And since then, the Rays have remained respectable. What's amazing is that the Rays kept being respectful (playoff appearances in 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2019) despite a shoestring payroll.
They would have had a chance at the World Series after beating the Astros if they weren’t cheating. Look at the final game of the season. Tyler Glassnow had been amazing all season and he just got shelled in the last game.
Jay Taylor um he tipped his Pitches the whole time and the rays weren’t gonna win the World Series anyways they where gonna face the Yankees and we where gonna get dropped(rays fan)
I remember that team was so young and talent players like J.Shields,S.Kazmir,BJ Upton,C.Crawford,C.Pena,E.Longoria,M.Garza,E.Jackson,C.Bradford,Balfour,D.Price,B.Zobrist even C.Floyd and Iwamura playing great under Joe Maddon
Rays fan here. Thanks for making this man. I still remember calling my great uncle who lived in Tampa after the final game of the ALCS. I don't think I can recall him ever being as happy as he was after that.
This was my favorite video of yours so far, I felt like it was made for me. I was born just after the franchise was established, and I've spent every summer with this team. Love seeing them get quality coverage!
I’m Red Sox fan but once I seen the new jersey I knew a change was gonna happen but didn’t expect them knocking us out I have so much respect for every player on that 08 roster
Three things I would add to this video: 1. The trade of Delmon Young and two other players for Kevin Bartlett, Matt Garza, and one other player in the winter before the 2008 season. Young was not happy in Tampa Bay and had a negative effect in the clubhouse. Bartlett and Garza played key roles in the success of the team for three seasons. 2. During spring training four days after a Yankee's catcher was injured by a Rays player in a home plate collision, the Yankees retaliated by throwing at Evan Longoria in the first inning. Then in the second inning, Yankee's player spiked second baseman Iwamura. As if to say we are not going to take this, Jonny Gomes ran in from right field and blind sided the Yankee's runner resulting in a bench clearing brawl. Despite poor performance and reduced playing time, Gomes was the spiritual leader of the clubhouse. 3. In early June, after Garza gave up a home run to a No. 9 hitter, Rays catcher Dioner Navarro got into verbal argument with Garza out on the mound, later in the dugout, the two players had to be separated by players and coaches. Garza's ERA was a full run better after this incident than it was before. Also, his innings pitched per start improved by 0.87 innings per start.
2008 Rays = 2015 Mets. Both teams that were nowhere near the playoffs the year prior, that came out of nowhere and went all the way, only to lose the World Series in 5 games when they both had a lead that they choked away and couldn’t back it up with big hits.
I got chills all throughout the video. Been a rays fan my whole life, the 2008 rays are what made me start playing baseball. If it wasn’t for them idk if I’d be the baseball fanatic I am today. I’m forever grateful for this team.
The 2008 Rays reminded me of how I played in ranked seasons in MLB the Show 19 last season in ranked. My goal was to make it to a 900 rating, just like the Ray’s goal was to win the 2008 World Series. I make it to a 887 rating and never went pass that rating.
Not a Rays fan but I respect the hell out of them for being so good despite their budget. The fact that they’re able to be competitive in the same division as the Red Soxs and Yankees really shows how efficient they are with the budget.
As a Phillies fan, obviously I was glad we won in 08. That said, I always kept my eye on the Rays afterwards. You've always managed to stay in contention for the most part, and in a tough division. I really hope you guys have another chance at the World Series (I've heard rumors that you're leaving Tampa, which I think stinks). Providing it's not the Phillies you're facing, I'd pull for the Rays in any World Series.
when it comes to the 2008 World series I have to point out that the rays were going against Brad lidge late in games. Brad lidge was arguably the best closing pitcher in all of baseball that year as he was perfect in every save opportunity and never blew a single save. Chad Bradford. He was interesting because he would throw pitches underhanded. I remember when he used to pitch for the A's. He was traded to the Red Sox during the 2005 season for Jay Payton and fortunately that trade did indeed work out for the A's. I also remember Grant Balfour pitching later for the A's too. Pretend I'm turning 10 years old? I became 20 in 2008.
