In an era when managers often ride yearly carousels in and out of major league baseball towns, the stability shown in the Tampa Bay Rays organization is nothing short of refreshing. However, let there be no mistake, there have been many bleak campaigns since 1998. Hard years that made many a Rays’ fan hair as white as Joe Maddon’s buzz cut.
While managers should never be held fully responsible for a ballclub’s success or failure, they are incredibly crucial parts in the process. Therefore, a ranking of Rays managers from worst to first can lead us orderly back into a 20-year journey from the cellar to the catwalks of the Trop.