146-994: The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area . The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. The Rays are one of two major league clubs based in Florida, alongside the National League (NL)’s Miami Marlins . Starting in 2025, the team's home ballpark will be George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida due to damage to Tropicana Field caused by Hurricane Milton . Following nearly three decades of unsuccessfully trying to gain an expansion franchise or enticing existing teams to relocate to
292-501: A Wild Card berth, but lost to Cleveland in a two-game series where the Rays scored one total run; the second game was characterized as a "historic pitcher's duel ", as it was the first postseason game to go 14 innings without a run scored before Oscar Gonzalez hit a walkoff home run in the 15th inning. The 2023 season also started promising, as the Rays managed to tie the modern era (post-1900) record for most consecutive wins to start
438-447: A navy , Columbia blue and gold color scheme. Sternberg finally delivered on his promises to increase the team's payroll, raising it to $ 43 million (still the lowest payroll in baseball). The team, anchored by Crawford, Kazmir, and pitcher James Shields , was bolstered by new additions of pitchers Matt Garza and David Price (a first round draft pick), outfielder Ben Zobrist , and third base prospect Evan Longoria . The Rays started
584-490: A winless inaugural season ) and 14 consecutive losing seasons from 1983 to 1996—the most in NFL history—contributing to their league-worst overall winning percentage of .406. Despite these early struggles, Tampa Bay is the first post- merger expansion team to clinch a division title, win a playoff game, and host a conference championship, all of which they accomplished by their fourth season in 1979 . The team's image improved by
730-579: A 0–8 start, the team got its first win of the season on a Monday night against Miami. A brief win streak saw improvements with Glennon at quarterback, and Bobby Rainey took over at running back with stellar numbers after Doug Martin went down with a shoulder injury. There were no blackouts in 2013, as the Glazers bought up the necessary tickets for two of the games to get to the 85% threshold needed to prevent local blackouts. Despite some individual improvements, and some impressive performances by members of
876-696: A 1976 pre-season game before their first regular season). The Saints' head coach, Hank Stram , was fired after losing to the Buccaneers. Their first win came on December 11, 1977, on the road against the New Orleans Saints in Week 13. Tampa Bay needed one more week to get their second victory, a home win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1977 season finale. The Cardinals also fired their coach, Don Coryell , shortly afterward. The Buccaneers improved to
1022-450: A 2015 lawsuit by Tynes that settled in 2017. During training camp, a reported rift began to divide Schiano and quarterback Josh Freeman. After an 0–3 start, Freeman was benched, and ultimately released. This was after Freeman reportedly missed several team meetings, along with the team's annual photograph. Schiano started rookie Mike Glennon , but the team continued to lose. The fans' confidence of Schiano began to decay rapidly, and after
1168-494: A 5–11 mark in 1978. The team boasted a strong defensive unit that finished seventh in points allowed. The team was competitive in numerous close games. The Bucs' situation improved rapidly in the 1979 season . With the maturation of quarterback Doug Williams and future four-time Pro Bowl tight end Jimmie Giles , the first 1,000-yard rushing season from running back Ricky Bell , and a smothering, league-leading, Star Studded defense led by future NFL Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon ,
1314-486: A 5–11 record. In the 2005 season , the Buccaneers celebrated their 30th season in the league, and returned to their winning ways. The Bucs selected Carnell "Cadillac" Williams in the first round of the 2005 draft, and the rookie would provide a running game the Buccaneers had not possessed since the days of James Wilder Sr. in the 1980s. Williams would later go on to receive the NFL Offensive Rookie of
1460-462: A covered ballpark at the current site of Al Lang Field on the St. Petersburg waterfront, and a local referendum was scheduled to decide on public financing. However, in the face of vocal opposition, the Rays withdrew the proposal in 2009 and stated they had abandoned all plans for a ballpark on the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront, preferring a location nearer to the center of Pinellas County or across
1606-570: A deal to buy the San Francisco Giants and move them to St. Petersburg in 1992, but MLB owners unexpectedly voted to block the deal. Naimoli sued major league baseball for tortious interference for intervening, and in part to settle the suit, MLB awarded his ownership group a new expansion franchise on March 9, 1995, the same day that the Arizona Diamondbacks were awarded to Phoenix . The new franchise would take to
SECTION 10
#17327721313021752-470: A future five-time Pro Bowl linebacker, signed as a free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers. John Lynch , a future Pro Bowl, and Hall of Fame strong safety, was drafted in 1993. In the 1995 NFL draft the Buccaneers drafted two future Hall of Famers: Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks . Pro Bowl Fullback, Mike Alstott , was drafted the next year in the 1996 draft. Despite the profitability of
1898-577: A home run, against the Cleveland Indians on August 7, 1999. Having led the Devil Rays through two last-place, 69-wins seasons in 1999 and 2000 , Rothschild was fired partway through the 2001 season and replaced by Hal McRae . Despite the change, the team continued to decline, and the 2002 season would lead to a franchise-worst 55–106 record, despite the emergence of key players like Aubrey Huff , Toby Hall , and Carl Crawford . McRae
2044-479: A last-minute surprise, real estate magnate Malcolm Glazer outbid both of them for $ 192 million, the highest sale price for a professional sports franchise up to that point. Glazer immediately placed his sons Bryan , Edward , and Joel in charge of the team's financial affairs. He stated that he had every intention of keeping the team in Tampa, but informed area citizens its current stadium deal would not support
2190-417: A little bit, and it's time ... for us to become a relevant team again." On January 21, 2014, Jason Licht was hired as the new general manager, replacing Mark Dominik. He was officially introduced at One Buc Place on January 23, 2014. In his first news conference, Licht talked about his philosophy: "Our philosophy is going to be to build through the draft. That's where we find our stars. That's where we find
2336-645: A minor league team in the Tampa Tarpons ; home and fan loyalty in the Tampa Bay area has historically been divided, especially among transplants from the northeastern U.S. The rivalry became more heated in spring training of 2008, when a home plate collision between Rays outfielder Elliot Johnson and Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli was followed the next day by spikes-high slide by Yankees outfielder Shelley Duncan into Rays' second baseman Akinori Iwamura , prompting Rays outfielder Jonny Gomes to charge in from his position in right field and knock Duncan to
2482-674: A new ballpark adjacent to Tampa Stadium , home of the Buccaneers. The league declined to award a franchise to either group, and instead placed franchises in Denver ( Colorado Rockies ) and Miami ( Florida Marlins ). Morsani sued MLB, claiming he had been promised an expansion team in exchange for dropping his plans to relocate the Twins or Rangers to Tampa. Ultimately, he sold the "Panthers" trademark to Marlins owner Wayne Huizenga , who would later use it for his Miami-based professional hockey team . Tampa-based investor Vince Naimoli had negotiated
2628-477: A new stadium outside of the city. Professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada consists of the National League (founded in 1876) and