I've never been to a playoff game in person. However, I have seen a lot of games at the Trop. I was lucky enough to see Evan Longoria hit his first career HR against the Yankees. That game was insane, like 7 or 8 Homers. Longo's was a game tying shot and that was the most exciting moment I've ever experienced there. They lost that game after Robinson Cano bashed one off the back of the stadium wall in RF. He literally resembled Ken Griffey Jr. with that shot. What a great season. I so wish they won it all that year.
This year marked the turning point in the TB Rays fortunes as a franchise. If they were ever going to do a sequel to 'Moneyball', this team and year should be the focus of it.
I went to a Devil Rays game on July 19, 2007. They were in last place and playing the Angels so I figured they would lose convincingly but they won a solid 7-2 game, Carlos Peña clearing the bases by hitting a fly ball off the cat walk to blow the game open. The D-Rays were in last place by a considerable margin but I remember thinking “this teams way better than their record, watch out for these guys in a couple years”. Boy was I right, a little ahead of schedule! I didn’t think they’d win the pennant a year later but they exceeded everyone’s expectations even beating out the defending champion Red Sox. They’re a great story down there. Though I’m a Braves fan, I have a soft spot for Tampa. Hope to face off against them in the Series this year.
Braves fan here too, and I swear 2007 and 2008 both were the wildest consecutive years I’ve ever seen from the Rockies the year before and their wild stretch to even make the playoffs to the Rays the following season. The next closest thing in comparison was 2015 with the Royals winning their first title in 30 years and then 2016 with the Cubs breaking their 108 year drought followed by the Astros winning their first title ever in 2017. I think the Rays will win a World Series eventually, too bad that this year they ran into a hungry Rangers team that almost won the AL West. At least the Rays now finally have a perennial playoff team
When the Rays made it to the World Series, the Mariners became the only remaining AL team to never make it to one. And as of last name, they Mariners are the only team that have still not appeared in one
In 1998 I was a junior at C Leon King High School in Tampa. I applied for an internship at WMOR Channel 32 which was the Rays TV affiliate to try to get some extra curricular shit on my resume for college. At the time they only broadcast like 60 games a season and nobody at the TV station liked baseball. But somebody had to watch the games and time stamp the highlights to cut for the commercial promos for the upcoming games. I was literally the only person the TV affiliate could get to watch the games. And I did it for free, and it was the best job I ever had. If anyone cares, the games were recorded on three, one-hour beta tapes. And before the broadcasts started, the two announcers, who were Dewayne Staats and Joe Magrane, would warm up to the camera men shooting random crowd shots and literally did a stand up comedy routine cracking on people in the crowd. It had me laughing my ass off and to this day I wish somebody other than me had ever seen that shit.
don’t know if we’ll ever actually get into the big name trading market, but the day we get a new stadium will be awesome. we will finally be within the respectable mlb attendance margins, the fanbase (if we didn’t inevitably go back to 70 win seasons) will increase, we can start seeping into braves territory, and more. we’ll still have to deal with the marlins who solved their stadium problem a decade ago, but still.
The 1998 Padres(My team!) were a lot like the 2008 Rays...and we're currently in one of those decade-long funks...let's snap out of it with a World Series win!
I feel like the only person who this didn’t shock I was an 8th grader warming the bench for a 1A varsity team no matter who you are in Alabama if you play baseball your a biscuits fan your goal is to play for the championship at Riverwalk i grew up driving 2 hrs to watch the rays AA team play and waiting on them to make the majors
This was awesome. Evan Longoria won ROY and 11th in MVP. I saw him hit his 1st career HR against the Yankees. There were 7 or 8 homers that game and Longo's tied it. I've never seen the Trop get crazy like that. There was usually only 5,000 people there. Lol. It was awesome and so were the games at Disney. They may have played the Blue Jays both years but '08 for sure. Good Ol Matt Stairs hit 2 HR's in one of those games.
