Go Rays Chant

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

It mentions that the area suffered through unsuccessful attempts to gain an expansion franchise until Vince Naimoli's group was approved on March 9, 1995. The text notes that fans approved the name 'Devil Rays' via a telephone poll where Naimoli offered to change it to 'Manta Rays,' but no specific chants or vocal traditions are recorded.

In Their Own Story

It describes Wilson Álvarez throwing the first pitch and Wade Boggs hitting the first home run, resulting in an 11–6 loss. The text details the team's struggles, including a franchise-worst 55–106 record in 2002, and their eventual turnaround in 2008 with their first AL East championship. It mentions that Lou Piniella became frustrated with ownership after the 2005 season, but it does not describe any specific crowd chants or stadium atmosphere beyond the opening day attendance of 45,369.

Reader's Guide

The only details regarding fan interaction involve a telephone poll conducted by owner Vince Naimoli to choose between 'Devil Rays' and 'Manta Rays.' The text notes that the team plays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, which opened in 1990 specifically to lure a major league team. It mentions that the 2004 season saw the team finish second-to-last, ending nearly three decades of trying to gain an expansion franchise or entice relocations.

Did You Know?

• The team began play as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1998 Major League Baseball season.
• An ownership group led by Vince Naimoli was approved on March 9, 1995, after he sued MLB for blocking a deal to buy and move the San Francisco Giants.
• The team's first decade included finishing last in the AL East in all but the 2004 season, when they finished second to last.
• In the Expansion Draft on November 18, 1997, the Devil Rays acquired their first player, pitcher Tony Saunders, and future star Bobby Abreu before trading him for Kevin Stocker.
• Through 2025, the Rays' all-time record is 2,168–2,264 (.489).