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Talk of the Bay
From basement dweller to top draw a long process
By JEFF HARRINGTON
Published September 25, 2006
A recent Wall Street Journal story suggests the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' new management, under the guidance of team president Matt Silverman, is doing just dandy. Losing ways aside, the Rays have enjoyed a cultural renaissance, it crows. Free parking at Tropicana Field. The cownose rays fish tank. Outback Steakhouse co-founder Bob Basham is dishing out tips to Silverman on how to create repeat customers. The article even cites one episode where former first baseman Travis Lee had trouble calling to the pitcher over a loud crowd at the Trop as part of the "growing list of anecdotal evidence suggesting that Mr. Silverman and the Devil Rays' new management group is taking the moribund franchise in the right direction." Nonetheless, turning one of the league's poorest-performing teams into a fan favorite is hardly simple. More often than not, the Rays' first baseman has no trouble being heard from the pitcher's mound. Despite a slight bump in popularity this season, the Rays are languishing with the second-worst average attendance in the league.
[Last modified September 25, 2006, 06:08:10]
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