According to Maury Brown and his staff at the Biz of Baseball, they picked the Tampa Bay Rays. We saw the Rays go from being one of the worst teams in baseball in 2007 to one of the best teams in 2008 as they hosted the Phillies in the first two games of the World Series. It is that accomplishment that has Bill & I in agreement with Biz of Baseball on this point.
In my eyes, this drastic turn around stems from the team’s new ownership who have changed the team colors and decided to remove the word “Devil” from the team name (they were formerly called the Devil Rays). It is a philosophy that has been a part of the metamorphosis of the Tampa Bay franchise. Here’s what new team owner Stuart Sternberg had to say about the changes they went through:
“We were tied to the past, and the past wasn’t necessarily something we
wanted to be known for. Nobody’s running from it or hiding from it, and
we’re proud of certain aspects of it, but this is something the
organization was able to really put their arms around. I hope and
expect the fans who come out will see it as a new beginning,” he said.
For more on this selection please go to this article from the Biz of Baseball, which can be found by clicking the following text link.
One Response
I may be biased but having watched this organization run day in and day out it would be hard for me to say anybody but the Phillies. From top to bottom the Phillies were a class organization and their hard work and dedication and pride in the city shined in the World Series.
The Rays did a great job this season but the Phillies came through during the season with key moves that may have been overlooked. GM Pat Gillick brought in Joe Blanton (undefeated in post season play) and Matt Stairs (key home run in NLCS) as well as Eric Bruntlett before the season who played a key role in the post season.
The Phillies had two all stars (Brad Lidge and Chase Utley) but prevailed to win the World Series using every player on the team. Ryan Howard lead the league in homeruns, Jimmy Rollins was stellar in the field and Brett Myers was sent to triple A and rebounded brilliantly.
Find me a team that was better than that as an organization form top to bottom. I dare you.