TABLE OF CONTENTS · 2020. 4. 22. · 2008 rays organization major league coaches & staff 2008 40-m...

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2008 RAYS ORGANIZATION MAJOR LEAGUE COACHES & STAFF 2008 40-MAN ROSTER 2008 NON-ROSTER 2007 SEASON REVIEW RAYS RECORDS & HISTORY 2008 RAYS OPPONENTS MINOR LEAGUE OPERATIONS BROADCAST INFORMATION RAYS SPRING TRAINING TROPICANA FIELD TABLE OF CONTENTS RAYS DID YOU KNOW? Al Lang Field, Rays All-Time at ...562 All-Star Balloting ......................435 All-Star Futures Game .............. 196 Attendance Records ................286 Baseball Tomorrow Fund ......... 157 Birthdays ..................................... 65 Catwalks .................................... 165 Cigar Bar, Cuesta-Rey................ 36 Community Advisory Board....... 32 Debut, Rays to Win Major League ........................ 137 Dirt Base Paths ........................... 43 Disney Series ............................ 192 Doubleheaders Inside ................ 81 Draft, Rays 2008 Amateur .......... 17 Ejection Leaders, Rays All-Time...34 Erik Walker Community Champion Award .................. 442 Expansion Clubs and Postseason .................... 457 Expansion Draft Selections .....545 Field Renovation Program ........... 8 First Employee ............................ 10 First Round Draft Picks ............ 477 Golden Seats............................. 447 Ground Rules, Tropicana Field...337 Hall of Fame Credentials .......... 424 Holidays, Rays on ..................... 507 Home Run Balls Autographed...451 Home Run in First AB, Rays ..... 456 Home Runs at Tropicana Field, Teams ....... 422 Home Runs vs. Rays ................. 420 Homegrown Rays ..................... 249 Hotels, Road, 2008 ..................... 19 Important Dates, 2008.............. 251 Interleague Play ........................ 139 International Players .................. 18 Japanese Players in the Majors .... 121 Longest Games in Rays History ..........................306 Major League Alumni and the Rays.......................... 528 Minor League Pitcher/Player of the Year .............................453 No Assists ................................... 30 Non-Roster Invites on Opening Day Roster ............... 96 Organization 20-Game Hit Streaks ............................. 332 Organization Cycles .................468 Organization MVPs ...................233 Organization No-Hitters........... 237 Organization of the Year, Topps...253 Original Rays ............................. 240 PAL in the Press Box................. 235 Pitches Thrown ........................... 42 Player Development Staff Awards..........................546 Position Players as Pitchers .... 522 Pregame Schedule ..................... 16 Promotions Get an “A”.............. 576 Pronunciations, Name.............. 116 Qualifying Numbers..................436 Roberto Clemente Award......... 141 Rookie Qualifications ............... 177 Rule 5 Draft, Rays History in .... 243 Save Rule................................... 173 Service Time with Rays, Longest...94 Smith, Paul C. and Lopez, Al ....335 Spring Training at Home...........405 Spring Training Invites.............. 262 Statistics, How to Figure ............ 28 Steal Home, Rays to ................... 26 Stolen Bases, AL since 1998 .... 108 Strike Zone, The .......................... 57 Switch-Hitters, Rays ................463 Tampa Office ................................. 4 Ted Williams Museum................. 38 Triple Plays ................................ 151 Uniform Numbers, Most Common ........................ 56 Waiver Rules ............................. 542 We Are Now the Rays ................... 6 Websites, Rays ......................... 111 Wheelchair Softball Team ........ 126 World Series Shares ................. 492 Youngest Rays All-Time ...........466 Youngest Teams in Baseball ........ 9 Award Winners ............................. 334 Bios 40-Man Roster .......................... 45 Clubhouse Staff ........................ 41 Coaching Staff, Major League... 21 Friedman, Andrew....................... 8 Front Office ................................. 5 Grounds Crew ........................... 43 Hunsicker, Gerry ......................... 9 Maddon, Joe ............................. 21 Medical Staff ............................. 44 Non-Roster Invites .................. 228 Silverman, Matt ........................... 7 Sternberg, Stuart ........................ 5 Training Staff, Major League..... 40 Zimmer, Don .............................. 37 Broadcasting, Radio .................... 559 Broadcasting, TV ......................... 557 Draft, Rays Amateur, 1996-2007 ............................... 550 Front Office Directory ...................... 2 Hall of Fame ................................. 573 History Field Staff, All-Time ................. 373 Opening Day Lineups.............. 372 Rays Chronology..................... 368 Rays Firsts............................... 338 Season Summaries, 1998-2006 .......................... 350 St. Petersburg, Baseball in ..... 563 Trades, All-Time ...................... 404 Tropicana Field Firsts.............. 337 How the Rays Were Built ............. 227 International Operations.............. 548 Medical Glossary ......................... 572 Minor Leagues Affiliates................................... 440 Awards and Honors, 2007 ...... 481 Player Bios .............................. 487 Records ................................... 483 Season Review, 2007 .............. 478 Staff ......................................... 434 Opponents All-Time vs. Rays ..................... 406 Home Runs vs. Rays ............... 346 Pitchers vs. Rays..................... 341 Players Used, All-Time ............ 275 Port Charlotte, 2009 Spring Training ............... 566 Promotional Schedule ................. 576 Public Relations Directory, MLB... 574 Rays Baseball Foundation............. 20 Records Career Leaders ....................... 315 Fielding .................................... 313 Home Runs.............................. 326 Individual ................................. 308 Miscellaneous ......................... 329 Monthly Leaders ..................... 322 Positional Leaders .................. 332 Rookie ..................................... 314 Single Season Leaders ........... 317 Streaks, Team ......................... 336 Team ........................................ 302 Tropicana Field, Rays at.......... 320 Walk-Off Wins ......................... 333 Year-by-Year Leaders ............. 324 Rosters All-Time ................................... 375 Spring 40-Man ........................ 224 Spring, Complete .................... 223 Spring Non-Roster Invites ...... 226 Scouting Staff .............................. 546 Season Review, 2007 Day-by-Day ............................. 279 Fielding Statistics ................... 296 MLB Review ............................ 297 Players Used ........................... 275 Splits ....................................... 285 Statistics ................................. 283 Transactions............................ 276 Spring Training ............................. 561 Ticket Information ........................ 571 Trades, All-Time ........................... 404 Tropicana Field Info........................................... 567 Stadium Diagram .................... 570 The 2008 Rays Media Guide was published by the Rays communications department: Rick Vaughn, Chris Costello, Carmen Molina, Dave Haller and Jeff Macolino. Additional data provided by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Jeff Chernow and Stats, Inc., Howe Sportsdata International, SABR, David W. Smith, David Vincent and Baseball Reference. Printed by Martin Lithograph, Inc. Layout and design by Erik Ruiz. Contributors: Samantha Craig, Milton Jamail, Amarylis Martinez, Alex Chriest. Photography by Skip Milos. 2008 TAMPA BAY RAYS MEDIA GUIDE | 1

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

RAYS DID YOU KNOW?Al Lang Field, Rays All-Time at ...562All-Star Balloting ......................435All-Star Futures Game ..............196Attendance Records ................286Baseball Tomorrow Fund ......... 157Birthdays .....................................65Catwalks ....................................165Cigar Bar, Cuesta-Rey................36Community Advisory Board.......32Debut, Rays to Win Major League ........................137Dirt Base Paths ...........................43Disney Series ............................192Doubleheaders Inside ................81Draft, Rays 2008 Amateur .......... 17Ejection Leaders, Rays All-Time ...34Erik Walker Community Champion Award ..................442Expansion Clubs and Postseason ....................457Expansion Draft Selections .....545Field Renovation Program ...........8First Employee ............................ 10First Round Draft Picks ............477Golden Seats .............................447Ground Rules, Tropicana Field...337Hall of Fame Credentials ..........424Holidays, Rays on .....................507Home Run Balls Autographed ...451Home Run in First AB, Rays .....456

