Tampa Bay Rays
From the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s collection containing tens of thousands of artifacts, our curators have created each team’s Starting Nine by hand-picking nine must-see pieces for each of the 30 MLB teams. This limited-time list is the perfect introduction to the Museum for every Tampa Bay Rays fan. Don’t wait to make your visit to Cooperstown to take the Hall of Fame Starting Nine challenge.
Tropicana Field souvenir cowbell
Inspired by a famous Saturday Night Live skit first aired in 2000, the Tampa Bay Rays began distributing cowbells such as this one to fans at Tropicana Field starting six years later. Today, cowbells (and their distinctive noise) are synonymous with Rays baseball.
Whole New Ballgame
Evan Longoria: 2011 Home Run Bat
Rays third baseman Evan Longoria swung this bat for a 12th-inning, walk-off home run to beat the Yankees on the last day of the 2011 regular season. Coming back from a 7-0 deficit, Tampa Bay's dramatic victory pushed the club one game ahead of Boston and into the sole American League Wild Card spot.
Whole New Ballgame
Wade Boggs: 3,000th Hit Jersey
Devil Rays third baseman Wade Boggs made history in this jersey on August 7, 1999, when he became the first player to collect his 3,000th hit with a home run and the first to reach the coveted milestone as a member of Tampa Bay.
One for the Books
Carl Crawford: Stolen Base Shoes
On May 3, 2009, Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford ran wild in these shoes, stealing six bases in one game, the first American Leaguer to achieve the feat since Hall of Famer Eddie Collins in 1912.
One for the Books
Randy Arozarena: World Series Bat
Randy Arozarena swung this bat to homer in Game 4 of the 2020 World Series, breaking the record for most home runs in a single postseason with his ninth round-tripper. The Rays outfielder eventually extended his mark to a whopping 10 postseason home runs.
Your Team Today
Kevin Cash: 2016 Jersey
Having piloted the Tampa Bay Rays since 2015, Kevin Cash is currently the longest-tenured manager with the same MLB team. The Tampa native wore this Spring Training jersey while managing the Rays to a 4-1 win over the Cuban National Team in Havana in March of 2016, the last time a big league club played an exhibition game in the island nation.
Your Team Today
Mike Brosseau: ALDS Home Run Bat
In the eighth inning of Game 5 of the 2020 ALDS, Mike Brosseau wielded this bat to smash a solo homer off Yankees fire-balling closer Aroldis Chapman. Brosseau’s blast turned around a 100-mph fastball, breaking a 1-1 tie and ultimately sending Tampa Bay to their first ALCS since 2008.
Your Team Today
Blake Snell: Cy Young Award Jersey
Wearing this jersey on Sept. 23, 2018, Blake Snell earned his 21st victory of the year, becoming the first Rays pitcher to win more than 20 games in a season. His 21-5 record and 1.89 ERA earned him the 2018 American League Cy Young Award.
Your Team Today
Fred McGriff: Hall of Fame Plaque
Fred McGriff, a Tampa native, spent five seasons with the Devil Rays: 1998-2001, and a return in 2004, his final big league campaign. The power-hitting first baseman ended his 19-year career with a .284 batting average, 2,490 hits, 493 homers and 1,550 RBI, earning this plaque when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 23, 2023.
Plaque Gallery
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