Tigers vs. Rays: Comparing a Decade of Bad Apples to Bad Apples

If the thought of another series against an A.L. Central foe makes you nauseous, take heart! Here come the Tampa Bay Rays to break up the monotony that is the Major League Baseball unbalanced scheduled.

So I got to thinking: except for 2006 and 2008 when the Tigers and Rays, respectively, made the World Series, it’s been a lean decade for these two franchises.

My thinking got started when I saw that the Tigers’ All-Time Record against the Rays is 40-42. Astounding.

Let’s face it, the Rays swam under the radar for the first seven years and the Tigers were so feeble that Detroit fans probably didn’t bother to notice the shabby baseball being played in Tampa Bay. Even so, wouldn’t you have thought the Tigers had a much worse record against the defending A.L. Champs?

So I go to thinking (and hypothesizing) again. The Rays have to own a better overall won-loss record in the 2000s so far, right? Yes, they were bad pre-Joe Maddon but come on, the Tigers great equalizer is the 2003 season. Right? Right?

Wrong.

Even with the 43-win season in ‘03, the Tigers have a better record than the Rays this decade.

Detroit’s record from 2000 through the start of play today is: 710-883, a .446 winning percentage. Tampa Bay’s is 679-902, .429.

Believe it or not, the Tigers have averaged 80 wins a season from 2000-08 (thank you, 2006 and ‘07). The Rays, 76 wins over that same span.

So what does that all mean? The Tigers and Rays are more evenly matched this decade than I would’ve thought. Let’s hope Detroit breaks away…starting this weekend.

Discuss.