Home Runs at Tropicana Field, Teams ....... 422Home Runs vs. Rays .................420Homegrown Rays .....................249Hotels, Road, 2008 ..................... 19Important Dates, 2008..............251Interleague Play ........................139International Players .................. 18Japanese Players in the Majors .... 121Longest Games in Rays History ..........................306Major League Alumni and the Rays..........................528Minor League Pitcher/Player of the Year .............................453No Assists ...................................30Non-Roster Invites on Opening Day Roster ...............96Organization 20-Game Hit Streaks .............................332Organization Cycles .................468Organization MVPs ...................233Organization No-Hitters ...........237Organization of the Year, Topps ...253Original Rays .............................240PAL in the Press Box.................235Pitches Thrown ...........................42Player Development Staff Awards ..........................546Position Players as Pitchers ....522

Pregame Schedule ..................... 16Promotions Get an “A” ..............576Pronunciations, Name .............. 116Qualifying Numbers ..................436Roberto Clemente Award ......... 141Rookie Qualifications ............... 177Rule 5 Draft, Rays History in ....243Save Rule ................................... 173Service Time with Rays, Longest ...94Smith, Paul C. and Lopez, Al ....335Spring Training at Home ...........405Spring Training Invites ..............262Statistics, How to Figure ............28Steal Home, Rays to ...................26Stolen Bases, AL since 1998 ....108Strike Zone, The ..........................57Switch-Hitters, Rays ................463Tampa Office .................................4Ted Williams Museum.................38Triple Plays ................................ 151Uniform Numbers, Most Common ........................56Waiver Rules .............................542We Are Now the Rays ...................6Websites, Rays ......................... 111Wheelchair Softball Team ........126World Series Shares .................492Youngest Rays All-Time ...........466Youngest Teams in Baseball ........9

Award Winners .............................334Bios 40-Man Roster ..........................45 Clubhouse Staff ........................ 41 Coaching Staff, Major League ...21 Friedman, Andrew .......................8 Front Office .................................5 Grounds Crew ...........................43 Hunsicker, Gerry .........................9 Maddon, Joe .............................21 Medical Staff .............................44 Non-Roster Invites ..................228 Silverman, Matt ...........................7 Sternberg, Stuart ........................5 Training Staff, Major League .....40 Zimmer, Don ..............................37Broadcasting, Radio ....................559Broadcasting, TV .........................557Draft, Rays Amateur, 1996-2007 ...............................550Front Office Directory ......................2Hall of Fame .................................573History Field Staff, All-Time .................373 Opening Day Lineups ..............372 Rays Chronology.....................368 Rays Firsts ...............................338 Season Summaries, 1998-2006 ..........................350

St. Petersburg, Baseball in .....563 Trades, All-Time ......................404 Tropicana Field Firsts..............337How the Rays Were Built .............227International Operations ..............548Medical Glossary .........................572Minor Leagues Affiliates ...................................440 Awards and Honors, 2007 ......481 Player Bios ..............................487 Records ...................................483 Season Review, 2007 .............. 478 Staff .........................................434Opponents All-Time vs. Rays .....................406 Home Runs vs. Rays ...............346 Pitchers vs. Rays ..................... 341 Players Used, All-Time ............ 275Port Charlotte, 2009 Spring Training ...............566Promotional Schedule ................. 576Public Relations Directory, MLB ... 574Rays Baseball Foundation .............20Records Career Leaders ....................... 315 Fielding .................................... 313 Home Runs ..............................326 Individual .................................308 Miscellaneous .........................329

Monthly Leaders .....................322 Positional Leaders ..................332 Rookie ..................................... 314 Single Season Leaders ........... 317 Streaks, Team .........................336 Team ........................................302 Tropicana Field, Rays at ..........320 Walk-Off Wins .........................333 Year-by-Year Leaders .............324Rosters All-Time ................................... 375 Spring 40-Man ........................224 Spring, Complete ....................223 Spring Non-Roster Invites ......226Scouting Staff ..............................546Season Review, 2007 Day-by-Day .............................279 Fielding Statistics ...................296 MLB Review ............................297 Players Used ........................... 275 Splits .......................................285 Statistics .................................283 Transactions ............................276Spring Training .............................561Ticket Information ........................ 571Trades, All-Time ...........................404Tropicana Field Info ...........................................567 Stadium Diagram ....................570

The 2008 Rays Media Guide was published by the Rays communications department: Rick Vaughn, Chris Costello, Carmen Molina, Dave Haller and Jeff Macolino. Additional data provided by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Jeff Chernow and Stats, Inc., Howe Sportsdata International, SABR, David W. Smith, David Vincent and Baseball Reference. Printed by Martin Lithograph, Inc. Layout and design by Erik Ruiz. Contributors: Samantha Craig, Milton Jamail, Amarylis Martinez, Alex Chriest. Photography by Skip Milos.

2008 TAMPA BAY RAYS MEDIA GUIDE | 1

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ExECUTIvESPrincipal Owner ....................................................................................................................................Stuart SternbergPresident ..................................................................................................................................................Matt Silverman

AdMINISTRATIONSenior Vice President, Administration/General Counsel .......................................................................... John HigginsSenior Vice President, Business Operations ..................................................................................................Brian AuldSenior Vice President/Chief Sales Officer ............................................................................................Mark FernandezSenior Vice President, Development and Business Affairs ........................................................................ Michael KaltVice President, Finance .............................................................................................................................Rob GagliardiSenior Director, Development ....................................................................................................................Melanie LenzSenior Director, Information Technology .................................................................................................. Juan RamirezSenior Director, Procurement and Business Services ............................................................................ Bill Wiener, Jr.Controller ....................................................................................................................................................Patrick SmithDirector, Partner and VIP Relations..............................................................................................................Cass HalpinDirector, Development ...............................................................................................................................William WalshExecutive Assistant .................................................................................................................................Diane VillanovaSpecial Advisor ............................................................................................................................................Fred McGriffSenior Advisor ............................................................................................................................................ Dick CrippenManager, Business Affairs........................................................................................................................ Cecile DirectoManager, Human Resources ................................................................................................................Jennifer Lyn TranAdministrator, Human Resources ...............................................................................................................Sylvia BynesReceptionist ........................................................................................................................................... Carol McMahonManager, Database .....................................................................................................................Stephanie WhittemoreSupervisor, Accounting .........................................................................................................................Sandra FaulknerSupervisor, Payroll ............................................................................................................................Brenda RichardsonCoordinator, Accounting ...................................................................................................................................Jill BaetzCoordinator, Accounts Payable ...................................................................................................................Sam ReamsNetwork Engineer .....................................................................................................................................Elpidio OrtegaCoordinator, Purchasing ................................................................................................................................Mike YodisCoordinator, Mail Services ...................................................................................................................... Tom MelodayoCoordinator, Business Operations ......................................................................................................... Andrew Phillips

BASEBALL OpERATIONSExecutive Vice President, Baseball Operations .................................................................................Andrew FriedmanSenior Vice President, Baseball Operations .........................................................................................Gerry HunsickerDirector, Baseball Operations ................................................................................................................... Dan FeinsteinDirector, Minor League Operations .........................................................................................................Mitch LukevicsDirector, Scouting .......................................................................................................................................R.J. HarrisonDirector, International Operations ........................................................................................................... Carlos AlfonsoDirector, Major League Administration ................................................................................................... Sandy DenglerAssistant Director, Minor League Operations ........................................................................................... Chaim BloomSpecial Assignment Scout .............................................................................................................................Bart BraunSpecial Assistant, Baseball Operations................................................................................................... Andres ReinerSenior Baseball Advisor .............................................................................................................................. Don ZimmerField Coordinator ................................................................................................................................................Jim HoffSenior Programmer ....................................................................................................................................Brian PlexicoCoordinator, Baseball Operations ...............................................................................................................James ClickAssistant, Baseball Operations .................................................................................................................. Erik NeanderAssistant, International Operations ........................................................................................... Nelson Montes de OcaAdministrator, Scouting ............................................................................................................................... Nancy BerryAdministrator, Minor League Operations ....................................................................................... Giovanna RodriguezCultural Assimilation Liaison ...................................................................................................................Tateki UchiboriMedical Director ...............................................................................................................................Dr. James AndrewsMedical Team Physician ...................................................................................................................... Dr. Michael ReillyOrthopedic Team Physician ....................................................................................................................Dr. Koco EatonHead Athletic Trainer ...............................................................................................................................Ron PorterfieldAssistant Athletic Trainer ...............................................................................................................................Paul HarkerAssistant Athletic Trainer .........................................................................................................................Nick PaparestaStrength and Conditioning Coach...................................................................................................................Kevin BarrVideo Coordinator .................................................................................................................................Chris FernandezDirector, Team Travel ..................................................................................................................................... Jeff ZieglerEquipment Manager, Home Clubhouse .........................................................................................Chris WestmorelandAssistant Manager, Home Clubhouse .................................................................................................. Jose FernandezManager, Visiting Clubhouse ...................................................................................................................Guy Gallagher