Lots, and lots, AND LOTS, of dumb luck. Draft choices FINALLY breaking out, talking about CC. Great draft choices within the past three years, purely drafting by need, and the perfect storm of all perfect storms. It turned the Rays from a laughingstock into one of the pinnacles of the MLB.
I think its awesome for baseball (and really all of sports) for these uncommon Cinderella stories to happen. Really brings out the romantic side of baseball.
Rays were my favorite team to follow for several years aside from my Phils and I would’ve been rooting for them against absolutely anyone else as well.
They were competitive every single year after, during the Joe Madden era, sans 1. That was the epitome of what a team was. Whatever they needed that day, they got it. One important fact you didn't mention - Their 2 best hitters, Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford missed nearly the entire 2nd half of the season. They still didnt fall from first place one time.
I hope the Rays can get their new stadium, and draw the attendance they deserve. And wear those blue and yellow throwback uniforms, those are way better than the current blah ones.
You guys are on fire with the content rn!
Ayyyyy MLB
💜💜💜
MLB Looks like y’all are part of the notification squad 😎
@grif0100 grif0100 Oh yeah
MLB y’all gonna fire Manfred or what?
And since then, the Rays have remained respectable. What's amazing is that the Rays kept being respectful (playoff appearances in 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2019) despite a shoestring payroll.
Toughest division in baseball
Also got robbed by Houston
Very respectable. Since their WS year in '08 they have one of the best win % in baseball.
They would have had a chance at the World Series after beating the Astros if they weren’t cheating. Look at the final game of the season. Tyler Glassnow had been amazing all season and he just got shelled in the last game.
Jay Taylor um he tipped his Pitches the whole time and the rays weren’t gonna win the World Series anyways they where gonna face the Yankees and we where gonna get dropped(rays fan)
Honestly, even as a Yankees fan, I respect the hell out of the rays. They have a shoe string budget, and yet they are still in the hunt for the title.
Rays fan here, we appreciate it. I only imagine what our guys in the front office could do with a Yankees budget.
Slot Machine Mashups ikr even though I’m a yankees fan I wish the rays could have at least a top 15 budget
MANCHESTER UNITED ok
Yankees286 we have a crazy good farm system and If y’all weren’t in the divison we would be division champs
Mauricio Movilla that’s just the way it works though. Sorry. Still though, I think you will be the next team to win the championship
I remember that team was so young and talent players like J.Shields,S.Kazmir,BJ Upton,C.Crawford,C.Pena,E.Longoria,M.Garza,E.Jackson,C.Bradford,Balfour,D.Price,B.Zobrist even C.Floyd and Iwamura playing great under Joe Maddon
Rays fan here. Thanks for making this man. I still remember calling my great uncle who lived in Tampa after the final game of the ALCS. I don't think I can recall him ever being as happy as he was after that.
The team that made me fall in love with baseball. Hope they can stay in Tampa for the foreseeable future
One of the weirdest things in baseball history. I couldn't believe I was seeing them in the World Series. Man, I wish they won it that year.
Nationals WS champs WEEP
Now you have another opportunity.
And now a second time
@Pop Films yes
They did. Crooked ass Bud Selig brought the crown for the Phillies.
Stark Raving Sports, Now you're talking my language. GO RAYS!!!
This was my favorite video of yours so far, I felt like it was made for me. I was born just after the franchise was established, and I've spent every summer with this team. Love seeing them get quality coverage!
I’m Red Sox fan but once I seen the new jersey I knew a change was gonna happen but didn’t expect them knocking us out I have so much respect for every player on that 08 roster
Three things I would add to this video: 1. The trade of Delmon Young and two other players for Kevin Bartlett, Matt Garza, and one other player in the winter before the 2008 season. Young was not happy in Tampa Bay and had a negative effect in the clubhouse. Bartlett and Garza played key roles in the success of the team for three seasons. 2. During spring training four days after a Yankee's catcher was injured by a Rays player in a home plate collision, the Yankees retaliated by throwing at Evan Longoria in the first inning. Then in the second inning, Yankee's player spiked second baseman Iwamura. As if to say we are not going to take this, Jonny Gomes ran in from right field and blind sided the Yankee's runner resulting in a bench clearing brawl. Despite poor performance and reduced playing time, Gomes was the spiritual leader of the clubhouse. 3. In early June, after Garza gave up a home run to a No. 9 hitter, Rays catcher Dioner Navarro got into verbal argument with Garza out on the mound, later in the dugout, the two players had to be separated by players and coaches. Garza's ERA was a full run better after this incident than it was before. Also, his innings pitched per start improved by 0.87 innings per start.