2774-414: A playoff berth. Rays attendance at Tropicana Field slightly improved in two seasons following playoff berths between 2008 and 2013 but dropped in two other seasons following playoff berths in the same span. After the Rays earned the best AL record in 2010, average attendance in 2011 dropped by 4,100 per game. In 2019 the Rays average attendance was 14,552 per game. In 2007, the team announced a plan to build
2920-430: A post-nuptial agreement. At any rate, a settlement was soon reached that gave control of the trust to Culverhouse Jr., who sold the team for $ 192 million. Interested parties included New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos , the latter of whom publicly declared he would move the team to Baltimore , as the city did not have an NFL franchise at that time. However, in
3066-529: A record of 754 wins and 705 losses. The Rays named Kevin Cash as Maddon's successor on December 5, 2014; he would be the youngest manager in league. Cash's first season in 2015 saw strong performances from Chris Archer, who became a Cy Young contender, and center-fielder Kevin Kiermaier , who won his first Gold Glove Award ; however the team ended the season with an 80–82 record. The team fared more poorly in
SECTION 20
#17327721313023212-530: A rematch with Washington that saw receiver Edell Shepherd drop the game-winning catch in the endzone. After winning the division in 2005, the Bucs suffered through an abysmal 2006 season . The season was plagued by injuries, with starters such as guard Dan Buenning , wide receiver Michael Clayton , running back Cadillac Williams, defensive end Simeon Rice , cornerback Brian Kelly , and quarterback Chris Simms all being placed on injured reserve at some point in
3358-502: A result prohibited any further trading of draft picks for coaches.) Gruden was frustrated by the limitation of his coaching authority by Davis and was more than pleased to return to Tampa Bay. His parents lived in Carrollwood , and he had spent part of his childhood in Tampa in the early 1980s when his father was a running backs coach and later a scout for the Bucs. Upon his arrival in Tampa, Gruden immediately went to work, retooling
3504-488: A season with thirteen. Yandy Díaz , hitting .330, earned the franchise's first American League batting title . However, injuries decimated the starting rotation, as McClanahan, Rasmussen, and Jeffrey Springs all went down with Tommy John surgery , and a dismal July (where they went 8–16) saw the Rays fall behind the Orioles in the division race; they ended with 99 wins, two wins behind the 101 of Baltimore. Tampa Bay hosted
3650-434: A single game. Vincent Jackson also had more than 1,000 yards receiving, which represented Tampa Bay's first pair of 1,000 yard receivers in a season. Second-year CB Johnthan Banks led the team with 4 interceptions and has 50 tackles. Danny Lansanah flourished in the Tampa 2 system with 81 tackles, 1.5 QB sacks, and 3 interceptions, with 2 of those interceptions returned for touchdowns for the 2014 season. Jacquies Smith, who
3796-424: A slogan among fans and local media, describing the new regime and attitude. The team filled out the coaching staff with new faces, including Mike Sullivan , Bill Sheridan , and Butch Davis . In 2013, Dave Wannstedt was also added as special teams coach. In the first day of free agency, the club signed top prospects Vincent Jackson and Carl Nicks , as well as Eric Wright . The $ 140 million committed to
3942-459: A sluggish offense, changing over 50% of the starting offense. With a new Tailback, Wide Receiver, Two Tight Ends, Left Tackle, and Left Guard, Gruden put his stamp on the teams offense to remove the "Dungy's Team" label. The league's sweeping realignment sent the Bucs to the new NFC South Division, along with the Falcons, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints. Led by the league's top defense,
4088-504: A steal of home plate by Arozarena. However, the team were eliminated by Boston in the ALDS after Boston won the next three games, which included the last two ending in walkoff fashion with a 13th inning home run in Game 3 and a series-ending walkoff sacrifice fly in Game 4. Recurring injuries marred the 2022 season . Despite shining performances from the pitching staff—including McClanahan, who
4234-602: A temperature of less than 32 °F (0 °C) (as late as 1999, they had never won a game with a temperature played under 40 degrees ) and the latter loss to the Eagles was the sixth time that Tampa Bay had lost a postseason game on the road (out of six played). Dungy was fired by the Buccaneers following a 31–9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wildcard Round of 2001 and soon thereafter hired as
4380-579: A thrilling final game at Detroit ; the winner would take the Central Division crown and the loser would miss the playoffs. The Detroit Lions had not lost at home all season. Although the Bucs trailed early, an 84-yard touchdown bomb from QB Williams to WR Kevin House and a fumble recovery for a touchdown by DT David Logan sealed the win for the Buccaneers. In the playoffs, the Cowboys defeated
4526-514: Is also the largest spring-training stadium in the region with a capacity of approximately 11,000 patrons. The Rays' current ownership has stated that Tropicana Field does not generate enough revenue, and that its location in St. Petersburg is too far from the Tampa Bay area 's primary population center in Hillsborough County . Rays attendance has historically ranked among the lowest compared to all MLB teams including seasons following
Tampa Bay Rays - Misplaced Pages Continue
4672-705: Is often applied as an umbrella term for all leagues — major and minor — under the authority of the Commissioner of Baseball . Operating outside the Minor League Baseball organization are many independent minor leagues such as the Atlantic League , American Association , Frontier League , and the feeder league to these the Empire Professional Baseball League . Japan has had professional baseball since
4818-560: Is owned by the Glazer family and plays its home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Buccaneers have won two Super Bowl championships and, along with the Baltimore Ravens , are the only two NFL franchises that are undefeated in multiple Super Bowl appearances. They were regarded as a perennial losing franchise for most of their first two decades due to suffering 26 consecutive losses in their first two seasons (including
4964-579: The 1977 season, Tampa Bay switched conferences and divisions with Seattle, becoming a member of the NFC Central division. The Seahawks eventually rejoined the NFC in 2002, leaving the Buccaneers as the only NFL team not to play in their original conference. As a result of the league's realignment prior to the 2002 season, the Buccaneers joined three former NFC West teams to form the NFC South. The team
5110-677: The 1993 season , it was widely assumed that one would be placed in the Tampa Bay area, most likely St. Petersburg. However, the region's effort was split into two ownership groups with competing applications: the "Tampa Bay Whitecaps" group led by Roy Disney and the Kohl department store family that proposed hosting the franchise at the Florida Suncoast Dome in St. Petersburg, and the "Florida Panthers" group led by former Texas Rangers part-owner Frank Morsani that planned on building
5256-549: The 2002 season was the Buccaneers' most successful to date. Linebacker Derrick Brooks was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year with a tendency to make big plays. They won the NFC South title with the team's best ever record, 12–4, and scored more points in two playoff wins over the 49ers and Eagles than in Bucs playoff history combined. The Philadelphia Eagles were a thorn in Tampa Bay's side, having eliminated
5402-673: The 2003 season , the Gruden-McKay relationship deteriorated as the Bucs struggled on the field. In November, Keyshawn Johnson was deactivated by the team ten games into the season for his conduct, which included sideline arguments with Bucs coaches and players. Johnson was eventually traded to the Dallas Cowboys for wide receiver Joey Galloway , who later in his career played for the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Washington Redskins. In December,
