To say that this guy's is P'Oed is grossly understating it. The columnist's name is Bill Filippone, most likely a fan writing in. - Transic


Read the article from Tampa Bay Sports Net


The Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Where's the toe-tag?


(December 12, 2004) - At what point would you shoot an animal or living creature to end its excruciating suffering?
How long would you just sit by and watch it contort and writhe through its inevitable death throes, gasping for it last breath in vain?

How long do you keep patching it up, and pumping it with temporary pain relief when it's obvious to all who are witness, that this now pathetic beast has no chance of survival?

At what point does the reality of a lost cause set in?

And finally, when do you stand up in the name of humanity to mercifully end this poor being's perpetual pain, suffering, and anguish?

One would hope that the compassion in all of us would not tolerate the aforementioned scenario for any length of time.

Well folks, right here in the Tampa Bay area, we have such a suffering creature. It's been dying and substantially decomposing for the last seven years while our collective consciousness tolerates it and turns the other way.

Now, going into a seemingly impossible and incomprehensible eighth year on its last legs, the horrendously suffering organism known to us as the Devil Rays lies on its back, legs barely kicking, just begging for someone – anyone – to squash it out of its misery.

The most incompetent general manager in the history of pro sports, Chuck LaMar, is out in the Anaheim winter meetings trying in vain to play with the big boys. As usual, thanks to the most miserly owner to walk the Earth, Vince Naimoli, LaMar goes to the meetings with a coin purse while the real G.M.'s have billfolds and wads of money.

LaMar gives us the usual lip service, "...my job is to make this club better for the short term and the long term..."

Excuse me Chuck? Just what the heck does that mean? Which is it? Compete today or build for your imaginary tomorrow that never comes?

To further illustrate LaMar's cluelessness, he seems bound and determined to trade away one of the more potent offensive weapons we have and one of the league's finest productive offensive shortstops, 29-year old Julio Lugo. Yeah Chuck, let's hurry up and get rid of him before that whopping $1.75 million salary balloons all the way up to $3 million through arbitration. We couldn't have that, now could we? And to further insult your fan base, let's keep looking at the likes of Tony Batista, Danny Bautista, Mark Grudzielanek, Pokey Reese, Jeromy Burnitz, Joe Randa and company. Yeah, that'll solve our teams' woes!

Why not just bring back Geoff Blum and Danny Clyburn?

Aside from Naimoli's cheapness and LaMar's ineptitude, this suffering beast is also afflicted with the following diseases: a drab, dull stadium in the middle of nowhere with low hanging rafters that plays like a pinball machine, an Owner whose public persona is more damaging than his cheapness, a public relations department that finds new ways to alienate fans and fan-groups alike, a community relations staff that doesn't know the community, a staff of security and ushers that execute only with Gestapo tactics, an annual inability to sign their first round draft picks in any acceptable time frame and now, they're also alienating a top-notch radio play-by-play team by not renewing their contracts.

The list could go on and on. The only thing this franchise has done consistently well is scout out and develop talented young players. An admirable trait if this were a double A franchise. But for a Major league franchise, any sensible mind, knowledgeable of the Devil Rays would have to conclude that it is not just the worst team in baseball, but the most horribly-run, loathesome franchise in the history of professional sports.

Which brings me back to my opening analogy.

At what point does Major League Baseball, through Commissioner Bud Selig, step in and end the suffering? If there was ever a poster-child for contraction (or eradication in this case) of a sports team, the Devil Rays would seem to meet any and all criteria. In fact, they've lowered the bar to write new criteria for elimination.

As a 20+ year Bay Area resident and a rabid baseball fan, it hurts me immensely to advocate the death of my hometown team. But there comes a time when enough is enough.

Simply put, if the team doesn't care, (to which, there are seven years of irrefutable proof) then why should we as fans? This franchise, through all the indiscretions mentioned here and by other bay area observers, has shown nothing but contempt towards its fans and its community and worst yet, lacks the desire and capacity to change.

I love baseball and always dreamed of the day it would come to Tampa Bay. But this has been a grotesque exercise in futility. For whatever reason, fate has saddled us with a nearly 20-year old mausoleum of a stadium on the far reaches of a deteriorating downtown, a schizophrenic owner with apparently no remaining capital, and a court-jester of a general manager perceived with amusement by his peers.

It's just too much to overcome.

The animal has suffered long enough and needs to be put out of its misery. Another band-aid, pain killer, or even life infusion could not resuscitate this beast.

Time to eliminate the Devil Rays, disperse our exciting young players to some real major league franchises where we can watch them thrive, and as fans, enter the free-agent market for a new favorite team.

Someone get the toe tag, I'm pronouncing the Devil Rays as officially deceased.

It's time to move on with baseball life!

quote:

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it is not just the worst team in baseball, but the most horribly-run, loathesome franchise in the history of professional sports.

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Guess he never heard of Donald Sterling and the Los Angeles Clippers.