FRONT OFFICE DIRECTORYTropicana Field, One Tropicana drive, St. petersburg, FL 33705

GENERAL INFORMATION: 727.825.3137 | wEBSITE: raysbaseball.comTOLL-FREE INFORMATION ANd TICkETS: 888.326.7297

COMMUNICATIONS: 727.825.3242 | COMMUNICATIONS FAx: 727.825.3111

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BROAdCASTINGSenior Director, Broadcasting .................................................................................................................. Larry McCabeDirector, Radio Operations/Radio Broadcaster .........................................................................................Rich HerreraManager, Broadcast Traffic ........................................................................................................................Erin BuscemiTelevision Broadcaster ..........................................................................................................................Dewayne StaatsTelevision Broadcaster ............................................................................................................................... Joe MagraneTelevision Broadcaster .................................................................................................................................. Todd KalasRadio Broadcaster .........................................................................................................................................Andy FreedRadio Broadcaster ...........................................................................................................................................Dave WillsSpanish Radio Broadcaster .........................................................................................................................Enrique OliuSpanish Radio Broadcaster ..................................................................................................................Ricardo Taveras

COMMUNICATIONSVice President, Communications ............................................................................................................... Rick VaughnDirector, Communications .......................................................................................................................Chris CostelloManager, Communications ....................................................................................................................Carmen MolinaCoordinator, Communications ..................................................................................................................... Dave HallerManager, Print and Graphics.............................................................................................................................Erik Ruiz

CORpORATE pARTNERSHIpSDirector, Corporate Partnerships ................................................................................................................ Aaron CohnDirector, Corporate Partnerships ............................................................................................................... Wes EngramDirector, Corporate Partnerships .......................................................................................................... Doug HoltzmanSenior Manager, Corporate Partnerships ...............................................................................................Jason WilmothManager, Corporate Partnerships ................................................................................................................Scott EsterManager, Corporate Partnerships ...........................................................................................................Sarah HelmanManager, Corporate Partnerships .......................................................................................................... Brett TorrenceCorporate Sales Account Executive ..........................................................................................................Kristin BurkeCorporate Sales Account Executive .........................................................................................................Joe CiaravinoCoordinator, Sales .................................................................................................................................Geoff McQueen

FAN ExpERIENCEVice President, Branding and Fan Experience .....................................................................................Darcy RaymondManager, Fan Experience .......................................................................................................................Shannon PooleManager, Customer Service ..................................................................................................................... Eric WeisbergSenior Coordinator, Fan Experience ...................................................................................................Stephen ThomasCoordinator, Fan Experience .......................................................................................................................Robbie ArtzCoordinator, Entertainment .................................................................................................................. Jamie PattersonCoordinator, Video ................................................................................................................................ Jeff CederbaumAssistant Coordinator, Video ..................................................................................................................Jon DoughertyCoordinator, Multimedia ............................................................................................................... Steven LewandowskiVideo Specialist Engineer..............................................................................................................................Jerry Petitt

MARkETING/COMMUNITY RELATIONSVice President, Marketing/Community Relations .......................................................................................... Tom HoofDirector, Marketing and Promotions ................................................................................................Brian KillingsworthDirector, Community Relations ...................................................................................................... Suzanne MurchlandSenior Manager, Community Relations ...................................................................................................Leslie TieszenManager, Community Relations .............................................................................................................Beth BohnsackCommunity Relations Representative ........................................................................................................ Barry JonesManager, Advertising......................................................................................................................................Carey CoxSenior Coordinator, New Media and External Marketing ......................................................................... Steve DapcicCoordinator, Buzz Marketing ........................................................................................................................Kelly FrankSenior Coordinator, Marketing ...............................................................................................................Heather FrenchCoordinator, Community Relations .........................................................................................................Tricia JohnsonGraphic Designer ..................................................................................................................................Michael Nolasco

STAdIUM OpERATIONSVice President, Operations/Facilities ............................................................................................................. Rick NafeSenior Director, Building Operations ......................................................................................................Scott KelymanDirector, Event Operations ............................................................................................................................ Tom KaracDirector, Building Operations .....................................................................................................................Chris RaineriManager, Audio/Visual Services ...................................................................................................................Ron GolickHead Groundskeeper .................................................................................................................................. Dan MoellerManager, Security ..................................................................................................................................Michael GriffithCoordinator, Booking ...................................................................................................................................Caren DanaManager, Events ...........................................................................................................................................Todd HardyEvent Coordinator ...................................................................................................................................... Sean SawyerManager, Systems ................................................................................................................................Eric KampfmannAudio/Visual Coordinator .................................................................................................................... Ritchie Ritchison

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TICkET SALESVice President, Sales and Service ..........................................................................................Brian RichesonSenior Director, Group and Suite Sales ....................................................................................Clark BeacomDirector, Ticket Operations .....................................................................................................Robert BennettDirector, Season Ticket Sales and Service .................................................................................... Jeff TanzerAccount Executive .........................................................................................................................Matt BrownAccount Executive ............................................................................................................................Tim BurkeAccount Executive ................................................................................................................... Bobby RobertsManager, Group Sales ................................................................................................................ Chad CollardGroup Sales Account Executive .................................................................................................. David BaggsGroup Sales Account Executive .................................................................................................Travis MinceyGroup Sales Account Executive ..................................................................................................Dan NewhartGroup Sales Account Executive ........................................................................................................Mike RoyGroup Sales Account Executive ................................................................................................... Jason TutonOrlando Group Sales Account Executive .........................................................................................Joe FelliniSenior Coordinator, Sales and Communication .......................................................................... Valerie FavaManager, Luxury Suite Services.............................................................................................Kendall RobertsLuxury Suite Sales Account Executive ........................................................................................... Todd PundLuxury Suite Sales Account Executive .......................................................................................Alex SheffieldAssistant Director, Ticket Operations ...........................................................................................Ken MalloryTicket Operations Representative.......................................................................................Karen RichardsonTicket Operations Representative...................................................................................................Ed VonnesBox Office Manager ....................................................................................................................... Yarille OrtizManager, Home Plate Club/Senior Specialist, Ticket Services ........................................ Craig ChampagneAdministrative Assistant, Fan Services ......................................................................................Kristi CaponeFan Services Specialist ...........................................................................................................Matthew EvansFan Services Specialist ............................................................................................................Josh MuirheadFan Services Specialist ..........................................................................................................David O’ConnellManager, Inside Sales ...............................................................................................................Derek CheungTicket Sales Representative ........................................................................................................... Mike AyersTicket Sales Representative .....................................................................................................James CooperTicket Sales Representative ........................................................................................................... Lora FerrisTicket Sales Representative .......................................................................................................Michael HanoTicket Sales Representative .................................................................................................. Jennifer HolmesTicket Sales Representative .................................................................................................... Steve MonterioTicket Sales Representative ...................................................................................................Stephen PettlonTicket Sales Representative .......................................................................................................... Jerry RiccaTicket Sales Representative ...................................................................................................Scott Scheibner

TAMpA OFFICESenior Director, Corporate Affairs .................................................................................................Chris LaheyManager, Merchandise .............................................................................................................Debbie Brooks

OwNERSHIpP.J. Benton, Andrew Cader, Mel Danker, Claude Focardi Family Trust, Randy Frankel, Gary Goldring, Robert Kleinert, Stephen Levick, Gary Markel, Timothy Mullen, Arthur Nagle, Vincent Naimoli (Chairman), MacDougald Family Limited Partnership, Daniel O’Connell, Frank Richardson, Lance Ringhaver, Thomas Sansone, Gus Stavros, Stuart Sternberg (Principal Owner), Stephen Waters

RAYS DID YOU KNOW?

