| Craig Castille. 30th September, 2008 - 5:54 pm
 Joe Maddon took a normal afternoon bike ride one day just before spring training was to begin. It was during that particular ride where the proverbial light went on, and Maddon had found his theme for the 2008 season.
It was simply 9 = 8.
The meaning of this slogan that Maddon relayed to his team was this; nine players playing hard for nine innings would be enough to gain one of the eight playoff berths by the end of the regular season.
Joe Maddon also established three goals for the Rays using his theory of nines.
1) Nine more wins from the defense
2) Nine more wins from the offense
3) Nine more wins from the pitchers
Stringing the extra team wins together added up to 27 more wins, and adding those to last years' record amounted to 93, which Maddon figured to be good enough to be one of the eight playoff teams.
He was right.
The Rays turnaround this year was remarkable on many fronts. Not only did the Rays bury their previous reputation as "The Charlie Brown All-Stars" of baseball, but they established a new found respect in both leagues not only because of how they played, but how they got there as well. Imagine, now other teams may attempt to emulate the Rays success this year.
The success on the field was near historic in many ways. The final record of 97-65 was the 3rd greatest turnaround in AL history. The team that stood at 150-1 odds before the season managed to win the toughest division title in baseball. The expected collapse(s) never came as the Rays led the AL East for 89 of the last 94 days.
Pitching and defense enjoyed major roles in their success. The pitching staff ERA had the 4th greatest improvement in major league history. The decrease in runs allowed was the third most since 1900.
A few other improvements"
Runs allowed.......... (30th) - (T-3)
Team ERA .............(30th) - (3rd)
WHIP.....................(30th) - (2nd)
Bullpen ERA...........(30th) - (4th)
Opp/avg/bullpen.......(30th) - (1st)
Inhr/runs/sc.............(30th) - (2nd)
Fielding pct.............(27th) - (8th)
Speed, defense and pitching are now the new axioms for baseball now that the game has cleaned up so much of the pollution (steroids) that was proving cancerous. Not cancerous to the record books, but rather cancerous in how the game was being played.
Gone are many of the overweight and aging softball players. In, are the players like Upton, Longoria, and Crawford, players that defend and run the bases as well as hit. Gone are the 11-4 and 9-6 slugfests. In, are the 3-2 and 2-1 thrillers. Now, every pitch matters.
The glory and drama in the game that has lacked credibility for 15 years has returned to baseball, and this time with a new kid on the block. The playoffs begin soon, and this is may be the most interesting and balanced field the AL has ever had.
Every team runs, defends, has versatility with lineups, and of course, pitching. Experience among teams is at different levels, but that rarely overrides ability on the field as history has shown us many times.
The Rays enter into this post season with the youngest pitching rotation since the 1986 Mets. Where the team creed of 9 = 8 fits into the postseason remains to be seen.
But this much is known in 2008; pitching, defense are back in the forefront of winning baseball, with which the Rays are able, ready, and loaded to meet the next challenge.
If you have a question or comment, you may email Craig Castille at rangeman1@yahoo.com |
