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	Monday, July 17
	Midseason report: Tampa Bay Devil Rays By Marty Bernoski ESPN.com
	Long home runs were supposed to be the answer. Fans would pack Tropicana Field for the tape measure bombs. At the midway point, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' version of Murderer's Row looks more like an attempted suicide. Let's find out how the wheels came off in Tampa's first half report card. First-half MVP: The 36-year-old Fred McGriff has been the only bright spot on a team that was supposed to be an offensive juggernaut. With sluggers Vinny Castilla, Jose Canseco and Greg Vaughn on and off the disabled list, it was McGriff who led the team with 15 homers and 58 RBI through 82 games. He hit .313 with six homers and 21 RBI in June, leading the Devil Rays to a 15-11 record -- the best month in club history. Biggest disappointment: You could say Juan Guzman, Canseco or Castilla without getting much of an argument. Guzman, who signed a two-year, $12.5 million contract in January, lasted only 1 2/3 innings in his only appearance April 7 and is really not a disappointment because he has not played enough. We could give the honor to Canseco (.261, 7, 20 in 42 games), but we'll reserve the award for Castilla, who is hitting .215 with six homers and 32 RBI in 57 games. Castilla was an Iron Man for the Colorado Rockies from 1995-99, missing only 24 of 792 games. After 82 games with the Devil Rays, he's already missed 24 due to injury. Biggest surprise: When your starting pitching ranks 13th in the AL (18-33, 6.01 through July 6), you'd think the relief pitching isn't far behind. This time you'd be wrong. Through 82 games, the Devil Rays' bullpen has held opponents to a .242 average and ranks 2nd in the AL in ERA (3.80). After allowing 33 earned runs in the first 47 innings of the season (11 games), the Devil Rays surrendered only 94 earned runs in their next 251 1/3 innings -- a 3.37 ERA. Roberto Hernandez anchored the bullpen, going 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA and six saves in June. Second-half goals: Get the Dream Team reassembled and off the disabled list. McGriff, Canseco, Vaughn and Castilla have appeared in the lineup together only 31 times, producing 41 combined homers through 82 games. The Rays have played .500 since May 31, but haven't been getting much support from their starters. With Wilson Alvarez and Guzman out for the year and Tony Saunders attempting a comeback, the Devil Rays don't have much with which to work. Steve Trachsel (6-8, 4.61 through July 6) got off to a 3-2 start after blanking the Red Sox and Yankees in consecutive starts in May, but has gone 3-6 since. Grade: -- What else can you say about a team that had its best record in club history last month and has no shot at postseason play? It's all down hill from here. (Scale: 1 to 4 baseballs; 1 = worst, 4 = best) We told you what we thought of the Devil Rays' first-half performance, now you've told us. Here is what you had to say about what the Devil Rays have to do in the second half.		ALSO SEE Midseason Feedback: Devil Rays MLB midseason reports ESPN.com's All-Star Game coverage Kurkjian: Stories of the first half Ten second-half questions for the AL Ten second-half questions for the NL