2002 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season
Encyclopedia
The 2002 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season was their 5th since the franchise was created. This season, they finished last in the AL East
division, and managed to finish the season with a record of 55-106. Their manager
was Hal McRae
who entered his 1st full season and last season with the Devil Rays.
games between the Florida Marlins and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were played in June and July. They are known as the Citrus Series
. The Devil Rays won the series 4-2.
was celebrating 25 years of the network since its founding in 1979. The network decided to honor the first 25 years from the best to the worst and everything else in between. The Rays were ranked 16th in the actual ESPN Worst Team Result of the first 25 years conducted by ESPN and its users. The users put them higher at 13th than the original airing as the worst team by only 3 spots.
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
division, and managed to finish the season with a record of 55-106. Their manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
was Hal McRae
Hal McRae
Harold Abraham McRae is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals . Utilized as a designated hitter for most of his career, McRae batted and threw right-handed...
who entered his 1st full season and last season with the Devil Rays.
Offseason
- November 8, 2001: Ryan Freel was signed as a Free Agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Opening Day starters
- Brent Abernathy
- Steve Cox
- Chris Gomez
- Ben Grieve
- Toby Hall
- Bobby Smith
- Tanyon Sturtze
- Jason Tyner
- Greg Vaughn
- Randy Winn
Notable transactions
- June 4, 2002: B.J. Upton was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1st round (2nd pick) of the 2002 amateur draft. Player signed September 16, 2002.
- June 4, 2002: Elijah Dukes was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 3rd round of the 2002 amateur draft. Player signed August 21, 2002.
- June 4, 2002: Jacoby EllsburyJacoby EllsburyJacoby McCabe Ellsbury ; born September 11, 1983) is an American professional baseball center fielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball....
was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 23rd round of the 2002 amateur draft, but did not sign.
Roster
| 2002 Tampa Bay Devil Rays | |||||||||
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| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
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Citrus series
The annual interleagueInterleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
games between the Florida Marlins and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were played in June and July. They are known as the Citrus Series
Citrus Series
The Citrus Series is the name given to the interleague series between the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays in Major League Baseball. The Marlins broke into the league in as the Florida Marlins, while the Rays had their first season in as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The first meeting between the two...
. The Devil Rays won the series 4-2.
| Date | Winning Team | Losing Team | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 14 | Devil Rays | Marlins | 4-3 (14 innings) | Pro Player Stadium |
| June 15 | Marlins | Devil Rays | 3-0 | Pro Player Stadium |
| June 16 | Devil Rays | Marlins | 4-1 | Pro Player Stadium |
| June 28 | Devil Rays | Marlins | 4-0 | Tropicana Field |
| June 29 | Marlins | Devil Rays | 3-2 | Tropicana Field |
| June 30 | Devil Rays | Marlins | 6-5 (12 innings) | Tropicana Field |
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ESPN25 Worst Team of All-Time
In 2004, ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
was celebrating 25 years of the network since its founding in 1979. The network decided to honor the first 25 years from the best to the worst and everything else in between. The Rays were ranked 16th in the actual ESPN Worst Team Result of the first 25 years conducted by ESPN and its users. The users put them higher at 13th than the original airing as the worst team by only 3 spots.