5548-824: The ALCS ), though they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in that year's World Series . Since then, the Rays have played in the postseason eight more times, winning the American League pennant again in 2020 and losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in that year's World Series . The Rays are one of five MLB teams to not have a World Series title yet, the others being the San Diego Padres , Colorado Rockies , Milwaukee Brewers , and Seattle Mariners . The Tampa Bay Rays' chief rivals are
5694-514: The American League (founded in 1901). Historically, teams in one league never played teams in the other until the World Series , in which the champions of the two leagues played against each other. This changed in 1997 with the advent of interleague play . The Philadelphia Phillies , founded in 1883, are the oldest continuous same-name, same-city franchise in both Major League Baseball and all of American professional sports. In addition to
5840-694: The Baseball Hall of Fame . The Devil Rays played their first game on March 31, 1998, against the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field, before an opening day crowd of 45,369. Wilson Álvarez threw the first pitch and Wade Boggs hit the team's first home run, though the Devil Rays ended up losing 11–6. The next day, the Devil Rays won their first victory, defeating Detroit 11–8, thanks to rookie pitcher (and future All-Star ) Rolando Arrojo . Despite briefly being over .500 in their first 19 games (a first for an expansion team in their inaugural season),
5986-796: The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees , which also play in the AL East. Regarding the former, there have been several notable on-field incidents . The Rays also have an in-state interleague rivalry with the National League (NL)'s Miami Marlins (originally the Florida Marlins). Through 2024, the Rays' all-time record is 2,091–2,179 (.490). The Tampa Bay area has a long association with amateur and professional baseball. Tampa and St. Petersburg were among
Tampa Bay Rays - Misplaced Pages Continue
6132-764: The Bucs ) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida . The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) South division. They joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team , along with the Seattle Seahawks , and played its first season in the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Prior to
6278-504: The China National Baseball League , Israel Baseball League , and Baseball Philippines . During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, players of black African descent were barred from playing the major leagues , though several did manage to play by claiming to be Cubans or Native Americans . As a result, a number of parallel Negro leagues were formed. However, after Jackie Robinson began playing with
6424-608: The Dallas Cowboys in the other NFC playoff game, the Bucs hosted the NFC Championship Game the following week in Tampa. The Bucs lost to the Rams 9–0. In their fourth season, the Bucs seemed on the verge of fulfilling McKay's five-year plan. The Buccaneers regressed in 1980 and finished with a 5–10–1 mark. The Buccaneerss made the playoffs again by winning their division in the 1981 season . It came down to
6570-514: The Indianapolis Colts by Dungy himself, and copied by several other teams. The team started the 1997 season 5–0, picking up where they left off the previous year, and this quick start once again landed them on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice. The Bucs went 10–6 for their first winning season and playoff appearance since 1982, as a wild-card team. In the Bucs' final home game at Houlihan's Stadium (formerly Tampa Stadium),
6716-674: The Kansas City Chiefs , which was played in the worst downpour in Bucs history, Tampa Bay pulled out a 3–0 victory. Finishing with a 10–6 record, the Bucs had their first winning season in franchise history, and won the Central Division in a tiebreaker over the Bears. In an upset, the Bucs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24–17 in the divisional round of the playoffs . Because the Los Angeles Rams defeated
6862-441: The National Football League in 1974, the region suffered through many unsuccessful attempts to acquire a major league baseball team through expansion or relocation in the 1970s to the early 1990s. The Oakland A's , Minnesota Twins , Chicago White Sox , Texas Rangers , Kansas City Royals , and Seattle Mariners all seriously considered moving to either Tampa or St. Petersburg, but they all elected to remain in place, usually with
7008-402: The Philadelphia Phillies . Going into the 2009 season , the American League champions again posted a winning record, 84–78, but were unable to return to the postseason, in part due to injuries to Longoria, Akinori Iwamura and Carlos Peña . The Rays performed much better the following year, a season that saw Matt Garza throw the franchise's first no-hitter (against Detroit) They again won
7154-513: The Tampa Bay area , an ownership group led by Vince Naimoli was approved on March 9, 1995. The team began play as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1998 Major League Baseball season . The team's first decade of play was marked by futility; they finished in last place in the AL East in all but the 2004 season, when they finished second to last. Following the 2007 season, Stuart Sternberg , who had purchased controlling interest in
7300-409: The World Series . The Rays won Game 4 of the series in near-miraculous fashion; down 6–7, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and down in the count 1–2, Brett Phillips singled off LA closer Kenley Jansen for his first career postseason hit, scoring Kiermaier to tie the game, and Arozarena to score the winning run and tie the series at two. Despite the heroics, the Rays lost the next two games to
7446-406: The artificial turf of St. Petersburg's newly rechristened Tropicana Field during the 1998 season. Naimoli initially planned to call the team the "Tampa Bay Sting Rays" but the naming rights were already held by the minor league Maui Stingrays . The Maui club offered to sell the name for $ 35,000, but rather than make the deal, Naimoli opted for a different species of rays , and the new franchise
SECTION 50
#17327721313027592-428: The eventual world champion Texas Rangers in another two-game Wild Card loss where the Rays never led at any point with just one run scored yet again. In 2024, muddled in a season where they could not stay definitely over .500 (which included losing the services of Wander Franco due to allegations of sexual abuse), the Rays traded away multiple players at the deadline, which included Randy Arozarena. The records of
7738-495: The next year ; they finished last in the AL East for the first time since 2007, winning only 68 games in a season marred by injuries (including to Kiermaier) and a 3–24 stretch between June 16 and July 16. 2017 again saw strong performances from Archer and Alex Cobb (returning from Tommy John surgery the year before), and the team rebounded to match its 2015 record. The 2017 season also saw Erik Neander take over as general manager from Matthew Silverman , and he would continue
7884-437: The "Florida Suncoast Dome", was built in the late 1980s to attract an MLB team through either relocation or expansion. After St. Petersburg was awarded an expansion franchise in 1995, the dome underwent extensive renovations and naming rights were sold to Tropicana Products , which was based in nearby Bradenton . Tropicana Field underwent further renovations in 2006 and 2007 after Stu Sternberg gained controlling ownership of
8030-412: The 17th overall pick. The 2009 squad started out 0–7, behind Leftwich and later Josh Johnson . Following their bye week, the team elevated Freeman to starting quarterback, resulting in the team's first win of the season. The team finished 3–13, the worst record since 1991. The Bucs' 2010 season surprised many, producing the greatest single-season turnaround in franchise history, going 10–6. This
