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Here were some words to describe the first half of the Devil Rays' season: "Absurd," "comical," "maddening." So what a pleasant surprise that we come to the end of the season and say with a straight face that the buzz word of the second half in Tampa Bay was "improvement." The D-Rays, under interim manager Hal McRae, looked nearly decent at moments in the second half, and while the talent isn't yet there to lead anyone to believe the playoffs are around the corner, at least this team has made strides in the correct direction. It's more than some AL East teams can say.
Best Pitcher: Before we get too lovey-dovey here, let's just state the fact that the team's best pitcher might not start on 20 of the other teams in the league. Here's one of the few teams whose best starting pitcher wasn't even in the rotation on opening day. Tanyon Sturtze (11-12, 4.42) was nearly named the team's closer out of spring training, but lost out to Esteban Yan. A good thing, too, because Sturtze was more than ready to step up for an underachieving Ryan Rupe (5-12, 6.59) in early May. Not sure if this is the kind of thing you want to brag to your grand kids about, but Sturtze became the third Tampa Bay pitcher ever to win 10 or more games. If Paul Wilson (8-9, 4.88 overall, 6-2, 2.39 in second half) could pitch in the first half as he has in the second half the last two seasons, he'd win this, hands down. But he didn't.
Best Position Player: He may be a great guy, and he's a solid power hitter, but we refuse to give a .230 hitter this title, so Greg Vaughn (.233-24-82) is out. Fred McGriff was shipped out in late July or else he'd be an easy answer. Face it, there is no answer here. We're tempted to call on rookie catcher Toby Hall (.298, 30 RBI in 188 AB), who appears to have a tremendous future in this league, but how valuable can a player be with fewer than 200 at-bats? The winner? When Tampa Bay comes to the plate, no one's a winner.
Grading The Manager: C+. It's not as if Hal McRae was handed a plum job with a team just bursting with talent. He was called, out of the blue, to take over Larry Rothschild's job on April 18. He was handed the reins of a floundering team, and it floundered even worse with him. At least for awhile. McRae appears to have gained control of his young squad, and has done a nice job of seeing what some of his younger players can do. His willingness to give Brent Abernathy, Aubrey Huff and Toby Hall among others a look-see in 2001 could pay big dividends down the road. If there is a road, but that's another story.
Most Improved: True, he blew a few saves here and there, but who believed that Esteban Yan had what it takes to become a major league closer? Twenty saves later, he appears to have become one. No finesse points here, and he's unlikely to unseat the Mariano Riveras of the world, but Yan has put together a decent season despite an injury and not too many opportunities to close.
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Devil Rays 2000-01 comparison
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2000
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2001
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W-L
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69-92
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62-100
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HR leader
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Vaughn, 28
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Vaughn, 24
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BA leader
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McGriff, .277
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Grieve, .264
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ERA
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Lopez, 4.13
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Sturtze, 4.42
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Biggest Weakness: Not going anywhere for awhile? If this team could only upgrade at first base, shortstop, third base, two of the three outfield positions and add three-to-five solid starters and a bullpen, they might have the makings of a pretty good team.
Gaining Momentum: Heading into 2002, the play of Abernathy, Hall, and CF Jason Tyner (.280, 31 SB in 105 games) especially has been promising. On the mound, young Nick Bierbrodt (3-4, 4.55 ERA) has been unsteady but he's a true talent with a solid future. Victor Zambrano (38 H, 58 K in 51 1/3 IP) may be the best reliever in the league that nobody's heard of. Wilson has looked great in the second half, but didn't he have momentum coming into this season, as well?
Kicked Off The Island: How many opportunities does Jose Guillen (.274-3-11) get to prove he's a future star? Here's a hint: The guy has now been playing since 1997 and has never had a slugging percentage over .430. Look to your unproven talent, Rays. Also, has anyone noticed that Vaughn hasn't been the same since he was traded back to the AL two years ago? Sounds like he could be another Devil Ray who under performs once coming over from the Senior Circuit, and then flourishes again when traded back. Calling all NL teams, get your Vinny Castilla play-alike here... Ben Grieve (.264-11-72) is too young and talented to kick off the island, but if I had built my team around him and he'd responded with 11 home runs all year, I'd be tempted to kick him somewhere.
Bill Konigsberg is an assistant editor at ESPN.com.
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