, the rivalries from these teams started from the number of fans relocated from these two locations, and continue to root for these teams.

Before the 2008 season, Red Sox and Yankee games frequently drew considerably larger attendance to games at Tropicana Field versus the average for other games, the result being a fan bias for these teams on the road.

Another rival is the Florida Marlins due to their in-state proximity. This rivalry is only created during the Interleague period each season.

Situated in St.Petersburgh, Florida the Tampa Bay Rays is a Major League Baseball Franchise which plays for the Eastern Division of the American League. The franchise came into existence in 1998 and since then on its home ground has been the Tropicana Field. They won their first division title in 2008 and after that they also became the proud winners of AL Pennant. Wearin g team colors navy blue, white, gold and colombia blue this base ball team really knows how to make it to the top. To enjjoy your day in a perfect American way just grab your pair of the tampa bay rays tickets right away!