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No.265 SIM音読用英文

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Baseball's Rays Gain Fans With Big Turnaround
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Greg Murphy has lived

in the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg area of Florida

for 10 years

and he told VOA Sports

he has been a big fan

of the Tampa Bay Rays

since the team joined the American League in 1998.


He said he has not had a lot of company

until this season,

because Tampa Bay never had a winning team

until this year

and played before mostly empty seats.


In fact, Tampa Bay finished in last place

in the American League East Division

in nine of the previous 10 years,

and they were essentially the laughingstock

of the Major Leagues.


In all of those years they were known

as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.


It has led some to wonder

if there was any connection

to the turnaround

after they dropped devil

from their nickname.


While the Rays are still not among the best supported teams

in the Major Leagues,

Murphy said it is no surprise

that they have attracted many new fans this season

with their first place finish

ahead of last year's champion Boston Red Sox.


And Murphy says bringing cowbells to ring

at Rays' games 

has become the new tradition

at Tropicana Field,

which is located next to Tampa in St. Petersburg, Florida.


"It's been electric, you know.


I don't know

who started the cowbell thing,

but it is caught on

and this place is crazy.


And it's just electric, it's incredible."


Greg Murphy says it is easy

to like a team like the Rays

because they have built the club

through their minor league system

rather than spending millions of dollars

on free agent players.


Tampa Bay has one of the lowest payrolls

in Major League Baseball.


"They are young, superstar team.


It's not about the money

with this team.


And you see that

across baseball.


You get a bad feeling in your stomach

about the money thing,

and the players are just playing for the money.


This team is about winning.


They are about having a good time,

and they are the most exciting team in baseball."


And that's why

they now have many new fans.


Those fans are hoping

the Tampa Bay Rays can do

what no other professional U.S. sports team has ever done -

not in baseball, football, basketball or ice hockey -

go from last place one season

to league champion the next year.


Parke Brewer, VOA Sports, covering the World Series in Florida
by danueno | 2008-10-29 16:52 | SIM音読用英文


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