With the Rays planning a year-long celebration of their 20th anniversary, the Times is taking a look back – with 20 lists of 20 things about those first 20 seasons.
Here are 20 memorable quotes in the Rays 20 years:
GM Chuck LaMar after a 451-680 record and six last-place finishes in the Rays' first seven seasons
Then top-prospect Delmon Young, on the day he was honored as Baseball America's top minor-leaguer as to why the Rays weren't calling him up
Manager Lou Piniella, on the Rays' play in a May 2005 loss
Managing general partner Vince Naimoli, on the March 31, 1998, inaugural game
Rays manager Joe Maddon, on the team "dress" code
Check out the rest of Marc Topkin's coverage here, on:
–20 words on the 20th anniversary
–20 numbers to remember
–The 20 weirdest moments
–Tampa Bay's 20 'Forrest Gump moments'
–20 years of Rays and 'the things we've loved' about them
–Greatest moments in franchise history
–Best signings, trades and deals
–20 players who surprisingly finished with them
–20 players you forgot ever played for them
–20 most notable draft picks
–20 Things we've hated over the years
–The 20 best players
–Recounting the 20 most memorable injuries
–The 20 worst players
–Worst signings, trades and deals
–Ranking every season
Designated hitter Pat Burrell, in a text reply to the Times when asked about his May 2010 release
Outfielder Carl Crawford, on signing with the Red Sox after 12 years in the Rays organization
Pitcher Scott Kazmir, making what seemed like a bold statement on the first day of 2008 spring training
Reliever Trever Miller, after the Rays clinched their 2008 World Series berth
Longtime coach Tom Foley, on the assorted antics by Maddon
Manager Larry Rothschild after a 10-0 loss that dropped his club to 4-10 in April 2001; he was fired the next day
Rays managing general partner — you know who — to the St. Petersburg police officer who pulled over Naimoli's wife, Lenda, for running a red light
Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, to WEEI radio, about Piniella after latest of repeated scuffles between the Rays and Red Sox.
Piniella, on signing with the Rays, who then went 200-285 in his three seasons as manager and had the lowest payroll in the majors each year
Rays pitcher Chris Archer, on Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz after a 2014 bat flip
Ortiz, when told of Archer's comments
Wade Boggs, on getting his 3,000th hit with the Rays
Archer, tweeting to first lady Michelle Obama before the team's March 2016 trip to Cuba
Then-prospect Elijah Dukes, to USA Today on being in the minors
Deep-thinking first basemen Carlos Peña, asked how the Rays went from worst in 2007 to first in 2008