From Worst to First
Last night was the end of a Cinderella season for the Tampa Bay Rays. It was an amazing run of going from last place to first place in one year. They won 97 games in the regular season this year. That’s amazing.
Since we were in the Tampa Bay area for the summer, I had the chance to watch this season up close. We watched most of the games this summer, and kept up with how they did. It was a tremendous transformation.
The American League Championship Series was something I’ll remember for a long time. Beating the Boston Red Sox is always fun. Now it’s even more fun.
But the Rays didn’t do it the way most teams do. They have the lowest payroll in the league, and they beat teams that had millions more dollars to spend. They did it with teamwork. Their motto all season has been 9=8, meaning nine guys playing hard and working together for 9 innings would allow them to be one of eight teams in the playoffs.
It’s a great life lesson for us. Teamwork is what we need in life. Teamwork is what we need for our families to be strong. Working as a team is what makes our ministries thrive. It’s not enough to have a few superstars working on their own. It takes a team to win. Just ask the Rays.