1999 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season
| 1999 Tampa Bay Devil Rays | |
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| Major League affiliations | |
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| Location | |
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| Results | |
| Record | 69–93 (.426) |
| Divisional place | 5th |
| Other information | |
| Owner(s) | Vince Naimoli |
| General manager(s) | Chuck LaMar |
| Manager(s) | Larry Rothschild |
| Local television |
Sportschannel Florida WWWB/WMOR WTSP (Joe Magrane, Dewayne Staats) |
| Local radio |
WFLA (Paul Olden, Charlie Slowes) WBDN (Eulides Nunez, Enrique Oliu) |
| < Previous season Next season > | |
The 1999 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season was their second since the franchise was created. They finished last in the AL East division with a record of 69 wins and 93 losses. Their manager was Larry Rothschild, who entered his 2nd year with the club.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]
1999 Marlins win series 5-1
While coaching baseball for the Reagan County Owls, Jim Morris made a promise to his team that he would try out for Major League Baseball if his team won the District Championship, something the team had never accomplished before. His team won the title, and Morris kept his end of the bargain. At tryouts, the Major League scout for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays initially wasn't interested in Morris. But, the scout agreed to allow him to try out so Morris could keep his promise to his students. Surprisingly, Morris discovered that in spite of his age, and having several surgeries on his arm, he was able to throw a 98-mph fastball. In fact, he threw 12 consecutive 98-mph fastballs. After much debate with his family, Morris signed a professional contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization at the age of 35. He started out with the Minor League Class AA Orlando Rays but after a few appearances he moved up to a spot with the AAA Durham Bulls. Thanks to solid performances with Durham, Tampa Bay gave him a chance to pitch with the big club when the rosters expanded, and on September 18, 1999, against Royce Clayton of the Texas Rangers, the 35-year-old Morris made his debut, striking Clayton out on four pitches. His goal of pitching in the majors was finally realized, and he made four more appearances later that year.
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