Emerging From the Depths

It was a typical Sunday night in October, and in some ways, it wasn't. Much of the sports nation was tuned in for Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. One team, one fan base, and one city would be represented in the World Series starting later this week. And it was an AL East showdown to boot. The defending champion Boston Red Sox tried to extend their dreams of a repeat in ... St. Petersburg?

The Tampa Bay Rays, no question, have been the perplexing, dazzling, and feel-good story of the baseball season. A squad of youngsters built by strong drafts and great scouting has gone from laughing stocks to potential pennant winners. No one expected this to happen in March, but it's not like the story's an unknown one.

How does the Rays' season stack up to some of the best turnarounds in baseball lore? Here's how I think the top five would filter out.

5) 1991 Minnesota Twins

This team had gone from the penthouse to the basement in just three seasons. The 1987 edition of the Twins had won the World Championship, but by 1990, this team was looking up at the rest of the AL West. Now granted, only Oakland and the White Sox won more than 90 games. However, falling from 91 wins in 1988 to 74 in 1990 is still nothing any team wants to be a part of.

Then came 1991. Minnesota kept on hitting (averaging 4.79 runs/game) and the pitching caught up (a staff ERA of 3.69). Pitchers Scott Erickson (20-8) and Kevin Tapani (16-9) turned in stellar campaign in their second seasons with the club. Wily veteran Jack Morris (18-12) was as cagey as ever during his only year in the Metrodome. And the Twins rode those arms to their second world championship in five seasons.

The big reason why this team isn't higher on the list is because their core hitters (Kirby Puckett, Greg Gagne, Kent Hrbek, and Dan Gladden) were part of the '87 champs.

4) 2003 Florida Marlins

The Marlins have only been around since 1993. Yet, they have more championships than 12 other major league franchises (most whom have been around two to three times as long). And the way they compile their trophies is still baffling. In 1997, the team was assembled with key veterans hungry for a title.

A lineup that included Bobby Bonilla, Devon White, Moises Alou, Jeff Conine, and Gary Sheffield catapulted the organization into success. Then everything dissolved. By the stretch run of the season, the main cogs from the previous season's batting order were gone, leaving the defending champs in instant rebuild mode.

This incident helped players like Derrek Lee, Mike Lowell, and Luis Castillo learn through the fire. However, with the Marlins middling around to an under-.500 record in 2002, no one could really see postseason dreams in the near future.

Then the arms came alive. Thanks to youngsters Josh Beckett and Dontrelle Willis, the Fish improved their runs allowed almost one-half run (4.71 to 4.27). And in the postseason, Beckett became a stud playoff pitcher, guiding the team to series wins over the heavily favored Chicago Cubs (in the NLCS) and New York Yankees (in the WS).

The most amazing thing about all of this is that owner Wayne Huizenga basically dismantled the team again within a couple of seasons. However, Florida has been knocking at the door of the playoffs again. It might be time to refresh that parade route.

3) 1991 Atlanta Braves

The Twins' counterpart in that 1991 World Series had to come from even more treacherous depths to get their chance at the brass ring. Except for Dale Murphy, the Braves had pretty much been mired in a mediocrity-at-best situation through the 1980s. They did have three seasons at or above .500, but the late half of the decade became abysmal.

Between 1985 and 1990, the franchise never won more than 72 games in a season. The worst of all occurred in 1988, when the team finished 54-106, last in scoring, second-to-last in hitting, and second-to-last in pitching. The next two years didn't bring much hope, with 97 losses by the end of both seasons.

However, things turned around in '91. They improved their middle-of-the-pack batting to second-best (in both runs and batting average) in the league. But it was the pitching that really got a boost. The team went from dead-last in ERA to third-best, improving more than a full run (4.58 to 3.49). By the end of the season, Atlanta had stolen their first of 14 straight division titles from Los Angeles (by one game) and survived the NLCS (beating Pittsburgh 4-3).

The rotation of Tom Glavine, Steve Avery, Charlie Leibrandt, and John Smoltz helped propel the organization to its first World Series since 1958. And it only took a legendary pitching performance from Jack Morris to deny them their first title since 1957.

2) 2008 Tampa Bay Rays

As I write this article, the Rays are celebrating their first-ever pennant and trip to the Fall Classic. Sort of sounds like another historic team (hint, hint). For the first decade of their existence, the Devil Rays (whoops ... do I owe a dollar to their fund, now?) were the barnacles of baseball. While other upstarts in Miami and Phoenix were winning trophies, the Rays waddled through one 90-loss season after another.

There were the good old days of 2004, when the team finally reached their first 70-win campaign. Now that seems like a ghost from the past. With young talent stocking the lineup (Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton) and a crop of well-to-do young arms (Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza), the Rays made an unbelievable push toward respectability.

Actually, heck, they went right past respectable and flat out won their division. That meant taking their team payroll (est. $44 million) and besting those of the Yankees (est. $209 million), Red Sox (est. $133 million), and Toronto Blue Jays (est. $98 million). But I guess the league's second-best ERA of 3.82 can help even the field a little.

However, even with a World Series title, these Rays can't get past the number one stunner...

1) 1969 New York Mets

If you're searching for the ultimate turnaround story, stop right here. Everybody knows the story about the lovable, lossable, miserable Mets. In their first seven years of existence, the team lost 100-plus games five times. Granted, there had been improvement in years five and seven, but who could have seen what year eight would bring?

In the first season of divisional play, runs per game improved (from 2.90 to 3.90), along with the team's batting average (.228 to .242). But the strength of the team was pitching. A 2.99 ERA held up as the second-best in the NL. With a rotation featuring Tom Seaver (25-7) and Jerry Koosman (17-9), as well as relievers the likes of Nolan Ryan and Tug McGraw, this team muscled its way to 100 wins and their first World Series title.

Funny, though, the turn switched back pretty quick. The Mets didn't win 90 games in a season again until 1984.