Rays seem ready to dump Devil

[frozenguy]

Rays' skipper Maddon shares optimism

Rainy skies can't thwart Tampa Bay's sunny outlook for '08

02/12/2008 3:46 PM ET

By Bill Chastain / MLB.com

Matt Silverman spoke first Tuesday afternoon and, among other things, the team president addressed the change of uniforms and team name from Devil Rays to Rays, which he believes has a parallel to changes the organization has made since principal owner Stuart Sternberg's group took over in the fall of 2005.

"We're no longer the bottom feeding fish," Silverman said. "We're much more about the energy of the sun."

They will always be the bottom feeding fish of the AL East.

I thought that honor was reserved for Baltimore.

No. Rays are a last place finish last year. 66-96. Baltimore, 69-93.

[gingerbreadmann]

Wow, I forgot Baltimore was that bad.

[Survival79]

One of the BP caps in action.

[TheGodfather]

Ah, this thread reminds me of why I'm boycotting this :censored:ty orginization.

Taking the Devil out of their name for good was the last straw.

the Rays and their new owners.

[BBM]

BP caps don't look too bad. Nice and clean, at least.

[Audiodrama]

BP caps don't look too bad. Nice and clean, at least.

Eh I'm sorry, I gotta disagree...those things look atrocious. The powder blue/navy blue combo on a baseball team is not working for me.

[TBGKon]

BP caps don't look too bad. Nice and clean, at least.

Eh I'm sorry, I gotta disagree...those things look atrocious. The powder blue/navy blue combo on a baseball team is not working for me.

So you don't like this?

[KJTALBOT]

They should have gone all the way and made their primary color powder blue with dark blue accents.

[Audiodrama]

BP caps don't look too bad. Nice and clean, at least.

Eh I'm sorry, I gotta disagree...those things look atrocious. The powder blue/navy blue combo on a baseball team is not working for me.

So you don't like this?

Nope, I don't. Carolina's colors don't work on a baseball uniform.

[Gothamite]

I think they can - I'm absolutely loving the new Portland Beavers uniforms (who, as somebody mentioned at the time, took essentially the same colors as the Rays and made the whole thing really, really work).

[McCall]

I think they can - I'm absolutely loving the new Portland Beavers uniforms (who, as somebody mentioned at the time, took essentially the same colors as the Rays and made the whole thing really, really work).

Yay, I've been quoted for something!

In all seriousness, though, the BP caps, IMO, do look better than I originally had thought. Seeing them being warn in a, uh, game(?)-type situation, really does help change my opinion on them. I don't think I'll be able to say the same about the uniforms once we see them in action, however. I think the colors CAN work (as Portland has done), but it's all about the execution, and Tampa Bay failed at that.

Plus the identity crisis of having the fish AND the sunburst, but only being the sunburst and NOT the fish, is a confusion that's not helping matters. Hopefully in 3 years, when they're allowed to make changes, they will.

[Audiodrama]

I think they can - I'm absolutely loving the new Portland Beavers uniforms (who, as somebody mentioned at the time, took essentially the same colors as the Rays and made the whole thing really, really work).

I don't agree with the analogy. The Rays' uni's don't work partly because they seem boundless. The Beavers' uni's, from what I can see, either feature a much darker shade of blue, or black. (The logo's rather small, I can't tell.) They also feature three shades of blue instead of two. It's close to the same color scheme, but they have added extras that make it a bit tighter than Tampa's.

Logo for reference:

[Gothamite]

I think they can - I'm absolutely loving the new Portland Beavers uniforms (who, as somebody mentioned at the time, took essentially the same colors as the Rays and made the whole thing really, really work).

I don't agree with the analogy. The Rays' uni's don't work partly because they seem boundless. The Beavers' uni's, from what I can see, either feature a much darker shade of blue, or black. (The logo's rather small, I can't tell.) They also feature three shades of blue instead of two. It's close to the same color scheme, but they have added extras that make it a bit tighter than Tampa's.

Um, that's kind of what I said, isn't it? They took essentially the same colors and made the whole thing really, really work.

They made the light blue/dark blue (not black) work by pairing it with the brown shade, and the whole scheme works because it's very coherent where the Rays are, as you put it "boundless."