The Rays have been doing more with less for a while
IMAGINE what they could do of they the payroll of mid size market team.
Could you do a Colorado Rockies 07 video? Another unexpected team to reach the WS
K Zen Good idea! I wonna see Tulos performance in the postseason as a rookie
That 2008 Rays squad was special. Will always remember them.
Same
2008 Rays = 2015 Mets. Both teams that were nowhere near the playoffs the year prior, that came out of nowhere and went all the way, only to lose the World Series in 5 games when they both had a lead that they choked away and couldn’t back it up with big hits.
As a Mets fan, I see parallels between both teams.
I was 18 at the time. It was amazing after all of those painful seasons, to see the team I love go on such an amazing run.
I got chills all throughout the video. Been a rays fan my whole life, the 2008 rays are what made me start playing baseball. If it wasn’t for them idk if I’d be the baseball fanatic I am today. I’m forever grateful for this team.
I probably went to 30 or 40 games that year. 2008 was a hell of a time to be growing up a baseball fan in Southwest Florida.
This the content I like to see
As a Rays fan we were terrible during our Devil Rays era. But those jerseys were amazing
Great content! Love the random/forgotten seasons ('05 White Sox, these guys, '94 Expos). Hope to see more of it!
Thank you so much for making this video as Rays not many people talk about us thank you
The 2008 Rays reminded me of how I played in ranked seasons in MLB the Show 19 last season in ranked. My goal was to make it to a 900 rating, just like the Ray’s goal was to win the 2008 World Series. I make it to a 887 rating and never went pass that rating.
Nice to see the Rays get some attention. What a magical season it was!!
im from tampa and 22 years old so many memories from this video thank you for making this
Tampa winning the World Series this year 👀👀 they might probably my favorite AL team
They should be!
They very well could win, they're innovative like my Royals were a few years back, but in a different way.
Haha no
@@b.o.4469 you were saying.....lol
And here they are again! So well-deserved!!
Not a Rays fan but I respect the hell out of them for being so good despite their budget. The fact that they’re able to be competitive in the same division as the Red Soxs and Yankees really shows how efficient they are with the budget.
The rays just draft well
As a Phillies fan, obviously I was glad we won in 08. That said, I always kept my eye on the Rays afterwards. You've always managed to stay in contention for the most part, and in a tough division. I really hope you guys have another chance at the World Series (I've heard rumors that you're leaving Tampa, which I think stinks). Providing it's not the Phillies you're facing, I'd pull for the Rays in any World Series.
when it comes to the 2008 World series I have to point out that the rays were going against Brad lidge late in games. Brad lidge was arguably the best closing pitcher in all of baseball that year as he was perfect in every save opportunity and never blew a single save.
Chad Bradford. He was interesting because he would throw pitches underhanded. I remember when he used to pitch for the A's. He was traded to the Red Sox during the 2005 season for Jay Payton and fortunately that trade did indeed work out for the A's. I also remember Grant Balfour pitching later for the A's too.
Pretend I'm turning 10 years old? I became 20 in 2008.
As a Phillies fan, it was depressing as hell to root against the Rays in the '08 series, I loved that team
2008 World Series was one of the best moments of my life, Go Phil’s!
Need an update with the 2020 Rays. Dodgers boutta win it all tonight, but this 2020 Rays team is DEADLY
Mico well it wasn’t really unexpected
I've never been to a playoff game in person. However, I have seen a lot of games at the Trop. I was lucky enough to see Evan Longoria hit his first career HR against the Yankees. That game was insane, like 7 or 8 Homers. Longo's was a game tying shot and that was the most exciting moment I've ever experienced there. They lost that game after Robinson Cano bashed one off the back of the stadium wall in RF. He literally resembled Ken Griffey Jr. with that shot. What a great season. I so wish they won it all that year.
