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Rays’ season even surprises owner Stuart Sternberg

 
Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg speaks to the media before a game against the Yankees at Tropicana Field on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018. (Associated Press)
Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg speaks to the media before a game against the Yankees at Tropicana Field on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018. (Associated Press)
Published Sept. 28, 2018

ST. PETERSBURG — The sun was shining bright that February day in Port Charlotte, which seemed maybe a medical explanation for principal owner Stuart Sternberg's seemingly overtly optimistic assessment of his Rays team that just purged most of its veterans and had its motives questioned.

He defended their decision-making based on their "great track record.'' He insisted they would field a "very competitive" team. And when asked how many games they would win, he replied in a coyly confident way, saying, "More than you think. Whatever it is anybody in this group here is thinking, I think it's more. I'm high man."

Standing on the field at the Trop on Thursday before the 159th game — and given a 12-1 loss to the Yankees, one of the ugliest of the season — Sternberg admitted even he underestimated what this team, a stunning 88-71 with three to play, would do.

"It wasn't 90,'' Sternberg said. "Sort of a spread, probably 83-87 at the time, not based on anything other than my feeling, and I try to be realistic rather over just optimistic. Then if you take it out (as they started 3-14 and lost several key players to injury) and asked me then … I would have been down into the low to mid 70s.''

Sternberg chose "resiliency" as most descriptive, noting how well the Rays played late in the season after transitioning to a young core. "Just a joy to watch,'' he said.

And in showering praise, he labeled the decisions by the front office in reshaping the roster "A-plus-plus;'' lauded the "incredible work" of manager Kevin Cash, pitching coach Kyle Snyder and staff to align the pitching staff while improving the defense and overall run prevention; and noted how offensively they successfully "switched on a dime" from a home-run-hitting to a contact-oriented approach.

"I'm as proud of this group of guys as we've had up to this point,'' Sternberg said. "Obviously, they're not going to get to the postseason. They're not going to get to the World Series. But … they performed up to their capabilities, which is all you ask for as an owner.''

On other topics, Sternberg said:

• The strong finish "dramatically" shapes their plans for the offseason, giving them "something potentially to build off of'' going forward, even joking that it might be to the point where next spring he is the one tempering expectations.

• The plan to bring back "a large majority" of the current roster and payroll commitments potentially under $35 million, and they are in position to address whatever improvements they deem necessary.

"We're going to do everything we can in the offseason, and we think we're positioned really well to make some great decisions from a point of strength, which is most important,'' he said. "Some might be dramatic, but I doubt it. I think we're going to have a fun time this offseason.''

Could that include making a significantly expensive addition?

"The free agent game, while it's not a suckers' game, it's a bit of a fools' game, but it's something we have to play at times,'' he said. "I anticipate going out to find players outside the organization to add as we always have. But we're going to be picky as always, we're going to be choosy as always. As much as we might have potentially to spend in any one year, we do it over a three- to five-year period, but even past that, most all the other teams, if not all, have those same capabilities and wherewithal to add as much or more money than we do. And it's no different this offseason.''

• He expects at least half the major-league teams to try using the opener pitching strategy the Rays so successfully implemented.

• Starter Blake Snell definitely deserves to win the American League Cy Young Award: "If one of the other guys is my pitcher, and I saw what Blake had done in this division, with that many wins (21) and an under-2.00 ERA, and taking the ball from Day 1 to the end with a lot of the cacophony that's gone around him, having to be the guy — yeah."

• Bob Melvin probably earned manager of the year for the "stupendous" job of getting the A's to the playoffs, but what Cash has done "has been as difficult a job that's been asked of a manager (especially with the pitching) and then delivering … (and been) incredibly successful. … He's found a way through a lot of turmoil, a lot of change, and has been just a gem.''

• He is most encouraged by the depth of talent at the major- and minor-league levels, taking what he called "a team approach" of few superstars but lots of good players: "Sort of the thickness of it and how horizontal it is, not very vertical.''

• That playing in an AL East Division with potentially two 100-win teams again illustrates the need for MLB to switch to a more balanced scheduling format, which he is hopeful will happen and is fine with giving up home dates with the Red Sox and Yankees for the chance to win more.