Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Tampa Bay Rays are Major League members of the Eastern Division of the American League. Tampa Bay Rays tickets are in demand this season, as the Rays are defending American League (AL) pennant. The team was founded in 1998 in St Petersburg, Florida. The Tropicana Field has been the club’s home since the beginning. The team finished last only twice since their inception, once in 2004 and again in 2008. The team won their very first division title in 2008 as well. The Bay Rays entered the playoffs for the very first time, eventually qualifying for the World Series. This accomplishment cemented a place in the major leagues for the new team. Tampa Bay Rays tickets made significant sales.

On the 31st of March 1998, the Rays played their very first game as a franchise against the Detroit Tigers at the Tropicana Field in front of 45,369 baseball fans. They lost 11-6 and began a struggle that lasted for almost a decade. Still ticket holders were excited to see baseball in Florida beyond the spring training schedule. The team lost 99 games that year, making Tampa Bay Ray ticket holders somewhat dissatisfied, but hardly surprised.

Fans hoped that the signing of Jose Conseco to the Tampa Bay Rays before the 1999 season would make a huge impact. On the 7th of August 1999, the club recorded a memorable moment in the history of the franchise and baseball. Wade Boggs, along time Red Sox player who signed with the Rays at the tail end of his career, tallied his 3000th career hit on a home run – making Wade Boggs (who finished his career with just 118 career home runs) only player to ever do so. Bay Rays ticket holders were pleased. He retired after the season and became the only member of team Ray to have his number retired. In 2005, Boggs became a Hall of Famer.

Fans who bought Tampa Bay Ray tickets were pleased to learn that the Rays acquired sluggers Greg Vaughn and Vinny Castilla before the 2000 MLB season. They preemptively nicknamed the two the “Hit Show”. Unfortunately both players were past their primes and the Rays continued to struggle in the 2000 season. Tampa Bay Rays ticket holders were very disappointed at this outcome but still remained hopeful.

The majority of Tampa Bay Rays ticket holding fans had low expectations for the team entering the 2004 season, but the Rays surprised everyone by finishing with the best record in the team’s history, 70 – 91. This was a first for the team. The Rays won 70 games in a season. They also finished fourth in the American League (AL) East, coming out of last place for the first time. Fans that held Tampa Bay Rays tickets now had something to cheer about.

The team’s record was 10 – 28 coming into the month of May in 2001. The season appeared to be headed down a familiar path, but the Rays shocked everyone and won 30 out 40 games. The Bay Rays set a record 12 games in a row during this stint and were five games out of the AL Wild Card with a 42-41 record... Every fan with Tampa Bay Rays tickets was ecstatic with the team’s performance and the possibilities of the playoffs. That good will from the Tampa Bay Rays ticket holding fans didn’t last long. The team finished of 21 games below 500, nowhere near the good enough for the playoffs.

In 2008 the team completed spring training with 18 wins, a club record and finished with the best record in the Grapefruit League during Spring Training. The Rays were not expected to do much, but ended up winning the AL East and making it the World Series. Unfortunately, Tampa Bay Rays ticket holding fans watched as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Rays.