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Season to treasure, build on

In print: Friday, October 31, 2008

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The end to a glorious season came suddenly. Even on Halloween, it seems like baseball fans should be preparing for Game 7 of the World Series at Tropicana Field. But the disappointment of falling just short already is fading and the appreciation is growing even deeper for the incredible accomplishments of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The shorthand is familiar: From worst to first. From a decade of at least 90 losses a year to 97 wins. The team that began the year with the smallest payroll won its first division title, its first playoff game and its first American League championship. The images will last a life-time. T-shirts promoting manager Joe Maddon's new math, 9=8. Ray-hawk haircuts. Cowbells. A sold-out Trop with the World Series logo painted on the turf.

This is a season to build upon. Attendance and television ratings were up substantially. The team's success united Tampa Bay, and fans gathered in public venues in Tampa, Largo and St. Petersburg to watch the playoffs. The Rays are young, and the franchise's ownership is innovative and committed. Now the challenge is to use this year as a springboard to ensure major league baseball remains part of the fabric of this community.

The citizens coalition, A Baseball Community, has been organized and is developing efforts to expand the Rays' regional and corporate support. Options for a modern new stadium will continue to be explored, and that process should be a bit easier with the goodwill generated by the remarkable success on the field and higher fan interest.

This has been a year to remember. And when the Tampa Bay Rays open spring training next year, they will no longer be the last-place Rays. They will be the defending American League champions. That has nice ring, doesn't it?