... and Scott Kazmir's take on Percival.

• RHP Troy Percival, 38; 14 saves, 2.70.

"You never know what he's going to throw. He's the type of guy you can't have a scouting report on. He's just a competitor out there, and you're going to get the best of what he has, whatever he's got that day. He's just the guy who gets it done."

Percival also knows that being the oldest guy on the active roster doesn't make him king of the castle. "In my mind, this is Carl Crawford's locker room," Percival says of the Rays' left fielder, who has been with the club since 2002. "He's been here the longest. He's been fantastic. I didn't know what to expect because I had heard this was a bad, bad clubhouse and he was never happy, but now I see him come in here happy, and that lifts the spirits of everybody else because he's one of our superstars."

Crawford, like Percival, deflects any credit toward his teammates. "My clubhouse?" he says. "Nah, I'm just still learning this stuff. It's a team thing. Everybody's contributing in their own little way, showing their own leadership. It's nobody's clubhouse, really — it's just a matter of everybody being accountable for the things they need to do."

Accountability and Rays players had been rare bedfellows until this season, but then again, so had long-term contracts and rising stars. Already in 2008, the team has signed Kazmir, No. 2 starter James Shields and rookie third baseman Evan Longoria to multiyear deals. "This is obviously the place I want to be for a long period of time, so signing a long-term contract for me is a big plus," Longoria says. "Shields and Kazmir are our No. 1 and 2 guys, and they're going to be that for at least the next three years. And when C.C.'s (Crawford's) contract is up, hopefully they'll sign him to another long, big deal that he deserves and we keep this going. If they keep the guys together, it just shows the fans that we're going in the right direction." Crawford, who will turn 27 in August, is signed through this season, and the club holds options for 2009 and 2010.

With an outstanding young rotation, a veteran bullpen and a young core of five-tool players, it doesn't appear the Rays are going to slip back any time soon .

"They have one of the most athletic, if not the most athletic, teams out there, especially in their outfield," a veteran scout says. "Now that they have Kazmir back in the rotation (after an elbow injury), they have a pretty solid starting staff. The surprise has been Andy Sonnanstine and his ability to be successful. He doesn't have the type of stuff that (Edwin) Jackson or Kazmir or (Matt) Garza has, but he has excellent control and deception."

The franchise is embracing the uncharted territory in which it finds itself, and that suits Maddon just fine. See, Maddon has a pet peeve.

He has been in the game professionally for 34 years, and, frankly, is tired of hearing the same baseball terminology and cliches thrown around. Maddon is all about original thoughts — last year, his team motto was "Tell me what you think; not what you've heard." He developed his 2008 concoction this winter while on a bike ride in California, and he passed out new T-shirts a few weeks ago. The back simply reads, in large yellow letters, "9=8."

At its most basic level, it means if his Rays have nine players playing hard for nine innings every night, they'll be one of the eight teams to earn a postseason berth. That's not all, though. "It's the artichoke theory — it only comes in layers," Maddon says. "As we keep going on, I'll bring up the next portion of it. I haven't decided exactly the appropriate time it's going to be because I think once we get to the next part of it, the rest will just tumble."

In a good way, that is, as in things tumbling into place. Not in the usual way for the Rays, as in tumbling to the depths of the A.L. East standings. These are the new-look Rays, having dropped Devil from the team name. Players, coaches and even team office staffers are barred by management from saying the D-word. "I'm working on that, actually," Kazmir says. "A couple of days ago I messed up again, so I had to pay the dollar fine. I'm working on it. It's tough, but it's getting easier."

Tough, but getting easier. Percival can relate.

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