RAYS OPEN FOR BUSINESS IN TAMPA

On August 6, 2007, the Rays opened their first-ever Tampa office, a nearly 3,400-square-foot space at Park Tower, 400 North Tampa Street in downtown Tampa. The office is open weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Located on the first floor of the Park Tower Building, the space features a full mock-up of Tropicana Field suites along with other featured premium hospitality options. The office also serves as an outlet for Rays tickets and offers high-end merchandise and promotional material for sporting events throughout the Tampa Bay area.

The Tampa Bay Sports Commission also has a presence in the office, a permanent kiosk to promote its many events throughout the region. The Tampa Bay Sports Com-mission is a private, non-profit, 501c3, charitable corporation that serves the entire Tampa Bay area as the lead organization for bidding on and hosting major amateur sporting events. To reach the Tampa office, call 813-228-7157.

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STUART L. STERNBERGPrinciPal Owner

Stuart L. Sternberg’s first 30 months as principal owner of the Tampa Bay Rays have been filled with activity

and advancement. The tone for his owner-ship was established the day he assumed control of the organization – October 6, 2005 – when he announced the Rays would become the first major sports team to offer free parking at all home games, a benefit that was extended for the 2007 season and one that is still available for carpooling fans this season.

Sternberg has not wavered from this energetic course. Last November, the organization began a complete re-branding with a public launch of its new name, colors, uniforms and icon, a bright yellow sunburst invoking the magnificence of life in the Sun-shine State.

Two weeks later, Sternberg announced plans for the construction of a new 34,000 seat, retractable-roof, open-air ballpark on the St. Petersburg waterfront and the redevelopment of the Tropicana Field site. This innovative proposal relies upon a team contribution and the proceeds from the redevelopment of Tropicana Field site rather than new taxpayer dollars to help finance the ballpark’s construction.

Creating a regional franchise remains paramount to Sternberg. Construction began in 2007 on a new spring training facil-ity in Charlotte County, 75 miles south of St. Petersburg; the team will move its spring operation there in 2009. To further expand the team’s regional footprint, the Rays played three regular season games against the Texas Rangers at the Disney Sports Complex in Orlando last season. The series was judged a success on all fronts, and the Rays will return this season to Orlando for a three-game set against Toronto.

Under Sternberg, the Rays have placed great emphasis on expanding and solidify-ing their player development operations. In the past two years, the Rays have added dynamic, young players to their minor league system and have built (or are build-ing) training facilities in the Dominican

Republic, Venezuela, and Colombia. Since Sternberg assumed control, the

organization has invested more than $18 million on improvements to Tropicana Field including the creation of the Whitney Bank Club, the installation of a new video board and sound system, the addition of a touch tank of live cownose rays as well as the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame. So important to Sternberg is customer service that the team created a Fan Expe-rience department in 2006 to improve the customer-facing operations of the facility. Soon after, the organization created RAYS University, a workshop to train game-day personnel about customer service funda-mentals. The organization also enacted new policies to allow fans to bring food and certain drinks into Tropicana Field and to tailgate outside.

Sternberg believes the Rays should play an important role in the Tampa Bay com-munity. In 2006, the team established the Rays Baseball Foundation. As a public 501(c)3 and the official charity of the Tampa Bay Rays, the Rays Baseball Foundation focuses primarily on youth and education programs that make a measurable differ-ence in the Tampa Bay region. Sternberg and fellow team owners have pledged one million dollars to seed the Foundation. Sternberg has also made it a practice to require players who sign long-term con-tracts with the team to donate to the team’s foundation.

The youngest of three children, the Rays principal owner was born and raised in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Sternberg’s passion for baseball devel-oped as a child while playing the game in the streets and playgrounds of his neigh-borhood. Sternberg has played in various organized baseball leagues and has espe-cially enjoyed coaching his two sons’ Little League teams for 10 years. One of his most cherished memories is of watching Sandy Koufax pitch while attending his first major league game with his father at Shea Sta-dium in 1965.

During the twenty-five years that he spent in the financial securities industry, Stern-

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berg demonstrated an ability to develop and lead businesses to realize their maximum potential. In 1978, he began his profes-sional career trading equity options at the American Stock Ex change. Sternberg went on to become a partner at Spear, Leeds & Kellogg, and then moved to The Goldman Sachs Group Inc., retiring as a partner in 2002. He has served on various committees

and advisory boards in the financial securi-ties industry.

In February 2007, Sternberg was named to H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute’s National Board of Advisors, chaired by veteran ABC News correspon-dent Sam Donaldson. Sternberg resides in Rye, N.Y. with his wife and four children.

RAYS DID YOU KNOW?

WE ARE NOW THE RAYS

The Rays removed the “devil” from their name last November and introduced new uniforms, col-ors, and a bright yellow sunburst icon invoking the magnificence of life in the Sunshine State.

Both the new home and away uniforms, as well as the team’s new primary logo, feature the word “Rays” in navy blue lettering cast with a light blue shadow. A bright yellow sunburst gleams from the letter “R”. The two hues of blue suggest the deep blue waters and bright blue sky for which Florida is known. The elongated tail of the “R” further rein-forces the water imagery.

In the primary logo, the team name is set against a white baseball diamond with a prominent navy blue outline. The diamond features base paths, bases and home plate outlined in light blue.

The team’s new cap has a base color of navy blue and white “TB” lettering cast with a light blue shadow. The “TB” lettering was custom designed for the team and was selected for its elegant simplic-ity and classic look. An updated devil ray patch will continue to be worn on the left sleeve of the jersey.

The Rays new colors are unique within Major League Baseball. The Rays worked closely with Major League Baseball on the redesign, along with conducting their own internal research with employees, fans and local leaders.

Photo by Skip Milos

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MATT SILVERMANPreSiDenT

As president of the Tampa Bay Rays since October 2005, Matt Silverman has directed the team through the most p rogress ive

growth stage in the club’s history. While leading the organization’s daily operations, Silverman has been chiefly responsible for numerous advancements and accomplish-ments by the organization: a complete re-branding of the team including a new name, colors and uniforms; major capital improvements to Tropicana Field and a commitment to enhancing fan experience; an increased presence by the team and its players in the community; the establish-ment of the team’s official charity, the Rays Baseball Foundation; increased regional interest in the team; the expansion of the club’s television and radio networks; and the creation of a downtown Tampa office.

For the first time in club history, the Rays have shown an increase in home attendance in two consecutive seasons. The organization has also expanded its base of corporate support both locally and nationally.

Silverman also oversaw the Rays relo-cation of three regular season games last season to the Disney Sports Complex in Orlando. It marked the Rays and Major League Baseball’s first-ever regular season games in Orlando. Based upon the success of that series, the organization has decided to return to Orlando this season for another three-game series.

Under Silverman’s leadership, the orga-nization will relocate its spring training operations to Charlotte County for the 2009 spring season. In 2007, the team broke ground on the $27 million refurbishment of

the Charlotte Sports Complex which had hosted the Texas Rangers spring train-ing from 1986-2002. The state-of-the-art facility will provide the Rays a year-round presence in the southern part of its region and help expand the Rays fan base along the Gulf Coast.

Finally, Silverman has helped direct the team’s proposal for construction of a new 34,000-seat waterfront ballpark in down-town St. Petersburg and the redevelopment of the 85-acre Tropicana Field site. The proposed open-air park, which features a unique retractable roof designed to protect the playing field and seating area from the elements, could open in 2012.