8176-700: The 1930s. Nippon Professional Baseball consists of two leagues, the Central League and the Pacific League , each with six teams. South Korea has had professional baseball since 1982. There are 10 teams in KBO League . Taiwan has had professional baseball since the 1990s. The Chinese Professional Baseball League absorbed Taiwan Major League in 2003. There are currently 6 teams in the CPBL. Other Asian leagues include three now defunct leagues,
8322-499: The 2005 season, Sternberg purchased a controlling interest in the team and released Piniella, buying out the last year of his contract for $ 2.2 million. For the 2006 season , Sternberg hired Joe Maddon , formerly of the Anaheim Angels , to replace Piniella as manager. Sternberg also fired LaMar and most of the front office, replacing him with Andrew Friedman (as Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations). Nevertheless,
8468-605: The 2008 season, including a brawl during a June meeting in Fenway Park and a seven-game American League Championship Series between the teams that ended in the Rays' first ever pennant win. As a fellow member of the AL East division, the Yankees and Rays play many times each season. There has always been some feeling of a rivalry between the teams because the Yankees make Tampa their spring training home, as well as having
8614-603: The AFC West. This realignment was dictated by the league as part of the 1976 expansion plan, so that both teams could play each other twice and every other NFL franchise once during their first two seasons. Instead of a traditional schedule of playing each division opponent twice, the Buccaneers played every conference team once, plus the Seahawks. Tampa Bay went 0–14 in their first season. They were outscored by an average of almost 21 points per game. Only three games ended with
8760-563: The AL East, finishing with the best record in the AL, but were eliminated in the ALDS by the Rangers. The Rays lost veterans like Garza, Peña, and Crawford in the 2010–11 offseason, but nevertheless finished the 2011 season with the AL wild card , having just barely beat out the Red Sox with a 12th-inning walk-off home run by Evan Longoria against the Yankees. The team was again eliminated by
8906-540: The American League with a 3.65 ERA. They defeated Oakland in the 2019 AL Wild Card Game , but they were defeated by the Houston Astros in a five-game ALDS . Despite the postseason defeat, the Rays retained much of their core going into the 2020 season , which had been shortened to 60 games as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic . Despite a 5–7 start, the Rays rebounded to win 35 of their last 48 games, thanks to
SECTION 60
#17327721313029052-441: The Buccaneers collapsed, dropping ten consecutive games to finish 4–12. The day after a 45–24 loss to the Falcons in their final game of the season, the team fired Morris, offensive coordinator Greg Olson and the rest of his corresponding staff. During the Morris era, the lack of on-the-field success, along with several contributing factors, including the recession , saw attendance slip, precipitating local television blackouts for
9198-399: The Buccaneers drafted Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams with the 4th overall pick in the NFL draft . After the draft the Buccaneers picked up tight end Jerramy Stevens . and defensive tackle Ryan Sims . The off-season changes resulted in the Buccaneers winning the NFC South title in the 2007 season , finishing with a 9–7 record, and the 4th seed in the conference. The division crown
9344-423: The Buccaneers in the 1980s, Culverhouse's death in 1994 revealed a man close to bankruptcy despite having a low payroll for his team. His son, Miami attorney Hugh Culverhouse Jr. soon sued his father's associates (Stephen Story, Jack Donlan, and Fred Cone) who had built the trust account that was meant to manage the elder Culverhouse's business (which involved a $ 350 million estate) after having his wife sign
9490-425: The Buccaneers within one possession. Until the Detroit Lions in 2008 , the 1976 Bucs were the only Super Bowl-era team to go winless in a whole season. Their losing streak caused them to become the butt of late-night television comedians' jokes. Tampa Bay did not win their first game until the 13th week of their second season , starting with a record of 0–26 (though the Bucs had beaten the Atlanta Falcons , 17–3, in
9636-415: The Bucs began the season 0–3, including a 56–14 blowout against the Falcons on Thursday Night Football . McCown was injured in that game, and second-year quarterback Mike Glennon was named the starter. His first start of the 2014 season ended with the Bucs earning their first victory of the season in Pittsburgh against the Steelers 27–24. The Bucs lost the next 4 games, including two overtime losses against
9782-401: The Bucs in each of the last two seasons' wild card games. Tampa Bay entered the game as heavy underdogs and fell behind early. However, the Bucs persevered and took a ten-point lead into the fourth quarter. Ronde Barber sealed the win in dramatic fashion with a late interception return for a touchdown, and a 27–10 victory. The Bucs then went on to rout Gruden's former team, the Raiders, who had
9928-401: The Bucs kicked off the season with five consecutive victories, a performance that landed them on the cover of Sports Illustrated . With four games left in the season, the Bucs needed to win only one of them to make the playoffs. In the first, STP was put all over the goal posts in Tampa to prevent the goalposts from being ripped down in the event of a celebration. Four blocked kicks later,
10074-406: The Bucs played well in 2000 and 2001 and made the playoffs in each season, they were unable to fulfill their primary goal of a Super Bowl victory. The wild card spots that Tampa Bay earned forced them to go on the road for their postseason opener in each year, and both road games took them into frigid Philadelphia to play the Eagles. The Buccaneers historically have struggled in games played with
10220-403: The Bucs wasted the oily substance, falling to the Minnesota Vikings 23–22. STP was wasted again the following week as the Bucs were shut out 14–0 by the Chicago Bears ; and in O. J. Simpson 's final home game in San Francisco , Tampa Bay lost its third straight attempt to clinch a division title against a 49ers team which came in with a 1–13 record. However, in the season finale at home against
10366-487: The Bucs' head coach and their general manager, Raiders owner Al Davis agreed to release Gruden to Tampa Bay. The Glazers' shrewd move eventually paid off in acquiring Gruden, but it was costly. The team hired Gruden away from the Raiders on February 20, 2002, but the price was four draft picks, including the Bucs' first and second-round picks in 2002, their first-round pick in 2003, and their second-round selection in 2004, along with $ 8 million in cash. (The league as
10512-423: The Bucs, 38–0, in the divisional round. The loss remains the largest postseason shutout loss in franchise history. The 1982 season started 0–3 for the Bucs, before a player's strike shut down the NFL for seven weeks. When the league resumed play, the Bucs were nicknamed the "Cardiac Kids" for winning five of their next six games, all in the final moments, to go 5–4 and qualify for the expanded playoff slate. In
10658-502: The Divisional round, before losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champion St. Louis Rams in a low-scoring NFC Championship Game, 11–6. The Bucs' loss was controversial, highlighted by the reversal of a pass from King to wide receiver Bert Emanuel , which ended the Bucs' chances at continuing their last-minute drive. In league meetings following the season, the NFL changed the rules regarding what constituted an incomplete pass . While
10804-557: The Dodgers and were defeated in their second bid for a World Series . In the offseason, the Rays unloaded much of their pitching core; Morton was lost to free agency and Snell was traded to the San Diego Padres . The roster would change even more after opening day; Willy Adames was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers and Glasnow underwent Tommy John surgery that would place him on the injured list through 2022. Nevertheless,
