The Tampa Bay Rays begin their 20th season on Sunday when they host the New York Yankees in the first of 19 meetings this season between the two clubs. Many changes since that first game in 1998 for the Rays has taken place, but there are no changes when it comes to hearing the plate umpire call out “play ball.”
Entering Saturday, the Tampa Bay Rays had three openings with four players vying for bench roles – rookie Daniel Robertson, Mallex Smith, Nick Franklin, and Peter Bourjos. Many assumed including me that Robertson would be the odd-man out considering that his spring offensively was not very good, and that the Rays would go with experience.