Silverman joined the Rays in 2003. Prior to that, he worked closely with Stuart Stern-berg to orchestrate Sternberg’s purchase of a controlling interest in the franchise. Silverman’s previous experience includes several years at The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in its Merchant Banking Divi-sion and Firmwide Strategy Group. During this period, in which he first worked with Sternberg, Silverman worked on a variety of merger and acquisition opportunities across diversified industries. While with the firm, Silverman also co-founded and served as CFO for a real estate software company.

A lifelong baseball fan, Silverman also enjoys running and writing in his free time. A native of Dallas, he received a bachelor of economics degree from Harvard Uni-versity. He is a member of the board of the Rays Baseball Foundation, the Pinellas Educa tion Foundation and the Hillsbor-ough Education Foundation. He is also a member of the Tampa Bay Partnership’s Council of Governors.

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ANDREW FRIEDMANeXecUTiVe Vice PreSiDenT, BaSeBall OPeraTiOnS

As executive vice president of baseball operations for the Tampa Bay Rays, Andrew Friedman is

responsible for overseeing and directing the organization’s baseball operations.

In 2007, Friedman secured three of the best free agent acquisitions in the major leagues. First baseman Carlos Peña, signed to a minor league contract in Janu-ary, was named 2007 American League Comeback Player of the Year with 46 home runs and 121 RBI. Akinori Iwamura, whose rights the Rays secured from the Yakult Swallows in 2006, achieved a .359 on-base pct. in 2007, third best among all rookies, while playing a stellar third base. Al Reyes resurrected his career with his first 20-save season after signing a minor league con-tract with the Rays in 2006.

A greater emphasis on player devel-opment and an aggressive approach to international scouting are two of the hall-marks of Friedman’s first two years as the Rays top baseball official. Friedman has aggressively sought to improve the Rays roster, engineering nearly 20 trades in the past two years. These trades have helped turn over the Rays roster and fill it and the club’s minor league system with talented, young players. The Rays farm system has

also been bolstered by the addition of first round picks Evan Longoria (2006) and David Price (2007) and the development of key prospects like Reid Brignac (2004), Wade Davis (2004), Jacob McGee (2004) and Desmond Jennings (2006). The farm system, considered one of the deepest and most talented in baseball, was named Topps Organization of the Year for 2007.

On the international front, the Rays have significantly increased their presence in Latin America with an expanded interna-tional scouting staff and training facilities in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Colombia.

Prior to assuming his current role in November 2005, Friedman spent two years with the Rays serving as director of base-ball development. Friedman’s previous experience includes two years as an ana-lyst with New York City-based investment firm Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. and three years as an associate for the private equity firm MidMark Capital.

A native of Houston, Texas, Friedman received a baseball scholarship to Tulane University where he graduated with a bachelor of science in management and a concentration in finance. He played out-field for the Green Wave before injuring his shoulder.

RAYS DID YOU KNOW?

RAYS YOUTH FIELD RENOVATION PROGRAM

On October 20, 2005, two weeks after Stuart Sternberg was named principal owner of the Rays, the team unveiled plans to begin a field renovation program to rebuild youth league fields throughout the Tampa Bay area from as far south as Charlotte County and as far north as Citrus County. The first field chosen was St. Petersburg’s historic Oliver Field. The improvements included the installation of new metal panel roof system, an 18-foot high chain link backstop, netting to protect spectators, new sod installation and irrigation repairs. The project was completed in May 2006. The Rays partnered with Bank of America, Melitta USA, the Campbell Park Neighborhood Association, the City of St. Petersburg and St. Petersburg Neighborhood Housing Services.

On March 1, 2007 the Rays selected the West Tampa Little League Fields as their next site. The Rays Baseball Foundation teamed up team with outfielder Carl Crawford, the City of Tampa, J.O. DeLotto and Sons, Metro PCS and Bryant Heating and Cooling on the project. The renovation work by the Rays grounds crew included a total makeover of the four fields in the West Tampa Little League complex including new bases, pitching mounds and pitching rubbers, the installation of a new bleacher roof on one set of bleachers, and a new concession stand. The project was finished in September.

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GERRY HUNSICKERSeniOr Vice PreSiDenT, BaSeBall OPeraTiOnS

Named senior vice president, baseball operations for the Rays on November 3, 2005, Gerry Hunsicker

assists in all areas of baseball operations. He has been particularly instrumental in helping to establish the Rays international program. In the past two years, the Rays have established a significant presence in Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and Colombia.

Hunsicker has more than twenty years of Major League Baseball experience. Prior to joining the Rays, Hunsicker served as an advisor for the Houston Astros during the 2005 season. Previously, he served as general manager of the Astros for nine seasons. He was instrumental in building the team that advanced to the franchise’s first-ever World Series in 2005.

After being named general manager of the Astros in 1996, it took Hunsicker only two seasons to transform the franchise into a perennial winner. During this time he formed a nucleus that carried the team to four National League Central Division championships in five seasons. In addition to the four division titles, the club finished second in four of his other five seasons

and reached the playoffs as the National League Wild Card entry in 2004.

In 1998, Hunsicker was named The Sporting News’ Executive of the Year after assembling an Astros team that won a franchise-best 102 games during the season.

Hunsicker began his career with the Astros in 1978, then went to work with the New York Mets, where his duties were to assist the general manager in all phases of the organization’s baseball operations. Previously, he had been the assistant ath-letic director and assistant baseball coach at Florida International University.

A native of Collegeville, Pa., Hunsicker received his B.S. degree from St. Joseph’s University where he played baseball and was named to the All-Mid-Atlantic Con-ference team. He also holds an M.S. in management from Florida International University. In recent years he was inducted into St. Joseph’s University’s Baseball Hall of Fame and Athletic Hall of Fame, as well as the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame. Hun-sicker also received the prestigious Torch Award from FIU, recognizing distinguished alumni of the university. Hunsicker and his wife, Irene, have one daughter, Kelly.

RAYS DID YOU KNOW?

BASEBALL’S YOUNGEST TEAMS

Oakland .......................................................................................26.39Florida .......................................................................................... 26.44Tampa Bay ................................................................................... 26.95arizona ........................................................................................ 26.98Minnesota ....................................................................................27.16Pittsburgh ....................................................................................27.18colorado ...................................................................................... 27.34Texas ............................................................................................ 27.39washington ..................................................................................27.42Kansas city................................................................................. 27.69

Average Age of the 40-man rosters, as of Feb. 1

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JOHN P. HIGGINSSeniOr Vice PreSiDenT anD general cOUnSel

BRIAN AULDSeniOr Vice PreSiDenT, BUSineSS OPeraTiOnS

John P. Higgins joined the Rays orga-nization as its first employee on April 1, 1995, when he was

named the team’s senior vice president and general counsel. From 1999 through 2007, he also served as the organization’s chief financial officer.

Higgins has practiced law in the Tampa Bay area since 1979, specializing in corpo-rate, commercial and real estate law. He is also a certified public accountant. For three years, he represented Vince Naimoli

and the rest of the Tampa Bay ownership group in its efforts to acquire a Major League Baseball franchise. In addition to his responsibilities with the Rays, he is “of counsel” to the Holland & Knight law firm.

Higgins received his bachelor of busi-ness administration degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1975 and his juris doctorate degree from Duke Univer-sity School of Law in 1979. He resides in St. Petersburg, his home since 1960, with his wife, Robin, and sons, Sean Patrick and Patrick Ryan.

As Rays senior vice president, business operations, Brian Auld oversees the team’s marketing, community

relations, fan experience, communications, and stadium operations departments. Auld joined the Rays in June 2005 as director of planning and development where he worked closely with Matt Silverman to define organizational priorities and assist with the transition in ownership.

Prior to joining the Rays, Auld attended Harvard Business School where he earned his MBA focusing on managing human capital, marketing, and finance. Auld’s pre-

vious work experience includes serving as lead teacher and director of development for the East Palo Alto Charter School in California.

Auld received a bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s degree in educa-tion from Stanford University, where he also captained the lacrosse team. He was born in Berkeley, Calif., and attended high school in Dallas, Texas. Brian is proud to claim that he once trekked to the bottom of Mount Everest.

