To help, Refrigerator Logic is providing a list of reasons to watch every Major League Baseball team for the 2008 season. Anyone that’s read all the team lists should be able to pull up the MLB schedule on any day in early June and find reasons to enjoy any contest on the board that night.

Please join in the comments to add your own reasons. Tell everyone why your team is worth three and a half hours of their lives on any given day. Make us care and we’ll be there with a tasty beverage and an appreciation for what you feel each time your team takes the field.

Youth Is on the Menu

On most teams, I’ll be privileged to point out one or maybe two young men that could turn the undeniable sex appeal of potential into a full-on stargasm. On the Rays’ roster and in the minors, I can list eight, which is the best collection of young studs outside of one of Paul Lynde’s famed birthday parties:

• Scott Kazmir, LHP (the Rays are Fortunato to have him) (sorry, Mets fans; that’s not taking the high road after Victor-y) (sorry again)
• B.J. Upton, CF (you know, your average run-of-the-mill power-and-average-and-speed center fielder star)
• Carl Crawford, LF (fantasy steals star; get your Vince Coleman-with-a-batting-eye thrill here) (and how much does a fly ball pitcher want this outfield behind him?)
• Evan Longoria, 3B (I would tell you more about him, but the tears that form every time I see him hit a home run have caused my eyes to well up again and make it difficult to type)
• David Price, LHP (a lefty with a 94 mph fastball and an 87 mph slider that’s even better)
• Wade Davis, RHP (98 mph heat and 1-2 other great pitchers makes the loins quiver)
• Desmond Jennings, CF (three great center fielders in the same system? why not?)
• Reid Brignac, SS (and a great hitting shortstop that looks agile enough to hold the position)

Each of these young men would be the crown jewel of most minor league farm systems. Here, they’re just putting an awful lot of pressure on the Red Sox and Yankees to not ignore their own development programs in favor of expensive old men.

Tune in any night to lay claim on having seen them early in their careers.

What’s Japanese for “Gritty”?

Akinori Iwamura isn’t the type of player to impress you with his bat, so you won’t hear much about him during fantasy drafts. However, if you tune into a Rays game this spring, you’ll find your imagination captured by the glove of this Japanese import. I don’t know if he’s the best infielder, but he’s one of the most exciting.

As you can see, he’s an Ichiro-style slap hitter, so you won’t see him crush the ball out of the park often. On the other hand, he brings the type of energy to his work that lovers of Ecksteins everywhere proclaim to be Real Baseball. I don’t know about that, but it’s really fun to watch.

He’s moving from third to second this year to make room for Longoria, robbing us of his huge throws. Still, there’s plenty of Iwamura Fever to catch.

The Quiet Announcer

Dewayne Staats is one of my favorite baseball announcers you’ve never heard of. He worked briefly for the Cubs, which is where I came to enjoy his no-nonsense style that doesn’t try to make him the star of the show. He also has an earthiness to his voice that’s warmer than the occasionally slick play-by-play you’ll get from other sources.

Two-Hit Wonders?

Carlos Peña (an un-freaking-believable 46 home runs and .411 OBP) and James Shields (184 strikeouts with a 3.85 ERA in 215 innings) both had career years in 2007. Both received sizable contracts with the notion that they will repeat their performances. Peña’s the larger gamble, having his best year yet at the age of 29. Still, a casual observer couldn’t help but root for both of them to succeed again.

(As the casual observer near this camera notes, you can tell a home run off Peña’s bat. The 46 home runs may not be repeatable, but it sure as hell wasn’t a fluke.)

…Enjoy Baseball? Really?

As David Pinto can attest, there’s a sense of humor and love of baseball in Tampa that you couldn’t feel under previous regimes. Andrew Friedman and Stuart Sternberg are two of the young bright minds that is supposed to rob baseball of its joy with his protractors and his rock and/or roll, but the owner and the general manager bring joy to their new positions that is palpable to Rays fans.

Joe Maddon has a reputation as being an excellent teacher for young players and an inventive manager, both of which breathe life into a moribund franchise by making each night a learning experience for player and fan.

It’s amazing what can happen when it’s apparent that the people in charge care what happens each night. Interesting concept, eh, Naimoli?

(Yes, they’re not the Devil Rays anymore. Yes, it was a silly name change from one silly name to another silly name. Still, you have to like that they’re trying to reach out to all members of the ray community.)

All the Pieces Are in Place

Yes, you may now enjoy your “more cartilaginous marine fish on the field than in the stands” jokes now, but that just leaves more room for you on the bandwagon if you like what you see. You’re a discriminating viewer; you don’t need anyone else to tell you what you’re allowed to watch. It doesn’t have to be popular to be good.

The residents of Tampa and St. Petersburg will file into Tropicana Cavernous Gathering Location slowly as the Rays start to win and win big over the next two years. Why not jump on board now while you can call dibs on the shotgun seat and get to really enjoy watching these young men play?

One Shameless Hussy to Another

If none of these other reasons were remotely compelling, I don’t know what else I could say to you to convince you that following the Team from Tampa is worthwhile… except to remind you that Jenn Sterger is a Tampa Bay Rays fan.

My work is done here.