Oh, you want to know ’bout the 2017 Tampa Bay Rays roster, huh? Well, lemme tell ya, that year they was all over the place, bless their hearts. They finished up with a record of 80 wins and 82 losses, sittin’ right there in 3rd place in the American League East. Ain’t the best, but not the worst neither. It’s like when you plant a whole bunch of crops and some grow real tall, and others don’t do so good. That’s how it went for the Rays in 2017.
Now, let’s talk ’bout the folks on the team. The manager, Kevin Cash, he was runnin’ the show, tryin’ to keep everybody in line, though I reckon he had his hands full. The man had a lot of work to do, but he did his best. They didn’t make it to the playoffs, but you can’t win ’em all, can ya? Sometimes you gotta take what you can get and hope for better next time. Their attendance wasn’t too bad either, with 49,510 folks comin’ out to see the games, which ain’t a small crowd, I tell ya.
One of the biggest names on that team was Chris Archer, that pitcher who had himself a few good games. He was out there throwin’ the ball fast, hopin’ it’d land in the strike zone more often than not. And don’t forget about Wilson Ramos behind the plate, catchin’ those fastballs like nobody’s business. That man worked hard. You could always count on him to be there when the pitcher needed him the most.
There was also Logan Morrison, playin’ first base. Now that man, he knew how to hit the ball, even when the pitchers were throwin’ it at him like they had a grudge. Morrison had a decent season, and when he wasn’t swingin’ the bat, he was out there catchin’ those throws over at first base, makin’ sure nobody was gettin’ to home plate too easy.
There was plenty of other folks on the roster too. You had your outfielders like Steven Souza Jr., who was known for his good arm and his ability to hit a home run when you least expected it. Then there was Mallex Smith, a speedy little fella who could run like the wind when he got on base, makin’ things happen in a hurry. The infielders like Tim Beckham and Daniel Robertson also did their part, steady as she goes, workin’ hard and holdin’ the fort down when things got tough.
But let’s not forget about the pitchers. There was Jake Odorizzi, who threw a good ball when he was on, though he had his share of rough games too. Then there was Alex Cobb, a reliable hand in the rotation who kept the team in games more often than not. The bullpen was there too, but like any team, they had their up and downs, and some games they just couldn’t hold on to the lead, no matter how hard they tried.
Now, I know some of y’all might be wonderin’ about the overall numbers for that year. Well, I’ll tell ya, the team wasn’t too shabby at bat. They had some good hitters like Corey Dickerson, who could get on base and keep things movin’. Still, their record of 80-82 shows they had some rough spots, especially when it came to consistency. They’d win a few, lose a few, and sometimes they just couldn’t seem to get it together in the clutch moments.
But that’s baseball, ain’t it? Some years you’re on top, and other years, you just gotta take what you can and learn from it. And with a team like the Rays, you never really know what’s comin’ next. One year they might surprise ya, and the next they might struggle a bit. But I tell ya, they sure keep it interestin’ for all the folks watchin’ from the stands.
So, that was the 2017 Tampa Bay Rays roster. They worked hard, gave it their all, and though they didn’t make it to the playoffs, they gave their fans something to cheer about. Sometimes that’s all you can ask for, right?
Tags：[2017 Tampa Bay Rays, MLB, Rays roster, Kevin Cash, Chris Archer, Wilson Ramos, Logan Morrison, Jake Odorizzi, Steven Souza Jr., baseball team, Tampa Bay]