Brian currently serves on the board of directors of the Ronald McDonald House of Tampa Bay, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay and Leadership Tampa Bay.

RAYS DID YOU KNOW?

FIRST RAYS EMPLOYEE

John P. Higgins, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, joined the Rays organization as its first employee on April 1, 1995.

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MARK FERNANDEZSeniOr Vice PreSiDenT/chieF SaleS OFFicer

MICHAEL KALTSeniOr Vice PreSiDenT, DeVelOPMenT anD BUSineSS aFFairS

Mark Fernandez was named senior vice president/chief sales officer on December 13, 2005. He oversees

the Rays corporate sales and marketing efforts, broadcast operations, merchandis-ing operations and ticket and suite sales. In 2007, Rays corporate sponsorships grew in record numbers, the team’s TV and radio networks were expanded throughout Florida, and for the first time in club his-tory the team experienced an increase in home attendance in back-to-back seasons. Fernandez also played a critical role in the team’s re-branding launch last November.

Fernandez owns more than 16 years of experience in professional sports. He joined the Rays from the Arizona Diamondbacks where he served as senior vice president of sales and marketing. Previously, he spent two years as the Diamondbacks’ vice presi-

dent of community affairs and executive director of Arizona Diamondbacks Chari-ties followed by four years as the team’s vice president of corporate sales. His initial tenure with the organization was a two-year stint as the director of operations in Tucson, where he represented both the D-backs and the Chicago White Sox in the development and construction of Tucson Electric Park. Mark also spent five years with the Phoenix Suns organization as director of marketing and booking for the America West Arena.

A native of Tampa, Fernandez cur-rently serves on the board of directors for the United Way of Tampa Bay, The Greater Tampa Chamber of Com-merce, The Rays Baseball Foundation and St. Anthony’s Hospital, along with the community advisory board for the St. Petersburg Times’ Bay Magazine. He and his wife, Trudie, have three children: Grace, Jamie, and Eden.

As senior vice presi-dent, development and business affairs, Michael Kalt oversees business development

activities for the Rays. In addition to lead-ing the effort to secure approval for the redevelopment of Tropicana Field and a new waterfront ballpark in downtown St. Petersburg, he oversees the construction of the Rays new spring training home in Port Charlotte, identifies other long-term revenue enhancements, and develops new business lines and partner relationships.

Kalt came to the Rays in March of 2006 after three years as a senior advisor to the New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Development. In that capacity, he man-aged relations between the Mayor’s Office and the city’s Economic Development Corporation, coordinated area-wide plan-ning and economic development initiatives

throughout the five boroughs. He also oversaw the sale of city-owned land that has brought hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue to the city and will spur over three billion dollars in new construction activity. He also served as the city’s point person in negotiations to construct two new MLB stadiums and an NBA arena, the first new major professional sports facilities to be constructed in New York City in over 40 years.

Prior to joining the Bloomberg Adminis-tration, Kalt was a management consultant with McKinsey and Company where he focused on addressing both strategic and operating issues for media and telecom-munications firms.

Kalt received his bachelor’s degree in political science and urban studies from Brown University in 1996 and his juris doc-torate degree from Harvard Law School in 1999.

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ROB GAGLIARDIVice PreSiDenT, Finance

TOM HOOFVice PreSiDenT, MarKeTing/cOMMUniTY relaTiOnS

Rob Gagliardi was named vice president, f inance in August 2007. He oversees all accounting and finance

operations of the organization. Rob brought with him more than 15

years of managerial experience in devel-oping and implementing financial-based initiatives for industry leaders Comcast and Ernst & Young. Gagliardi joined the Rays after seven years with Comcast, the

last two as vice president of finance for the cable service leader’s Maryland, Delaware, Richmond region. Prior to Comcast, he worked for more than seven years at Ernst & Young where he left as a senior manager in their Assurance and Advisory Business Services group.

A certified public accountant, Rob earned a degree in accounting from Vil-lanova University in 1989.

Rob is a Philadelphia native and is mar-ried to Gabrielle.

Tom Hoof joined the Rays in January of 2006. He oversees both the team’s mar-keting and community

relations departments. Hoof played a key role in coordinating the team’s launch of its new name, colors, logo and uniforms last November and the development of majorleaguedowntown.com, the team’s new website designed to educate fans on the Rays new downtown ballpark proposal. He is also largely responsible for devel-oping the team’s image and advertising campaigns.

Previously, he spent 10 years at Walt Dis-ney World Marketing as director. There, he was responsible for partnership marketing in Florida and in Disney’s 20 top attendance markets including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia and Atlanta.

Hoof developed the first co-marketing program with Disneyland for 50 years of Disney Theme Parks. He also worked on numerous events, including “100 Years of Magic Celebration”, Walt Disney World’s

25th Anniversary, and the openings of attractions and theme parks such as Dis-ney’s Animal Kingdom, Mission: Space, and Disney Cruise Lines. Additionally, Hoof worked on Florida resident projects which included the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, Disney’s Magical Holidays, Resident Sea-son, and Annual Passes, as well as Atlanta Braves spring training. He also served as a brand manager for the Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.

Prior to joining Disney, Hoof worked in marketing and promotions for a cruise line and a water park. He has also worked in radio in Orlando and in Richmond, Va., where he held a variety of positions includ-ing sales, marketing, and programming.

A native of Richmond, Va., Hoof gradu-ated from the University of Richmond with a degree in journalism. Tom and his wife, Debbie, have three children, McKenna, Christopher, and Daniel. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Children’s Dream Fund and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Suncoast.

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RICK NAFEVice PreSiDenT, OPeraTiOnS/FaciliTieS

DARCY RAYMONDVice PreSiDenT, BranDing anD Fan eXPerience

A prominent mem-ber of the Tampa Bay sports scene for the past three decades, Rick Nafe was named

vice president, operations/facilities on October 22, 1996.

Nafe joined the Rays from the Tampa Sports Authority (TSA) where he served as executive director since 1992. He joined TSA as director of operations in 1980.

During his tenure as executive director, Nafe coordinated efforts with Tampa and Hillsbor ough County to build Legends Field for the New York Yankees spring training, and the St. Pete Times Forum as a home to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He also secured and designed the new Raymond James Stadium for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and USF Bulls.

Nafe served as venue host and com-

mittee chairman for Tampa’s Super Bowl XVIII and XXV. He also was a member of the National Football League’s operations staff for nine other Super Bowls. Nafe is a longtime board of director member for the Outback Bowl of Tampa Bay and also sits on the board of the National Alumni Asso-ciation for Florida State University. After 12 years of serving as president of the Stadium Managers Association, he now holds the position of chairman. He also serves on the board for the MacDonald Training Center, the Department of Sports Management at St. Leo’s University, Tampa Bay and Com-pany, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission as well as the Florida Sports Foundation.

Nafe is a native of Miami and a 1975 graduate of Florida State University. He and his wife, Ellen, have three children: Travis, Parker, and Katie.

Darcy Raymond joined the Rays in January 2006 as the team’s first vice presi-dent, branding and fan

experience. Since then he has developed a breakthrough fan experience at Tropi-cana Field, while overseeing the areas of customer service, game entertainment and ballpark experience.

Raymond has extensive consumer prod-ucts and branding experience includ ing five

years with Procter and Gamble, the last two as a brand manager. He also led all market-ing efforts as vice president of marketing for Mamma.com, a search engine company.

Raymond has an MBA from Har-vard Business School. He also holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia Uni-versity’s John Molson School of Business, in Montreal.

A proud native of Montreal, Darcy is flu-ent in French and was a fervent Expos fan.

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BRIAN RICHESONVice PreSiDenT, SaleS anD SerVice

RICK VAUGHNVice PreSiDenT, cOMMUnicaTiOnS

Br ian R icheson came to the Rays in January 2007 as vice president, sales and serv ice. R icheson

oversees all ticket sales, suite sales, and ticket operations for the organization.