10950-413: The Falcons, and Brian Griese, who was the starting quarterback for the team in 2005 until a knee injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. Chris Simms was finally released, having not played in a game since his injury in 2006. The Bucs got off to a great start in 2008 , with a 9–3 record going into the final month of the season, tied for first place in the division, with a chance at the top seed in
11096-512: The Glazers allowed McKay to leave the Bucs before the end of the regular season, and he promptly joined the Falcons as president and general manager. Thus, McKay watched his first game as a Falcons executive sitting next to owner Arthur Blank in a Raymond James Stadium skybox. The Falcons defeated the Bucs 30–28. The Bucs suffered a sluggish start and finished the season 7–9. With the Raiders' dismal 4–12 performance, neither Super Bowl team reached
11242-465: The Rangers in the ALDS . The Rays missed out on the postseason the next year despite a 90–72 record, though David Price became the first Rays pitcher to earn the Cy Young Award . The team returned to the postseason in 2013 (after a Game 163 tiebreaker against Texas), in part thanks to new additions Wil Myers and Chris Archer . However, they were again defeated in the ALDS , this time by
11388-553: The Rays and Yankees would meet in postseason for the first time in the 2020 American League Division Series , which Tampa Bay won in five games; the go-ahead run, in the eighth inning of Game 5, was a home run by Brosseau off of Chapman. In the heat of the 2022 division race, there were several confrontations as the Rays neared the first-place Yankees. Days after the Yankee Josh Donaldson traded barbs with Rays starter Jeffrey Springs , benches cleared when Donaldson
11534-512: The Rays announced that the team will play the 2025 regular season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. The Rays stadium, Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, was significantly damaged by Hurricane Milton on October 9 and will not be available when the team opens the regular season in late March. The Yankees will continue to play spring training games at Steinbrenner Field in 2025, and
11680-478: The Rays shouldn't "worry" about a "last-place team" like the Yankees. "They're trying to ignite something over there, whatever. It's not worth our time at this moment." The Rays also have a geographical, interleague rivalry with the Miami Marlins . Tampa Bay currently leads the series, 81–60. The Rays have played at Tropicana Field since their inception in 1998. The facility, which was originally called
11826-622: The Rays will continue to use Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Fla., for their Spring Training workouts and games. Steinbrenner Field was selected as the Rays temporary regular-season home because it is the best-prepared facility in the Tampa Bay region to host regular-season Major League Baseball games. Steinbrenner Field was already undergoing renovations to improve its clubhouse and playing facilities. Recent projects include upgraded field lighting, expanded home locker room space, and improved training and rehabilitation capabilities. It
11972-411: The Rays' last five seasons in Major League Baseball . These statistics are current through the 2024 Major League Baseball regular season . Tampa Bay's primary rivals are the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees . The Red Sox /Rays rivalry dates back to the 2000 season, when Devil Ray Gerald Williams took exception to being hit by a pitch thrown by Boston pitcher Pedro Martínez and charged
12118-593: The Rays' strategy of aggressive trade moves. Heading into 2018 , the Rays traded Evan Longoria, long considered a franchise player , to the Giants, and starter Jake Odorizzi to the Twins. More trades would come as the season went on, as Matt Andriese was dealt to Arizona; Archer was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Tyler Glasnow , outfielder Austin Meadows , and prospect Shane Baz . Despite
12264-478: The Redskins when he was offered the most lucrative salary package ever offered to an NFL head coach, and Parcells eventually passed on the Bucs' offer—the second time he had done so in the history of the franchise. Bucs' general manager Rich McKay threw his support behind Lewis. The Glazer brothers were so displeased with the selection of yet another defensive-minded coach that they overruled McKay and took control of
12410-670: The Saints and the Vikings, one blowout against the Ravens, and a 5-point loss against the Cleveland Browns . Going into week 10 at 1–8, McCown returned as the starter. Mathematically, the Bucs were still in playoff contention only being 3 games out of first place in the division. McCown's first game back ended with a 27–17 loss to the Falcons but won the following week in a 27–7 blowout against struggling Washington. The Bucs would lose
12556-588: The Year Award. After starting 5–1, the team entered a midseason slump hampered by a season-ending injury to starting QB Brian Griese . Replacement starter Chris Simms struggled early, but came into his own, leading the team to a last-minute win over the Redskins. The Bucs won the NFC South Division finishing 11–5. The season ended abruptly, however, with a 17–10 loss in the Wild Card round, in
12702-412: The area was considered as a possible location for major professional sports. The push to bring major league baseball to the Tampa Bay area can be traced to the late 1960s, when civic leader and St. Petersburg Times publisher Jack Lake wrote a series of editorials arguing that St. Petersburg could and should support a franchise. However, though Tampa was awarded the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers by
12848-477: The balance of the season. After their bye week, the Bucs elected to start Gradkowski, a sixth-round pick from Toledo. After nearly beating the Saints, Gradkowski led the team to last-minute wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles. The success was short-lived, however, and the Bucs lost five of the next six games. Tim Rattay replaced Gradkowski as quarterback late in the season, and
12994-429: The bay in Tampa . Since 2009, local officials, media, and business leaders have explored possibilities for a new stadium for the Rays somewhere in the Tampa Bay area. However, St. Petersburg mayor Bill Foster repeatedly insisted that the Rays honor their use agreement with the city, which runs through 2027 and prohibits the team from entering into talks with other communities, resulting in a protracted stalemate. Foster
13140-464: The candidate search themselves. They made it clear that their top choice was Jon Gruden ; however, he was still under contract with the Oakland Raiders. While talks with the Raiders were secretly underway, the Glazers publicly pursued another respected offensive mind, San Francisco 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci . Just when initial reports indicated that Mariucci had agreed to become both
13286-493: The conference. On December 2, it was announced that defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin would be leaving the team after the season's end, for the same job at the University of Tennessee , serving under his son Lane Kiffin , who had just been named the new head coach at the school. After the announcement, the Buccaneers would lose their final four games of the season to finish 9–7 for the second consecutive season. Unlike 2007, it
13432-432: The defense, the team dropped the last three games of the season, and finished 4–12. The team ranked last or near the bottom in almost every offensive category. On December 30, 2013, Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik were fired. On January 1, 2014, Lovie Smith was hired as the new head coach of the Buccaneers, replacing Greg Schiano. Smith had previously spent 5 seasons with the Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001 coaching