The Beavers were mentioned by McCall (glad to quote you by name this time) as a counterpoint to the Rays - starting with two of the same colors (dark blue, light blue) and creating something actually good using that as the spine.

[TheGodfather]

I think the MLB should eliminate the travesty that has become Tampa Bay baseball.

Changing a name to placate some 3% of people who wanted it is quite possibly the dumbest move ever.

The continuing with a whole new color and name scheme to rob their fans of money.

Yeah, becuase everyone should shell out money for team gear when the team can't even do anything on the field.

Hmm, lets trade some more young talent. Pft!

[jewbanpimp]

BP caps don't look too bad. Nice and clean, at least.

Eh I'm sorry, I gotta disagree...those things look atrocious. The powder blue/navy blue combo on a baseball team is not working for me.

They look too much like these.

[McCall]

BP caps don't look too bad. Nice and clean, at least.

Eh I'm sorry, I gotta disagree...those things look atrocious. The powder blue/navy blue combo on a baseball team is not working for me.

They look too much like these.

Not really. The Angels included a lot of red with theirs. The Rays kept it to simply navy and light blue (and white).

[Gothamite]

I think the MLB should eliminate the travesty that has become Tampa Bay baseball.

Been saying that for years (and earned some namecalling for it)....

[dahatman]

BP caps don't look too bad. Nice and clean, at least.

Eh I'm sorry, I gotta disagree...those things look atrocious. The powder blue/navy blue combo on a baseball team is not working for me.

I have to agree. You would think after the Anaheim Angels wore that combination in 2000 or 2001 as an alternate hat, other teams woud have learned. I think over the next few years, they will tweak the uni's and caps into something respectable.

[Survival79]

Everyone has a devil of a time with Rays' name

Posted on Sun, Feb. 17, 2008

Admit it, you still find yourself writing "2007" on your checks, and you might have turned on NBC last Thursday night to catch the latest episode of "The Office" when you realized - DUH! - writer's strike.

Some habits are just plain hard to break.

Do something year after year, and it becomes second nature, like calling the Houston Texans the Houston Oilers and Dolphin Stadium Joe Robbie.

Or the Tampa Bay Rays the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

The devil has been exorcised, though some people seemed to have missed that story, which was tough to do, considering the production staged by the team last November that included a fashion show in downtown St. Petersburg to unveil the new uniforms and logo and a concert by actor Kevin Costner and his band.

Still, some continue to call the ballclub the Devil Rays, and that just eats at team president Matt Silverman.

They are the RAYS, as in sunshine, not Devil Rays, as in docile bottom feeders, which the team has been for all of its first 10 years.

"We're no longer the bottom feeding fish," Silverman said during a luncheon last week. "We're much more about the energy of the sun."

Nonetheless, people are having a difficult time adjusting to the change, and it's not just newspapers and magazines writers and Internet bloggers. Team employees still slip on occasion.

Witness the gaffe by pitcher James Shields. During the news conference to announce his mega contract, Shields first referred to the ballclub as the Devil Rays, but quickly covered his mistake to his credit and to his wallet.

It's a $1 fine for any team employee caught uttering the word devil while referring to the Rays.

"We were in need of ridding ourselves of the habit and wanted to do it in a playful way," Silverman said.

Hence the "Drop the Devil" boxes around Tropicana Field to collect the fines.

So now we know how the team came up with all the money for the offseason spending spree.

"No," Silverman said, "it's still pocket change."

And the money goes to the team's foundation, he was quick to note, and not Carlos Pena's bank account.

Silverman has also written a form letter, which is sent to any publication or Web site or TV announcer who erroneously puts the devil in front of the Rays. In it Silverman asks for a $1 donation and warns repeat offenders will be hit with a stiffer penalty.

You wonder if they had this much trouble in the Bronx when the Highlanders became the Yankees or in Beantown when the Boston Patriots became the New England Patriots.

And that brings us to Silverman's next quest.

"Too many times we're referred to as the Tampa Rays," he said.

Put the Bay back in Tampa!

It seems people have - ready for this? - a devil of a time with that name, too.

[Carter23]

"We're no longer the bottom feeding fish," Silverman said during a luncheon last week. "We're much more about the energy of the sun."

and that BP hat (and the rest of their set) is terrible