Prior to joining the Rays, Richeson spent eight years in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, most recently serving as

director of season ticket and Legacy Club sales. Richeson started his career working in ticket sales for the Kansas City Royals.

A native of suburban Kansas City, Richeson holds a B.A. from the Univer-sity of Missouri-Columbia. He resides in St. Petersburg with his wife Nichole. He is presently a member of the Leadership Tampa Bay Class of 2008.

Rick Vaughn, Rays vice president, com-munications since April 15, 1996, begins his 21st season in Major League Baseball and

25th in professional sports. At the 2003 Baseball Winter Meetings

he received the presti gious Robert O. Fishel Award for Public Relations Excel-lence. The award, named after the longtime baseball executive, goes to the “Active, non-uniformed representative of Major League Baseball whose ethics, character, dedication, service, pro fessionalism and humanitarianism best represent the stan-dards propounded by Robert O. Fishel.”

In November, 2002 he served as public

relations director for the MLB All-Star Team’s tour of Japan. Before joining the Rays, he spent 10 years in the Baltimore Orioles public relations office, the last five as director, and then two as director of communica tions for the NFL’s Washington Redskins.

Vaughn is a 1979 graduate of George Mason University, where he threw the first no-hitter in school history. In 2000, his hometown of Alexandria, Va., named the former T.C. Williams High School right-hander among its 100 greatest high school athletes. Rick and his wife, Sue, have two daughters: Amanda and Elissa. He serves on the board of directors for the Miracle League of the Suncoast.

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DICK CRIPPENSeniOr aDViSOr

FRED McGRIFFSPecial aDViSOr

A 47-year veteran of broadcasting Tampa Bay sports, Dick Crip-pen was named senior advisor in 2005. He

joined the Rays as executive director of community development on Dec. 31, 1999.

Crippen has been involved in area charity work for five decades. He serves as emcee at countless charity fundraisers and aids the team in ticket and sponsorship sales. The former sports director at Channel 10 (1965-1981) and Channel 8 (1981-1999) lists four Florida Outstanding Sportscaster of the Year awards among his many hon-

ors. He also serves on the board of many Bay Area charitable foundations including the Pinellas Education Foundation, Florida Blood Services, PARC, St. Petersburg YMCA, and the St. Petersburg Salvation Army, and he is an honorary lifetime board member of the Suncoast Ronald McDon-ald Houses. He also serves on the advisory board of the Applied Ethics Institute at St. Petersburg College and is a president’s associate at Eckerd College. Crippen and his wife, Penny, live in St. Petersburg. They have two children, Kevin and Wendy, and three grandchildren.

As a special advisor, Fred McGriff is involved in many facets of the Rays organizat ion including the team’s

community outreach efforts. McGriff also serves as a spring training instructor under Rays Manager Joe Maddon.

McGriff is a former Rays first baseman and a five-time All-Star. In addition to his many achievements during a 19-year play-ing career, the Tampa native was a finalist for MLB’s Roberto Clemente Award while with the Rays in 2000 as the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball through sportsmanship, community involvement and positive contributions.

McGriff is tied with Lou Gehrig for 24th place on baseball’s all-time home run list with 493. He played with the Blue Jays,

Padres, Braves, Rays, Cubs and Dodgers, advancing to the postseason five times.

A graduate of Tampa’s Jefferson High School, McGriff was the Rays Opening Day starter at first base for the team’s first four seasons. In 1999, he became the first player to hit 30 or more home runs with four different teams. McGriff was traded to the Cubs in 2001, but returned to the Rays in 2004 for two months, his last major league action. He remains Tampa Bay’s all-time walk leader with 305 and is second on the Rays all-time list in home runs (99) and career batting average (.291). He was inducted into the Tampa Sports Club Hall of Fame in February and the Ted Williams Museum’s Hitters Hall of Fame in March. Fred and his wife, Veronica, have two chil-dren: Erick (17) and Ericka (15).

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DAN FEINSTEIN DirecTOr, BaSeBall OPeraTiOnS

MITCH LUKEVICSDirecTOr, MinOr leagUe OPeraTiOnS

Dan Feinstein joined the Rays in February of 2006 as the team’s d i rector, baseba l l operations. Feinstein

assists Andrew Friedman in all aspects of baseball operations, including contract negotiation, arbitration and trade analysis as well as overseeing the professional scouting department.

Prior to joining the Rays, Feinstein served

as coordinator of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Feinstein was with the Oakland Athletics from 1994-2004, working a variety of different jobs, includ-ing assistant in the scouting department and video coordinator.

Feinstein graduated from the Univer-sity of California at Davis with a B.A. in medieval European history. He is a native of Lafayette, Calif., and is married to Meghan.

M i tch Lukev ic s begins his 33rd season in pro ball and his 12th with the Rays organi-zation. He joined the

Rays on Nov. 9, 1995, serving as pitching coach for the Gulf Coast League team for one year before he was named assistant to player development and scouting in 1997. In 2006, he was promoted to director of minor league operations.

The 1975 White Sox second-round pick worked in the Chicago farm system as a pitching coach (1981-85) and minor league

administrator (1986-1988) before direct-ing the Yankees minor league operations from 1989 to 1995. As a pitcher, Lukevics was 24-5 at Penn State, where he earned a degree in health and physical education. He hurled 8 1/3 innings in a 3-1 loss to Arizona State in the Nittany Lions’ College World Series opener his freshman year, 1973. He went 42-39 in 176 games over six seasons with White Sox affiliates.

Mitch and his wife, Karen, have two chil-dren, Matt and Megan, and one grandchild, Matt Jr., born December 2, 2007.

RAYS DID YOU KNOW?

PREGAME SCHEDULE

12:40 STarTRays Batting .......................10:10-11:10Visitors Batting ..................11:10-11:50Rays Infield ........................11:50-12:00Visitors Infield ................... 12:00-12:10Grounds Crew ..............................12:10

1:40 STarTRays Batting .......................11:10-12:10Visitors Batting ................. 12:10-12:50Rays Infield ..........................12:50-1:00Visitors Infield ....................... 1:00-1:10Grounds Crew ................................1:10

6:10 STarTRays Batting ......................... 3:40-4:40Visitors Batting .................... 4:40-5:20Rays Infield ........................... 5:20-5:30Visitors Infield ...................... 5:30-5:40Grounds Crew ............................... 5:40

7:10 STarTRays Batting ......................... 4:40-5:40Visitors Batting .................... 5:40-6:20Rays Infield ........................... 6:20-6:30Visitors Infield ...................... 6:30-6:40Grounds Crew ............................... 6:40

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R.J. HARRISONDirecTOr, ScOUTing

SANDY DENGLERDirecTOr, MajOr leagUe aDMiniSTraTiOn

Robert Joseph (R.J.) Harrison was one of the first hires by the Rays organization when he joined the club on July

1, 1995. He was named director of scout-ing in December 2005 after serving as assistant director of scouting for one year. Harrison had served the club as Western U.S. Crosschecker, National Crosschecker and National Scouting Coordinator.

Prior to joining the Rays, Harrison spent five seasons as an area scout for the New York Mets and eight seasons as a man-ager or coach in the Seattle Mariners and

San Francisco Giants organizations. He was drafted as a catcher by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1975 and was a member of the Florida State League champion St. Petersburg Cardinals that season. He converted to pitcher the following year and played six more seasons in the Cardinals and Mariners systems before moving to the dugout.

Harrison attended Arizona State Uni-versity and played in two College World Series. He and his wife of 29 years, Jane, have two daughters, Lauren (24) and Anna (21). They reside in Phoenix.

S a nd y D e ng le r enters her 31st season in professional base-ball. She joined the Rays in December 1997

as assistant to the general manager and in 2001 was promoted to her current post, in which she aids in the day-to-day function-ing of the baseball operations department.

Sandy spent nine years as business man-ager of the Pirates’ facility in Bradenton after 13 years as a Major League Baseball admin-istrator in player relations, a job in which she analyzed player salaries and provided fiscal data to the clubs. The Syracuse graduate owns an M.S. degree in industrial labor rela-tions from Cornell. She and husband Julius have two sons, Kyle and Wesley.

