Dear Devil Rays

I'm getting ready for you again, Devil Rays. The 2007 season begins in a few short months. Are you ready for me?

I've followed you since the 1998 inaugural season. You have played with my emotions every year of the team's existence. Every year, I begin the season with great hope, and I have all the confidence in the world you'll pull it together. You'll make me proud to say to the rest of the baseball world, "We have an awesome pro baseball team here in Tampa Bay!"

You'll get me to plan my day around your game schedule so I can watch you play at the Trop or on television. I'll follow your every move, stake my emotions on every play and live or die with each game played. I'm with you during the winning streaks and the losses.

However, at some point during the season, you find a way to remove hope from my heart. You have frustrated me beyond belief. The losses become more-and-more, the team's focus becomes fuzzy and before I know it, everyone is talking about next year.

Please stop this annual ritual. It's too difficult to handle. Here are some suggestions to help you out of this quandary.

To the owners and management, maybe this year you can try something different. If you want to play with the "Big Boys" of the MLB, spend some money like the pros do. Reward the great players on the team now like Baldelli, Crawford and Kazmir, show the money carrot to the non-marquee players to encourage them to play better and entice some big talent players from other teams with dollar signs. No, money isn't everything, but you've tried everything else.

And to the players, don't let the huge money teams intimidate you. You guys have the talent and the heart to be as successful. And, most importantly, forget about the past. No more rebuilding. Now is the time to make your positive mark in the baseball world.

I'll be with you all through the 2007 season and will look forward to seeing you in October! Don't let me down.