by Terry Marsh

Created on: January 01, 2009   Last Updated: January 03, 2009

The Best Sports Team of 2008 did not win a league championship this year, though they did compete for one. It is not a major market franchise assembled with deep pockets and a roster full of multi-million dollars superstars. Instead, this group is made up of role players who have performed above expectations, but earn less than the league average.

In just twelve months, this team went from finishing last in their division to finishing first, delivering the best season in franchise history. This team, and the franchise deserving of Best Sports Team of 2008, is Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /

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From Last Place to First Place

What makes this team special is that the Tampa Bay Rays are still a work in progress. The Rays began league play in 1998, and since that time, they have only twice finished a season out of last place. The first time was in 2004, when they finished second to last, and then again in 2008, when they won the American League Championship Series and earned the right to play in the 2008 World Series. No major league baseball team lost more games than the Rays did in 2007, but only one team won more games in 2008, making theirs one of the most impressive turn arounds in baseball history.

More impressive is that Tampa Bay plays in the American League East, arguably the most competitive division in baseball, and certainly the division most steeped in baseball history. The division consists of the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays. Between them, the division has won 38 World Series Championships. In 2008, Tampa Bay had to go through the Red Sox, last year's World Series champions, in order to get to the World Series themselves. They defeated Boston four games to three to advance, though they lost in the World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one.

Farming Talent vs. Buying Talent

Many of the players on the Rays were drafted by the team and brought through their farm system. The Rays front office has been diligent in scouting and signing young players, developing them, and convincing them of their long term potential. And the players have responded, seemingly playing more for competiveness and love of the game than for money. On average, Tampa Bay's players earn 5.3 million less per player than New York Yankee team members, yet the Rays beat the Yankees handily during the regular season.

Also, many of the brightest Tampa Bay players have yet to reach their peak. The team averages only 27.5 years in age, and though there is tremendous potential in the Ray's dugout, none of their players have fallen victim to superstar personalities. Carl Crawford, who became an All Star this year, B.J. Upton, and 2008 Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria have all achieved break-out seasons. But, the focus here seems to be on team play, and it is as a team that the Ray's continue to improve.

Where the Tampa Bay Rays go from here is anybody's guess, but now that they've experienced winning, a World Series title may not be out of the question. Tampa Bay is a team with unlimited potential, but it is because of their accomplishments as a team this year that they are the Best Sports Team of 2008.

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