13578-404: The departure of much of their existing rotation, Glasnow and Blake Snell anchored the teams pitching staff; Snell, who led all AL pitchers in wins (21) and ERA (1.89), won the franchise's second Cy Young Award . The team also pioneered the concept of the " opener ," by which the pitcher who begins the game only pitches an inning or two before being relieved by the "bulk man" who often pitches into
13724-509: The enticement of a new publicly-funded ballpark. In response, the city of St. Petersburg decided to build the Florida Suncoast Dome (now called Tropicana Field) in the mid-1980s for the express purpose of luring a major league team with a move-in ready facility. The building opened in 1990, but it would be several more years before the area gained a major league franchise. When MLB announced plans to add two expansion teams for
13870-590: The eventual World Series champions, the Red Sox. After 2013's failed championship bid, the Rays entered a period of decline; 2014 saw their first losing record (77–85) since 2007. Price was traded away to the Detroit Tigers , though the Rays received prospect Willy Adames in return. GM Andrew Friedman left Tampa Bay to for a front office role with the Los Angeles Dodgers ; this activated an opt-out clause in Maddon's contract, who also opted to leave Tampa Bay despite efforts to re-sign him. Maddon finished his tenure with
14016-468: The first hosts of Major League Baseball spring training in the 1910s, the Tampa Smokers and St. Petersburg Saints were two of the founding members of the minor league Florida State League (FSL) in 1919, and several other communities in the area also hosted FSL teams in the following years. However, it was not until a period of explosive population and economic growth after World War II that
14162-531: The first round, the Bucs once again faced the Cowboys at Dallas, losing 30–17. As it turned out, this would be the last winning regular season under Culverhouse's ownership. Before the 1983 season, Williams bolted to the United States Football League in a salary dispute. The Bucs lost their first nine games of the 1983 season en route to finishing 2–14, the first of 12 consecutive seasons with at least ten losses—an NFL record. Included
14308-495: The first six football games of the year (including preseason) on the road, as the new stadium was not quite finished. The 1999 season brought much better fortune. On the strength of the NFL's number 3 overall defense and a performance by rookie quarterback Shaun King , the Bucs finished the season with an 11–5 record and won their third NFC Central Division Championship. They beat the Washington Redskins 14–13 in
14454-497: The first time since the mid-1990s. All eight regular-season home games were blacked out in 2010, and 5 of 7 were blacked out in 2011 (one "home" game was played in London). About three weeks after firing Raheem Morris, the Buccaneers hired Greg Schiano from Rutgers as the new head coach. During his introductory conference he stated "There will be Buccaneer men, and there will be a Buccaneer Way." The phrase "The Buccaneer Way" became
14600-452: The ground. In a 2020 incident at Yankee Stadium , Yankee closer Aroldis Chapman threw a 101-mph fastball over the head of Rays batter Mike Brosseau , leading to the ejection of Rays manager Kevin Cash and the clearing of benches. Chapman earned a three-game suspension. In response to the incident, Cash said that, if it continued to happen, the Rays had "a whole damn stable" of pitchers capable of throwing 98 miles an hour . Later that year,
14746-547: The head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, while the Bucs mounted a search for his replacement that would include numerous names and rejections. Several potential candidates were offered the job, including University of Florida head coach (and former Buccaneers quarterback) Steve Spurrier , former New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells , and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis . Spurrier jumped to
14892-457: The late innings. Though criticized by some baseball traditionalists, the innovative strategy helped the Rays finish the year with the second-best team ERA in the American League. Though the Rays won 90 games in 2018, they did not qualify for the playoffs. Cash led the Rays to his first postseason in 2019 , building off an impressive 19–9 start to win 96 games. The pitching staff, anchored by starters Glasnow, Snell, and veteran Charlie Morton , led
15038-532: The league's number one offense, by a score of 48–21 in Super Bowl XXXVII , nicknamed 'The Pirate Bowl'. Soon after the Super Bowl victory, a growing number of press reports indicated Gruden's lack of patience with general manager McKay, a major architect of the Bucs' rebuilding effort over the previous ten years. McKay, like Gruden, had long-established ties to the Tampa Bay area . However, during
15184-443: The linebackers under Tony Dungy. During his first news conference with the Bucs, Smith talked about restoring the quality of the team from the late 1990s and early 2000s: "There was a certain brand of football you expected from us," Smith said. "You know we would be relentless. There was a brand of football that you got from us each week at Raymond James Stadium. It was hard for opponents to come in and win. We have gotten away from that
15330-703: The major leagues, many North American cities and towns feature minor league teams. An organization officially styled Minor League Baseball , formerly the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, oversees nearly all minor league baseball in the United States and Canada. The minor leagues are divided into classes AAA, AA, High-A, A, and Rookie. These minor-league divisions are affiliated with major league teams, and serve to develop young players and rehabilitate injured major-leaguers. "Affiliated baseball" (archaically, " organized baseball ")
15476-714: The major-league Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, the Negro leagues gradually faded. The process of integration did not go entirely smoothly; there were some ugly incidents, including pitchers who would try to throw directly at a black player's head. Now, however, baseball is fully integrated, and there is little to no racial tension between teammates. Between 1943 and 1954, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League fielded teams in several Midwestern towns. Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as
15622-447: The mound, resulting in a game full of retaliations and ejections on both sides. There have been several other incidents between the teams during the ensuing years, including one in 2005 that resulted in two bench-clearing fights during the game and a war of words between then-Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella and then-Boston pitcher Curt Schilling through the media in the following days. The rivalry reached its highest level to date during
15768-652: The name to the "Manta Rays" if the public chose the alternative. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays named Chuck LaMar , the former assistant general manager of the Atlanta Braves , as its first general manager ; Larry Rothschild , a former pitching coach for the Marlins and Cincinnati Reds , was named the team's first manager on November 7, 1997. In the Expansion Draft on November 18, 1997, the Devil Rays acquired their first player in pitcher Tony Saunders . Among
15914-416: The next generation. But also in the short term and long term we're going to supplement our roster through free agency but we're going to look for value. We're going to spend wisely." After signing veteran free agent Josh McCown and many more free agents, many analysts predicted that the Buccaneers could be the surprise team of the year and possibly make a playoff run. Those predictions soon went away after
16060-424: The next three games and were officially knocked out of playoff contention in week 14. The Bucs finished 2–14, winning 2 fewer games than the previous season and secured the first-overall draft pick for the 2015 NFL draft . Despite the team's record, first-round draft pick wide receiver Mike Evans had more than 1,000 receiving yards, and he became the youngest NFL player to record more than 200 receiving yards in
