Home-grown roster: the all-time, all-area Tampa Bay Rays lineup

For at least two generations (and possibly three), our back yard has spawned enough elite baseball talent to produce a big-league roster consisting solely of area talent.

As far back as 40 years ago, our lineup would have featured the likes of Tampa natives Lou Piniella and Steve Garvey, among others.

But the birth of the Rays, the passage of time, and the preservation of that wellspring of area talent has allowed us to localize things even further.

Today, we can compile a Rays all-time roster (coaches and managers included) consisting exclusively of players hailing from our region.

Consider this an all-area Rays team, complete with a starting lineup, starting right- and left-handed pitchers, some reserves and a modest coaching staff. The parameters: Each member of the team had to play for a high school or college program in the Tampa Bay Times’ four-county circulation area (Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas).

1B Fred McGriff

Local tie: Jefferson High (Class of 1981)

The Crime Dog’s Hall of Fame resume already featured more than 400 home runs and four All-Star Game appearances when the Braves sold him to the expansion Devil Rays in 1998. The franchise’s first true slugger, he totaled 78 home runs and 291 RBIs from 1998-2000, then returned for a 27-game cameo in 2004.

2B Christian Arroyo

Local tie: Hernando High (Class of 2013)

Our team’s got to have a second baseman, and Arroyo — the former Giants first-round pick who arrived in the Evan Longoria deal — played eight error-free games there during his 36-contest stint (2018-2019) with Tampa Bay.

SS Jason Romano

Local tie: Hillsborough High (Class of 1997)

Because we couldn’t find a local product who actually played shortstop for the Rays, we fudged a little with this former Saladino Award winner. Romano, who played only four games (one hit) with Tampa Bay in 2004, did play some shortstop with the Rockies two years before.

3B Wade Boggs

Local tie: Plant High (Class of 1982)

Boggs spent the final two seasons of his 18-year Hall of Fame career back home, collecting his 3,000th hit with a home run to rightfield off Cleveland’s Chris Chaney on Aug. 7, 1999. He played only 90 games that season, but still hit .301.

C Bobby Wilson

Local tie: Seminole High (Class of 2001) and St. Petersburg College

Wilson, whose decade in the big leagues included stints with seven different clubs, played parts of the 2015 and 2016 seasons with Tampa Bay. In 2016, he hit .230 with four home runs before the Rays let him go to make room for prospects.

OF Matt Joyce

Local tie: Armwood High (Class of 2002)

The second Hawks alumnus to reach the big leagues, Joyce spent parts of six seasons with his hometown club, hitting .250 with 76 home runs, 280 RBIs and a .342 on-base percentage. He was an all-star in 2011, when he totaled 19 home runs and a career-best 75 RBIs.

OF Brett Phillips

Local tie: Seminole High (Class of 2012)

How can we forget the franchise’s all-time leader in exuberance? Phillips simply didn’t hit well enough (.179 over 210 games) during his Rays stint that covered parts of three seasons, but we’ll always have his 2020 World Series walk-off in Game 4.

OF Denard Span

Local tie: Tampa Catholic (Class of 2002)

Span, joining Bally Sports’ coverage of the Rays, played 43 games for his hometown club in the last of his 11 big-league seasons (2018). None were more memorable than Game 1, when his bases-loaded, eighth-inning triple on opening day lifted the Rays to a 6-4 win against the Red Sox at home.

DH Tino Martinez

Local tie: Jefferson High (Class of 1985)

With McGriff entrenched at first base, we slide his fellow Jefferson alum to a DH role. A two-time All-Star and four-time World Series champion, Martinez returned home when the Cardinals dealt him to Tampa Bay in a trade. In his lone season as a Devil Ray, he hit .262 with 23 home runs and 76 RBI.

LHP Shane McClanahan

Local tie: USF (2016-18)

The Friday night starter for the Bulls in 2018 (when he struck out 120 in 76.1 innings), McClanahan has posted 10- and 12-win seasons the last two years, and started the 2022 MLB All-Star Game.

RHP Doug Waechter

Local tie: Northeast High (Class of 1999)

A Devil Rays third-round pick in 1999, Waechter went 14-25 with a 5.62 ERA in parts of four seasons as a Tampa Bay starter before shoulder surgery derailed his tenure. He has since earned three Emmys for his work on Rays broadcasts with Bally Sports.

Manager Kevin Cash

Local tie: Gaither High (Class of 1996)

The franchise’s second-winningest manager (640-554) gets the clear nod over Jesuit High alumnus Lou Piniella, whose three-year Tampa Bay tenure (200-285) didn’t exactly enhance his Hall of Fame chances. Cash has led the Rays to four consecutive postseason berths, equaling the franchise total in the 17 seasons prior to his arrival.

In the bullpen

RHP Ryan Garton (Mitchell High)

Logged 5.26 ERA in 44 relief appearances with Rays in 2016 and 2017

RHP Dave Eiland (Zephyrhills High)

Primarily a starter, went 6-12, 6.54 ERA for Rays from 1998-2000

RHP Dwight Gooden (Hillsborough)

Went 2-3 (6.63 ERA) in eight starts with Devil Rays in 2000

RHP Phoenix Sanders (USF)

Compiled 3.07 ERA in 14.2 relief innings for Rays in 2022

RHP Ryan Webb (Clearwater Central Catholic)

Amassed 5.19 ERA in 17.1 relief innings for Rays in 2016

On the bench

1B Casey Kotchman (Seminole High)

Hit .306 (.800 OPS) in helping lead 2011 Rays to postseason

OF Kenny Kelly (Tampa Catholic)

Crusaders’ three-sport sensation appeared in two games for Devil Rays in 2000

OF Elijah Dukes (Hillsborough)

Homered in first two games for Rays in 2007; departed amid disturbing off-field allegations

Coaching staff

Lou Piniella (Jesuit)

Went 200-285 in three seasons (2003-2005) as Rays manager

Ozzie Timmons (Brandon High, University of Tampa)

Former Rays player was club’s first base coach from 2018-2021

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