Cass Anderson
The Tampa Bay Rays started their 2024 MLB season on Thursday with an 8-2 loss to the Blue Jays in front of a sold out crowd. The sellout was the 18th regular season home opener in a row for the Rays.
Prior to the game, the team hung a new banner in the rafters to commemorate the 2023 Wild Card Game in which my beloved former Devil Rays got mercilessly swept in, losing the series in two games (4-0, 7-1) to the Texas Rangers who would eventually go on to win the World Series.
Marc Topkin of the TBTimes shared a video of the new Wild Card banner being unfurled and it seemed to strike a nerve with both myself and fellow Rays fans along with other baseball fans who can’t fathom why the Rays would hang a banner for a Wild Card Series appearance and not a win.
Unveiling of #Rays 2023 AL wild card banner pic.twitter.com/xHm0Co8IUo
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) March 28, 2024
The top reply on X, formerly Twitter is short says sums it up. They simply wrote “so embarrassing.” Another person wrote “This is basically saying this our standard. Embarrassing.” Someone else chimed in with “I’m fine with 08’ and 20’ but these are getting ridiculous and embarrassing.”
While the new Wild Card banner is surely embarrassing it was perhaps not the most embarrassing part of Opening Day 2024 for the Rays. That honor might go to this ‘Free Wander Franco’ sign being held by two Rays fans:
BroBible
For those that haven’t been following the story, Wander Franco is facing charges of having a relationship with a 14-year-old girl in his native Dominican Republic. The former Rays shortstop is on indefinite leave from the team as the legal process plays out.
For context, the Rays won the American League in 2008 and 2020. The Rays also won the AL East in 2008, 2010, 2020, and 2021. I’m okay with them hanging AL East banners. There’s a lot of room to fill in the Trop before the team moves to a new stadium in 2028 after a 16+ year battle with the city of St. Pete over a new stadium.