Reminds me of the 2014 orioles. Really no stars that year for them, just a great bullpen and clutch hitting.
My wife was working for the Rays during this run and it was an incredible ride. Free tickets for me, after game parties and she got an ALCS Ring.
On a similar note, you should cover the 2007 Rockies. They gave one heck of a wild ride
This year marked the turning point in the TB Rays fortunes as a franchise. If they were ever going to do a sequel to 'Moneyball', this team and year should be the focus of it.
You guys are the best for baseball content
I went to a Devil Rays game on July 19, 2007. They were in last place and playing the Angels so I figured they would lose convincingly but they won a solid 7-2 game, Carlos Peña clearing the bases by hitting a fly ball off the cat walk to blow the game open. The D-Rays were in last place by a considerable margin but I remember thinking “this teams way better than their record, watch out for these guys in a couple years”. Boy was I right, a little ahead of schedule! I didn’t think they’d win the pennant a year later but they exceeded everyone’s expectations even beating out the defending champion Red Sox. They’re a great story down there. Though I’m a Braves fan, I have a soft spot for Tampa. Hope to face off against them in the Series this year.
Braves fan here too, and I swear 2007 and 2008 both were the wildest consecutive years I’ve ever seen from the Rockies the year before and their wild stretch to even make the playoffs to the Rays the following season. The next closest thing in comparison was 2015 with the Royals winning their first title in 30 years and then 2016 with the Cubs breaking their 108 year drought followed by the Astros winning their first title ever in 2017. I think the Rays will win a World Series eventually, too bad that this year they ran into a hungry Rangers team that almost won the AL West. At least the Rays now finally have a perennial playoff team
They came from my wildest dreams and my greatest Joy's.
When the Rays made it to the World Series, the Mariners became the only remaining AL team to never make it to one. And as of last name, they Mariners are the only team that have still not appeared in one
In 1998 I was a junior at C Leon King High School in Tampa. I applied for an internship at WMOR Channel 32 which was the Rays TV affiliate to try to get some extra curricular shit on my resume for college. At the time they only broadcast like 60 games a season and nobody at the TV station liked baseball. But somebody had to watch the games and time stamp the highlights to cut for the commercial promos for the upcoming games.
I was literally the only person the TV affiliate could get to watch the games. And I did it for free, and it was the best job I ever had.
If anyone cares, the games were recorded on three, one-hour beta tapes. And before the broadcasts started, the two announcers, who were Dewayne Staats and Joe Magrane, would warm up to the camera men shooting random crowd shots and literally did a stand up comedy routine cracking on people in the crowd. It had me laughing my ass off and to this day I wish somebody other than me had ever seen that shit.
1:50 I forgot Griffey played for the Sox
Only played one year there I believe
don’t know if we’ll ever actually get into the big name trading market, but the day we get a new stadium will be awesome.
we will finally be within the respectable mlb attendance margins, the fanbase (if we didn’t inevitably go back to 70 win seasons) will increase, we can start seeping into braves territory, and more. we’ll still have to deal with the marlins who solved their stadium problem a decade ago, but still.
1:11 love this momment
This makes me want to watch ‘Money Ball’ :D
I'm a huge Ray's fan, although I was only 2 at the time in glad I was able to see my Ray's in the world series
Rays are such a strange yet interesting team especially with that opener strategy yet they're still doing well.
Damn! Zobrist is like a magic charm!
The Rays pulled an Emojimovie to Spider-Verse
The 1998 Padres(My team!) were a lot like the 2008 Rays...and we're currently in one of those decade-long funks...let's snap out of it with a World Series win!
That padres team had amazing hitting, can’t believe they got swept
Rays as 2020 WS champs
Like this comment in November after they win
It might happen.
