Tampa Bay Rays heat things up on and off the field
The Tampa Bay Rays are one team that is almost as remarkable off the field as they are on it. The long road to the team’s creation began in 1980s, trying to woo over existing teams like the Minnesota Twins or the San Francisco Giants. St. Petersburg even built the Tropicana Field (originally the Florida Suncoast Dome) in the hopes of drawing over a team. The team finally came into existence as an expansion franchise in 1998.The Rays (appearing as the Devil Rays, their original name) were featured in the 2002 film The Rookie, which tells the true story of Jim Morris. Morris was a high school science teacher and baseball coach renowned for his ability to pitch at speeds of 98 mph. Morris pitched with the Rays for two seasons.A number of fans have made their mark on the Rays’ home games. One of these is Robert Szasz, “The Happy Heckler”, a real estate developer who sits by home plate and loudly riffs on the opposing team. However, thanks to his code of ethics, he has become a popular sports icon, though opposing players like Bret Boone would disagree. Cary Strukel, the “Cowbell Kid”, makes an equal amount of noise, but also convinces others to join in with him in ringing their own cowbells. The tradition is based off of the classic Saturday Night Live sketch.The Rays have also made their presence known on the field. On Sunday, July 25, the Rays turned around a losing streak to win two games in Cleveland. Their victory included a three-run homer by Reid Brignac and some impressive pitching by Wade Davis. Up next for the team is a three-night series against the Detroit Tigers, located at the Rays’ hometown Tropicana Field.