RAYS DID YOU KNOW?

2008 AMATEUR DRAFT

The annual First-Year Player Draft is set for June 5-6. For the second consecutive year, the Rays have the first overall selection in the first round (see pages 551-557 for Rays all-time draft picks). In 2007, the Rays selected Vanderbilt left hander David Price. Also, for the second straight year, the draft will be televised live on ESPN from Disney’s Wide World of Sports. Commissioner Bud Selig will announce the first-round choices.

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CARLOS ALFONSODirecTOr, inTernaTiOnal OPeraTiOnS

ANDRES REINERSPecial aSSiSTanT, BaSeBall OPeraTiOnS

Carlos Alfonso was named director of international opera-tions on January 9, 2006. In this capacity,

he oversees the team’s international scout-ing and baseball operations efforts with a focus on the Dominican Republic, Venezu-ela, and Colombia.

Alfonso enters his 41st season in profes-sional baseball having taken on a variety of roles from front office posts to coaching assignments throughout the Caribbean in his career. He previously spent 19 seasons with the San Francisco Giants organization where he served on the major league staff

for 10 years, including the last six seasons as the club’s administrative coach. He acted as the organization’s coordinator of Latin America operations in 1995.

Originally signed by the Houston Astros as a catcher/infielder in 1968, Alfonso converted to a full-time pitcher in 1971 and played nine seasons, including six in winter ball in Latin America. He spent 10 years (1977-86) as a coach in the Astros organi-zation at the major and minor league levels before joining the Giants.

Alfonso attended the University of South Florida and Florida International University. He holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Andres Reiner, 71, begins his third season as a special assistant, helping with the Rays international outreach

efforts. He spent 17 years in the Houston organization, the last eight as special assis-tant to the general manager for Venezuelan scouting and development. He joined the Rays after one season with Cincinnati.

Reiner is recognized as the founder of the Astros academy in Venezuela respon-

sible for not only discovering promising young players and developing their skills, but also instructing them in English lan-guage classes, nutrition, social skills and basic finance. The academy has produced more than 130 professional players includ-ing major league All-Stars Johan Santana, Bobby Abreu, Richard Hidalgo, Melvin Mora, Carlos Guillen, and Freddy Garcia.

Reiner and his wife, Carmina, have three children, Robert, Andres and Sylvia, and reside in Houston.

RAYS DID YOU KNOW?

RAYS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Fourteen different states and 6 different countries are represented on the Rays 40-man roster with the most players (8) being born in California. Pitcher Grant Balfour hails from the furthest location, Sydney, Australia, some 9,250 miles from St. Peters-burg. The next furthest is second baseman Akinori Iwamura, whose hometown of Ehime, Japan is about 8,000 miles from Tropicana Field, roughly 400 miles further than pitcher Jae Kuk Ryu’s birthplace, Choon Chung Do, South Korea. The Rays also have four play-ers from the Dominican Republic (infielders Willy Aybar and Joel Guzman and pitchers Al Reyes and Juan Salas) and two from Venezuela (catchers Hector Gimenez and Dioner Navarro).

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JEFF ZIEGLERDirecTOr, TeaM TraVel

Jef f Ziegler was named director, team travel on Jan. 21, 1999. His duties include securing the team’s air

and ground transportation, ho tel accom-modations, ticket requests and per diem for coaches, players and staff.

Ziegler spent 13 years with the St. Petersburg Police Department as a patrol officer and a detective for vice/narcotics

and internal affairs. In 1997 and 1998, he served Major League Baseball as resi-dent security agent assigned to the Rays, assisting the club during the November 1997 expansion draft and its startup at Tropicana Field the next year.

Ziegler, a native of Warren, Ohio, moved to Florida in 1986 and received his bach-elor’s degree (cum laude) from Saint Leo University. He has a son, Jordan, and daughter, Allyssa.

RAYS DID YOU KNOW?

2008 TAMPA BAY RAYS HOTELS

renaissance harborplace | Baltimore202 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202P: 410.547.1200 | F: 410.539.5780

radisson Plaza | Minneapolis35 South 7th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402P: 612.339.4900 | F: 612.337.9766

westin copley Place | Boston10 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02116P: 617.262.9600 | F: 617.424.7483

westin Times Square | new York270 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036P: 212.201.2700 | F: 212.201.2701

westin Michigan avenue | chicago909 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611P: 312.943.7200 | F: 312.397.5580

Parc 55 San Francisco | Oakland55 Cyril Magnin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102P: 415.392.8000 | F: 415.403.6602

Marriott Key center | cleveland127 Public Square, Cleveland, OH 44114P: 216.696.9200 | F: 216.696.0966

Sheraton Station Square | Pittsburgh300 W. Station Square Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219P: 412.261.2000 | F: 412.261.2932

ritz carlton Dearborn | Detroit300 Town Center Drive, Dearborn, MI 48126P: 313.441.2000 | F: 313.253.4418

westin | Seattle1900 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101P: 206.728.1000 | F: 206.728.2259

Trump international | Florida18001 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160P: 305.692.5600 | F: 305.692.5601

westin | St. louis811 Spruce Street, St. Louis, MO 63102P: 314.621.2000 | F: 314.552.5700

intercontinental | Kansas city401 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO 64112P: 816.756.1500 | F: 816.756.1635

arlington Sheraton | Texas1500 Convention Center Drive, Arlington, TX 76011P: 817.261.8200 | F: 817.548.2873

westin South coast Plaza | la/anaheim686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626P: 714.540.2500 | F: 714.662.6695

westin harbour castle | TorontoOne Harbour Square, Toronto, Ontario M5J1A6P: 416.869.1600 | F: 416.869.0573

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RAYS BASEBALL FOUNDATION

The Rays Baseball Foundation, the official charity of the Tampa Bay Rays, will be awarding three grant programs in 2008 for Tampa Bay non-profit organizations: The Community Fund Grant, All-Star Grant and the Field Renovation Program.

“Through the Rays Baseball Foundation and these grant programs, our organization can touch the lives of so many Tampa Bay area children and provide support to programs that benefit them,” said Rays President Matt Silverman. “It is one more way for the Rays to give back to the community whose support is so vital to our organization.”

The Rays Baseball Foundation focuses primarily on youth and education programs in the Tampa Bay region that make a measurable difference in our community. Key contributors to the foundation include Rays owners, sponsors, fans, employees and players. A complete listing of the 15-member community advisory board, founded in February 2008, is located on page 32.

All Rays players currently signed to multi-year contracts contribute to the Rays Baseball Foundation and its programs. The first players to contribute to the foundation were Carl Craw-ford and Rocco Baldelli. Since then, the group has expanded to include Akinori Iwamura, Troy Percival, Carlos Peña and James Shields. Collectively, these players will contribute more than $1 million to the foundation over the length of their contracts.

The foundation’s three grant programs are detailed below:

Community Fund Grant program These funds will help support current programs offered by community-

based non-profit organizations. Grants awarded through this program average $5,000.

All-Star Grant program The foundation aims to foster relationships with regional non-profits with similar

goals. Our commitment is not only to provide monetary support to area non-profits, but to create partner-

ships that serve the Tampa Bay community as a whole. The All-Star Grant provides substantial monetary

support ($50,000 - $100,000) to help fulfill the foundation’s mission. A request for a Letter of Intent for the

All-Star Grant Program will be available online on May 1, 2008.

Field Renovation program The Field Renovation Program will provide new or renovated youth ball fields

to communities throughout the Tampa Bay region. Through municipal and corporate partnerships, the Rays

Baseball Foundation will work with landscapers and contractors to overhaul individual fields. The Rays

Baseball Foundation will determine a field’s individual needs on a case by case basis. The program does

not provide cash grants to organizations or government agencies. J.O. DeLotto and Sons has signed on to

support the Field Renovation Program as general contractor.

Grant applications for the Field Renovation Program are available on the Rays website at http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/tb/community/index.jsp. For more information on any of the grant programs listed above, please contact the Rays Community Relations department at 727-825-3135 or e-mail [email protected].

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