16206-406: The owners and management came to a head after the dismal 2005 season. Piniella became frustrated with the ownership group's lack of commitment to the team, stating that they were "not interested about the present" but "about the future." He took issue not only with Naimoli (whose repeated promises of payroll increases had not been met), but with a new group of investors led by Stuart Sternberg . After
16352-402: The playoffs that year. For 2004, Bruce Allen was hired as general manager. After Allen's arrival, both John Lynch and Warren Sapp were released, stunning many Buccaneer fans. The distracted Buccaneers began the 2004 season with a 1–5 record, their worst start under Gruden. The fading accuracy of kicker Martín Gramática did not help matters, as the team lost many close games en route to
16498-557: The record paid amount and that a new stadium would be required. The Glazers convinced Hillsborough County voters to raise sales taxes to fund the construction of what would become Raymond James Stadium . The Glazers' deep pockets and serious commitment to fielding a winning team–in Tampa Bay–finally allowed the Bucs to become competitive. The team's performance dramatically improved when the Glazers hired Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Tony Dungy as head coach. Additionally,
16644-460: The regular season, Chapman had instigated a bench-clearing altercation by throwing over Brosseau's head. The postseason was dominated by Randy Arozarena , who set new records for postseason home runs (10), hits by a rookie and by any player in a single postseason (29), and total bases (64). In a rematch of 2019, the Rays defeated the Astros in the seven-game ALCS , and went on to meet the Dodgers in
16790-405: The rotation, the bullpen, and an offensive breakout from Brandon Lowe . At the end of the regular season, the team posted an AL-best 40–20 record, winning its first divisional title since 2011 and again advancing to the postseason. The Rays went on to defeat the Yankees in the five-game ALDS , thanks to Mike Brosseau 's go-ahead eighth inning home run off Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman ; during
16936-632: The season strongly with their best record in franchise history, and became the first team in modern Major League history (since 1900) to hold the best record in the league through Memorial Day, after having the worst record in the league the year before. The Rays briefly fell behind the Boston Red Sox but, with the best home record in Major League Baseball, manage to qualify for at least the AL Wild Card on September 20—the team's first-ever postseason berth. The Rays would ultimately end
17082-668: The season two games above the Red Sox in the AL East, their first divisional title. The 2008 American League Division Series was the Rays' first playoff series victory, defeating the Chicago White Sox in 4 games. Besting the Red Sox in the American League Championship Series in 7 games, the Rays advanced to the World Series for the first time. However, the team's good fortunes came to an end, and they were defeated four games to one by
17228-511: The season. The season also saw a lot of rookies starting for the Bucs, such as quarterback Bruce Gradkowski , tackle Jeremy Trueblood , and guard Davin Joseph . The Bucs started off the season 0–3, with Simms throwing one touchdown to 7 interceptions. In the third game of the season, a last-minute loss to the Panthers, Simms's spleen was ruptured, and he was placed on injured reserve for
17374-533: The team continued to struggle for the first two years of Maddon's tenure, finishing 61–101 and 66–96 in 2006 and 2007 season . The team was rebranded before the 2008 season , abandoning its nickname and green-white color scheme for a new existence as the Tampa Bay Rays . Dropping the "Devil", the new Rays name referred to a ray of sunshine (for the Sunshine State of Florida), and the team adopted
17520-538: The team defeated the Lions 20–10. They lost at Lambeau Field to the eventual NFC champion Packers 21–7 in the Divisional Round. Still, there was reason for optimism, and the expectations were high for the following season. The 1998 season , the first to be played in the newly constructed Raymond James Stadium, saw the Bucs lose several close games en route to a disappointing 8–8 record. The Bucs had to play
17666-556: The team during that 24-hour period is the largest investment the Glazer family has put into the team going back almost a decade. The team finished the 2012 season at 7–9, notably ranking first in rushing defense. Furthermore, the rushing offense was highlighted by the breakout performance of Doug Martin . After two seasons of game-day local television blackouts, the improved team began seeing increased attendance and attention, and some blackouts lifted. 6 games were blacked out in 2012. For
17812-538: The team finished 4–12. The aged defense, with 5 starters who had played there for a decade or more, was ranked 17th overall, the first time a Tampa defense was not ranked in the top ten since 1996. After the disappointing 2006 season, the Buccaneers for the first time in several seasons had money to spend in free agency. They brought in quarterback Jeff Garcia , offensive tackle Luke Petitgout , defensive end Kevin Carter , and linebacker Cato June . On April 28, 2007,
17958-421: The team from Vince Naimoli two years earlier, changed the team's name from "Devil Rays" to "Rays", now meaning both manta rays and rays of sunshine; a manta ray logo appears on the uniform sleeves while a sunburst appears on the uniform front. The 2008 season saw the Rays post their first winning season, their first AL East championship, and their first American League pennant (defeating the rival Boston Red Sox in
18104-617: The team if a new stadium is not built. On February 9, 2018, the team said that Ybor City is their preferred site for a new stadium. However, at the December 2018 Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, Sternberg announced that plans for the proposed stadium in Ybor fell through, meaning the Rays were still on track to play at Tropicana Field until 2027. Later in December 2018, the team sent a letter to Mayor Kriseman, foregoing an extension to search for
18250-468: The team jettisoned the old uniform designs in favor of a modern look. During Dungy's first season in 1996 , the team continued to struggle, starting the season 1–8. But in the second half of the season, they finished 5–2, primarily due to the performance of a defense ranked seventh in the NFL led by Hardy Nickerson and the maturing of Sam Wyche's draftees Brooks, Lynch, and Sapp. Dungy, with his even-tempered personality, quickly brought balance and morale to
18396-540: The team welcomed many rookies, including starting pitcher Shane McClanahan , who had debuted in the 2020 postseason. The Rays finished the season with a record of 100–62, which was the best record in the American League and the third-best record in baseball. They won the AL East for the second consecutive year and were matched against the Wild Card Game winner in Boston. They beat the Red Sox in Game 1, punctuated by
18542-426: The team would go on to lose 99 that year, ending with the second-worst record in the league (just above their neighbors, the Marlins, who lost 108). The Devil Rays continued to struggle in their next few seasons, with many of their veteran players, including the "Hit Show" of sluggers (McGriff, Vinny Castilla , Jose Canseco and Greg Vaughn ), being past their prime—though Wade Boggs would mark his 3000th career hit,
18688-541: The team's 34 other draft picks was future star outfielder Bobby Abreu ; however, Abreu was soon dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies for utility infielder Kevin Stocker in a trade generally regarded among the worst in recent MLB history. The team acquired several veteran stars in trades or free agent signings before their first season including pitcher Wilson Alvarez and two Tampa natives in first baseman Fred McGriff and third baseman Wade Boggs , both future members of