Damn bro
BRUH THEY WON THE ACLS
genius dhruva
2-2 ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I know you probably don’t hear this often but I like your logo
I feel like the only person who this didn’t shock I was an 8th grader warming the bench for a 1A varsity team no matter who you are in Alabama if you play baseball your a biscuits fan your goal is to play for the championship at Riverwalk i grew up driving 2 hrs to watch the rays AA team play and waiting on them to make the majors
lol that analogy was great
Rays are finally back in the ALCS!
Love the BCS comparison lol
This was awesome. Evan Longoria won ROY and 11th in MVP. I saw him hit his 1st career HR against the Yankees. There were 7 or 8 homers that game and Longo's tied it. I've never seen the Trop get crazy like that. There was usually only 5,000 people there. Lol. It was awesome and so were the games at Disney. They may have played the Blue Jays both years but '08 for sure. Good Ol Matt Stairs hit 2 HR's in one of those games.
Have watched every game since 98
you should do the 2007 rockies next. the won 21 out of 22 from nowhere.
Rays are gonna be special this year
Lots, and lots, AND LOTS, of dumb luck. Draft choices FINALLY breaking out, talking about CC. Great draft choices within the past three years, purely drafting by need, and the perfect storm of all perfect storms. It turned the Rays from a laughingstock into one of the pinnacles of the MLB.
I think its awesome for baseball (and really all of sports) for these uncommon Cinderella stories to happen. Really brings out the romantic side of baseball.
As a Phillies fan I think I was the only one that cheered when you said they’re run was over
Their
Didn’t know I was in the presence of the grammar police
Rays were my favorite team to follow for several years aside from my Phils and I would’ve been rooting for them against absolutely anyone else as well.
Mr. Ryan Same
The Phils definitely earned the WS that year, but man that championship would have meant so much more to Tampa. What an underdog story.
Joe Maddon was one helluva manger back in the day!
They were competitive every single year after, during the Joe Madden era, sans 1. That was the epitome of what a team was. Whatever they needed that day, they got it. One important fact you didn't mention - Their 2 best hitters, Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford missed nearly the entire 2nd half of the season. They still didnt fall from first place one time.
Repeat this for this year too
Changing they're name and colors also helped man they could've been the second coming of the 69 Mets damn Philly
Love my Rays!!
Plz do a video on the phillies
I hope the Rays can get their new stadium, and draw the attendance they deserve. And wear those blue and yellow throwback uniforms, those are way better than the current blah ones.
2008 rays are here again!
lets talk about those 2006-12 phillies at some point pls n thx ♥
Lol anyone catch the irony of the cartoon Rays villainizing analytics in baseball?
GO RAYS!!!
Can you please do a video on the Oakland A’s!!!!!
This was the most likable team ever assembled
rookie evan longoria that year was so fun to watch
As a philly fan, I love this video. Would have never even watched it if they beat the phillies
Rays of home and light.
Now they have a chance of redemption in the 2020 world series.
One of my favorite weird baseball things is how fast the Royals went from awful to World Champs and back to awful
6:32 So, even the Mets? Or will that sadness continue forever?
Griffey isn't a nobody, he's 1 of the best baseball player to ur mlb the show reference
they done it again
Blake snell charlie morton tyler glasnow
?????????? Brent Honeywell
As a phils fan, thank you 2008 rays!
As a Rays fan thank you for losing the last game of the season to us 🤣
Hey can you do a video like this but on the 2015 cubs?
As a Phillies fan I still think the Rays and Diamondbacks have the best front offices in the league
Balfour that year was absolutely out of his god damn mind.
I was 20 when the Rays made their run in 2008.
Reading the title .
They came from Tampa .
Think Eric Hinske deserved a shout out. He was a big part of that offensively.
The defenders of the game vs Houston
You should do the 2015 mets team
This is amazing
I'm guessing... each player had a set of parents that decided to have a child.
But can they get a new/better looking stadium?
Wait this is Mike? Geez your voice has changed