Tampa

On April 3rd, every team in Major League Baseball has the same chance of taking home a division title and ultimately a World Series Championship.

While one can assume that a team like the Washington Nationals won't have a snowball's chance of winning their division, there is always a team like the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays that seemingly come out of nowhere and take the world by surprise.

The Rays are not nearly as under the radar as they have been in years previous; but after missing the playoffs last year, maybe people have been writing the Rays off as possible one year wonders.

Last year, expectations for the Tampa Bay Rays were sky-high.

Here was a young team that the entire world got to see blossom during the playoffs.

The phenom, David Price, was showcased to the baseball community with his killer strikeout of J.D. Drew during the American League Championship.

Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton came out swinging during the playoffs; Upton hit the second most home runs in a single postseason with seven, and Longoria was not far behind his teammate with six.

This team looked like it was in the upper echelon and might only get better.

"Grounder to second, Iwamura picks it up and steps on the bag. The Rays have done it!  The Rays are going to the World Series!"

Every Rays fan remembers where they were when then-Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura stepped on the bag to clinch the American League Pennant and capped off a magical season, even if the clock struck 12 during the World Series.

No surprise here given the economics of the situation:

The Tampa Bay Rays organization has established itself as one of the best-run systems in major league baseball.

The scouting and player development have been especially top-notch over the past five years, which has allowed the Rays to put together a very talented young ball club despite limited resources.

Even with the plethora of young talent that has been brought up in recent years and the failure to sign their top two picks in last year’s draft, the Rays farm system is still loaded with talent.

So says owner Stuart Sternberg: The team will do everything they can to keep free-agents-to-be Carl Crawford and also Carlos Pena for as long as they can. On Crawford specifically he said: "He's been a face of this organization, he's been a great Ray, he was a great Devil Ray, he's an extraordinary player and teammate, for the community and a face of this team. We're going to do everything we can to make sure he stays here longer.''

Ah, Spring Training. The ball hitting the catcher's mitt, the swing of the bat, the smell of cracker jack and hot dogs in the air.

After the conclusion of the 2008 World Series, Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon went on his honeymoon with his new wife. Before he left, he told reporters that he was really hoping to see someone, somewhere in Europe wearing Rays gear. Most know the story; he ran into a vacationing fan from the Bay area wearing a new Rays hat.

Ah, here we are yet again, sports fans: the offseason.

Just a week after the Yankees won their 27th World Series trophy, the baseball world is itching and ready to go for next April, when our stars will finally take the field again for another season of America's Pastime.

Of course, not all is quiet in the land of baseball from November to March, and teams are shuffling both players and coaches to try to stand where the Yankees do now in 12 short months. Everyone has a plan to get them into October 2010 and beyond.

Under normal circumstances, winning a Sept. 14 game against the Baltimore Orioles would be a big one.

Under normal circumstances, David Price's seven strong innings or Reid Brignac's 4-for-4 night would be a cause for elation.

But under normal circumstances, the Tampa Bay Rays wouldn't be just getting over an 11-game losing streak.

What is there to get excited about any more this year?

Even a win reminds us that this team was only a few games out of the American League Wild Card spot less than two weeks ago.