18834-479: The team, and his Cover 2 defensive scheme, sharpened to perfection by defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and linebackers coach Lovie Smith , became the foundation for Tampa Bay's future success. Their version of Cover 2 was so successful that it became known as the Tampa 2 . It has been brought to the Chicago Bears by Smith, Detroit Lions by Rod Marinelli, Kansas City Chiefs by Herman Edwards and to
18980-552: The team. Most of the changes sought to improve fans' game-day experience. For the players, the biggest change was the installation of a new Field Turf surface in 2007, which was replaced in turn with a new version of AstroTurf for the 2011 season. As a result of Hurricane Milton in October 2024, Tropicana Field suffered extensive damage to its roof. The stadium was set up as a site for first responders and first aid, prior to its extensive damage and flooding. On November 14, 2024,
19126-399: The three-year period of 2010–2012, the Bucs led the NFL in local television blackouts with 19 (Cincinnati was second with 11). Schiano's strict and regimented coaching style, however, drew criticism at the end of a game against the Giants, ordering his defense to continue to aggressively tackle the offense as Giants quarterback Eli Manning was taking a knee to end the game. Afterwards, Schiano
19272-517: The time of their first championship in 2002 , also the first for any of the six organizations built after the merger, but they would not win another playoff game until their second Super Bowl championship season in 2020 . The Buccaneers joined the NFL as members of the AFC West in 1976. The following year, they were moved to the NFC Central , while the other 1976 expansion team, the Seattle Seahawks , switched conferences with Tampa Bay and joined
19418-569: Was nearly hit by a pitch. In 2023, tensions erupted in a series at Tropicana Field, where the Yankees hit five Rays batters in three games. Benches cleared twice in one inning on August 27 after Randy Arozarena was hit by Albert Abreu ; Arozarena, who had been hit by Abreu in May, said he believed it was intentional. Yankee pitcher Ian Hamilton (who earlier hit Jonathan Aranda ) said of the Rays, "If they want to come over here [to our clubhouse], they can come over here," while Tampa Bay's Brandon Lowe said
19564-572: Was a Super Bowl champion QB for Washington, two other Bucs quarterbacks during this era led other teams to Super Bowl wins. Steve Young won with the 49ers and Trent Dilfer won with the Baltimore Ravens. In the 1984 season, the team went 6–10 in John McKay's final season. Former Atlanta Falcons' coach Leeman Bennett was named head coach prior to the 1985 season. He led the team to consecutive 2–14 finishes in 1985 and 1986. Bennett
19710-532: Was considered a Cy Young candidate and started the 2022 All-Star Game for the AL, and Drew Rasmussen , who flirted with a perfect game on August 14—the team finished third in the AL East behind Toronto and New York. The team did make history on Sep 15 when it fielded the first all-Latino lineup in MLB history—coincidentally, on Roberto Clemente Day—in an 11–0 victory over the Blue Jays. The Rays still qualified for
19856-413: Was fired following the end of the 1986 season. Ray Perkins was hired to be the head coach of the Buccaneers prior to the 1987 season. Perkins coached for the team for almost four seasons, getting fired during 1990 season. Under Perkins's tenure, the team won no more than five games in a single season. Under Culverhouse, the Bucs were one of the NFL's more profitable teams during the 1980s; however, this
20002-555: Was introduced as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The name was not welcomed in all quarters; the devil ray is not nearly as common in waters near Tampa Bay as the ubiquitous cownose stingray , and several pastors of local Christian churches told the Tampa Bay Times that the inclusion of the word " devil " offended them. However, fans approved the name in a telephone poll set up by Naimoli, who had offered to change
20148-489: Was largely because he kept the payroll among the lowest in the league, hampering their ability to sign quality players. Attendance also sagged; at one point the Buccaneers went parts of three whole seasons without having a home game televised locally, and when they did it was more attributed to a strong visiting team with a large following in the area, such as the Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers . Hardy Nickerson ,
20294-420: Was largely behind the stellar performances of Freeman, rookie receiver Mike Williams , and LeGarrette Blount . Despite the effort, the team narrowly missed the playoffs, losing out on the wild card tiebreaker to the eventual Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers. Tampa Bay began the 2011 season with high hopes, adding several key defensive players through the draft. After a 4–2 start, however,
20440-544: Was met at midfield by an irate Tom Coughlin , who did not appreciate the Bucs' aggressiveness. Coming into the 2013 season , fans and analysts had better than average expectations for Tampa Bay. They were expected to improve their record, and potentially make a playoffs run. The predictions proved unfounded, as numerous issues on and off the field saw the team collapse. The team dealt with several players, including Lawrence Tynes , Carl Nicks, and Johnthan Banks , contracting antibiotic-resistant MRSA infections, which led to
20586-585: Was moved to a front office position after the season. Lou Piniella , a Tampa native who had previously led the Reds to a World Series , replaced McRae as manager for the 2003 season , winning 63 games. The next year , Piniella's Devil Rays finished with a 70–91 record, just above the Toronto Blue Jays to claim in 4th in the American League East—the first time in franchise history the team
20732-645: Was not enough to secure the division championship, nor a playoff appearance. Raheem Morris was named the replacement for Monte Kiffin as defensive coordinator in December 2008. A month later, after the huge collapse that ended the 2008 season, the Buccaneers fired Jon Gruden and swiftly elevated Morris to the head coach position. Bruce Allen was also let go, with Mark Dominik named his successor as general manager. Several veterans were released including Derrick Brooks, Joey Galloway, and Jeff Garcia. The new staff traded for tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. , signed quarterback Byron Leftwich , and drafted Josh Freeman with
20878-414: Was out of last place. Crawford established himself as a breakout star, leading the American League in triples (19) and, for the second year in a row, stolen bases (59). In the 2005 season , Crawford's production at the plate was matched by newcomers Jorge Cantú and Jonny Gomes , though the team was let down by its pitching staff (despite the arrival of Scott Kazmir ) and finished 67–95. Tensions between
21024-592: Was replaced by Mayor Rick Kriseman in 2013. In October 2014, Sternberg, frustrated with efforts to build a new stadium in the Tampa Bay area, had discussions with Wall Street associates about moving the Rays to Montreal , which has been without a Major League Baseball franchise since the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, D.C., in 2005 to become the Washington Nationals . On December 9, 2014, reports surfaced that owner Stuart Sternberg will sell
21170-540: Was the drafting of Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson with the first pick in the 1986 draft . Jackson had let it be known that he would never play a down for Hugh Culverhouse at Tampa Bay. Making good on his threat, he opted instead to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals and would later return for parts of football seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders . Along with Williams, who later
21316-408: Was the second one in three seasons under Gruden. In the Wild Card round of the playoffs held on January 6, 2008, the Buccaneers lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants by a final score of 24–14. During the 2008 offseason, the Bucs re-signed head coach Gruden and general manager Allen through the 2011 season. They also acquired former players Warrick Dunn , who had spent the last 6 seasons with
#301698