The 1999 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season was their second since the franchise was created. They finished last in the AL East

American League East

The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...

 division with a record of 69 wins and 93 losses. Their manager

Manager (baseball)

In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...

 was Larry Rothschild

Larry Rothschild

Lawrence Lee Rothschild is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and manager. He currently serves as the pitching coach of the New York Yankees.-Playing career:...

, who entered his 2nd year with the club.

Offseason

• November 25, 1998: Dave Silvestri was signed as a Free Agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
• December 11, 1998: José Canseco
  José Canseco
  José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
  
   signed as a Free Agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
• February 3, 1999: Joe Oliver was signed as a Free Agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
• February 19, 1999: Julio Franco
  Julio Franco
  Julio César Robles Franco is a former Major League Baseball infielder and designated hitter. In , Franco was the oldest active player in the major leagues at the age of 49....
  
   was signed as a Free Agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
• March 31, 1999: Mike Kelly was released by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Regular season

• On August 7, 1999, Wade Boggs
  Wade Boggs
  Wade Anthony Boggs is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but also played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
  
   had the 3,000th hit of his career. The hit was a home run.

Transactions

• April 9, 1999: Dave Silvestri was released by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
• May 27, 1999: Aaron Small was signed as a Free Agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
• July 23, 1999: Joe Oliver was traded by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays with Humberto Cota to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jose Guillen and Jeff Sparks.
• June 23, 1999: Jim Morris
  Jim Morris
  James "Jimmy" Samuel Morris, JR is a former American professional baseball player known for his brief Major League Baseball career....
  
   was signed as a Free Agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Draft Picks

• June 2, 1999: Josh Hamilton was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1st round (1st pick) of the 1999 amateur draft. Player signed June 3, 1999.
• June 2, 1999: Carl Crawford
  Carl Crawford
  Carl Demonte Crawford is an American professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed...
  
   was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 2nd round of the 1999 amateur draft. Player signed June 14, 1999.
• June 2, 1999: Doug Waechter was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 3rd round of the 1999 amateur draft. Player signed June 27, 1999.

Citrus Series

1999 Marlins win series 5-1

• June 4- Marlins 10- @ Devil Rays 0
• June 5- Marlins 9- @ Devil Rays 7
• June 6- Marlins 11- @ Devil Rays 6
• July 9- @ Marlins 11- Devil Rays 4
• July 10- Devil Rays 9- @ Marlins 8
• July 11- @ Marlins 3- Devil Rays 2

The Rookie

While coaching baseball for the Reagan County Owls, Jim Morris

Jim Morris

James "Jimmy" Samuel Morris, JR is a former American professional baseball player known for his brief Major League Baseball career....

 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

Fastball

The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...

. 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

Durham Bulls

The Durham Bulls are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the International League. The Bulls play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park located in the downtown area of Durham, North Carolina. Durham Bulls Athletic Park is often called the "DBAP" or "D-Bap". The Bulls are...

. 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

Royce Clayton

Royce Spencer Clayton is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and occasional actor.-Baseball career:Clayton was born in Burbank, California. He was drafted out of St...

 of the Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers (baseball)

The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...

, 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.

Roster

1999 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Roster
Pitchers		Catchers Infielders		Outfielders		Manager Coaches

Batting

Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
John Flaherty John Flaherty John Timothy Flaherty is a television baseball broadcaster and a retired Major League Baseball player. Flaherty was a catcher, and last played in the major leagues for the New York Yankees.-Early life:...	117	446	124	.278	14	71
Fred McGriff Fred McGriff Frederick Stanley McGriff is a left-handed former Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both...	144	529	164	.310	32	104
Miguel Cairo Miguel Cairo Miguel Jesús Cairo is a Major League Baseball utility player who is currently with the Cincinnati Reds. He has mostly played second base during his career, but has played every position in baseball except catcher and pitcher. He currently plays mostly third base, in place of Scott Rolen during his...	120	465	137	.295	3	36
Wade Boggs Wade Boggs Wade Anthony Boggs is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but also played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...	90	292	88	.301	2	29
Kevin Stocker Kevin Stocker Kevin Douglas Stocker is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitter. Stocker played with the Philadelphia Phillies , Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Anaheim Angels ....	79	254	76	.299	1	27
Bubba Trammell Bubba Trammell Thomas Bubba Trammell was a Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter. He is an alumnus of the University of Tennessee....	82	283	82	.290	14	39
Randy Winn Randy Winn Dwight Randolph Winn is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. Winn was a switch hitter, and threw right-handed. He played college baseball at Santa Clara University and made his Major League debut in 1998 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays...	79	303	81	.267	2	24
Dave Martinez Dave Martinez David Martinez is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for several teams from 1986 to 2001. He is currently the bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays.-Career:...	143	514	146	.284	6	66
José Canseco José Canseco José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...	113	430	120	.279	34	95

Other batters

Pos	Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI

Starting pitchers

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO

Other pitchers

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA

Relief pitchers

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Orlando, Hudson Valley