|
|
Article: Countdown over for baseball-starved Tampa Bay fans
- Article from:
- AP Online
- Article date:
- March 31, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Associated Press. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Associated Press. (Hide copyright information)
|
FRED GOODALL AP Sports Writer
AP Online
03-31-1998
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) _ The long wait is over.
More than two decades after a committee was formed to pursue major league baseball, Tampa Bay finally has a team to call its own.
The expansion Devil Rays make their debut today against the Detroit Tigers. For fans frustrated by seven failed attempts to land franchises in the past, the moment is much bigger than the game itself.
``Everyone has worked so hard, but I think the reality of it all is just beginning to sink in,'' said general manager Chuck LaMar, who's spent the last three years building the franchise.
``The feeling is much better than I ever anticipated it would ...