ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The roof above Tropicana Field eliminates the possibility of military jets doing a pregame flyover today, so the Rays might want to look into an indoor event using flying pigs.
The theme: Pigs fly and Tampa Bay plays a postseason game.
How about Elvis for a live rendition of the national anthem?
Coming off one of the biggest turn-arounds in major-league history, the former laughingstocks of baseball will begin their hopeful path to a championship with Game 1 of the ALDS against the White Sox today.
“We’ve had a lot of doubters this entire season,” said James Shields, today’s starting pitcher for the Rays. “I talked to a few people a couple of weeks before the season ended, and people were still doubting us. The bottom line is, we believe in ourselves.”
After going 66-96 in 2007 and finishing last for the ninth time in their 10 seasons of existence, the Rays won the AL East by going 97-65. The only bigger AL turn-arounds, in terms of games improved, came from Boston in 1946 and Baltimore in 1989.
For the Rays, it translated into home-field advantage for this first round of the playoffs, facing a Chicago team that needed a one-game playoff victory over Minnesota to get here.
“I want our guys to really step back and understand what they’re doing and enjoy it,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “I want them to enjoy it, because I want them to be here every year.”
Shields, who finished 14-8 with a 3.56 ERA this season, edged out lefty Scott Kazmir for Game 1 honors. The right-handed Shields faced the White Sox on May 30 and allowed one run over six innings.
The White Sox will counter with Javier Vazquez, making his first playoff appearance since Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS. Pitching in relief that night for the Yankees, the righty surrendered a grand slam to Johnny Damon that put the Red Sox on their way to the World Series after losing the first three games of the series. Vazquez was 12-16 with a 4.67 ERA this season, but is pitching on full rest.
The Trop will be rocking, with a sellout of 36,048 expected after a season in which the Rays averaged only 23,000 in home attendance. And for a change, most of the fans will be rooting for the home team.
“We’ve had the split in the past with the Red Sox people and the Yankee people,” Maddon said. “But now it’s becoming much more entirely for us, and it does matter.”
Rays first baseman Carlos Pena hopes the fans “go nuts,” creating the kind of advantage the Twins have enjoyed playing under a dome in the playoffs.
“Go ahead, go crazy,” Pena said.
mpuma@nypost.com
