ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Playoff novices or not, the Tampa Bay Rays see no reason why they can’t keep winning.

“When you believe, and you’ve got the talent to do it,” veteran designated hitter Cliff Floyd said, “anything can happen.”

The surprising AL East champions won 97 games, 31 more than a year ago when they were the team formerly known as the perennial last-place Devil Rays, and finished with the worst record in the majors.

The Rays, who’ve done little in spectacular fashion other than win at an amazingly consistent rate to become baseball’s feel-good story of the year, begin their first postseason appearance Thursday against either the Minnesota Twins or Chicago White Sox.

“Believe it or not, I kept on saying last year we had something special,” first baseman Carlos Pena said.

“Even though we were in last place and had a record that we weren’t really happy with, I could just see in this clubhouse something special. I kept saying it, and I’m sure people thought I was just saying that. But look at this.”

The Rays began the season with a meager payroll of about $43 million and beat the odds by finishing ahead of the big-budget Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees by embracing manager Joe Maddon’s mantra of “98” — nine players playing hard for nine innings equals one of eight teams to make the playoffs.

They’ve done it without a collection of high-priced stars, although rookie Evan Longoria and other talented young players such as Carl Crawford, Scott Kazmir and B.J. Upton seem well on their way to becoming stars.

Whether it was regrouping following a season-worst, seven-game losing streak that dropped them a half game behind Boston at the All-Star break or finding a way to hang on to first place while Longoria, Crawford and closer Troy Percival were on the disabled list, the Rays answered every challenge.

Twice in the last three weeks of the season, they pulled away when the Red Sox appeared on the verge of taking control of the division, winning four of six meetings between the teams over 10 days.

That, the Rays feel, is the mark of a club capable of making a deep run in the playoffs.

’Nobody ever thought we’d be here, but I’ll tell you what — we came together as a team, as a unit, as a family,” Floyd said.

“We should serve as a model for these other teams that think they can purchase a championship,” rookie Fernando Perez said. “Look at how we’re doing it. It’s a formula that we’ll be able to rely on and build some tradition in this division.”

Although pitching, solid defense and a knack for generating just enough offense to get the job done have carried the team all season, players believe being a closeknit team in the clubhouse has been just as important.

The solidarity extends beyond the mohawk haircuts many of the Rays, including Maddon, have been sporting the last two weeks.

“The last couple of years, you didn’t find this kind of chemistry in this room. Everyone is genuinely happy for each other. ... You just don’t see that,” pitcher James Shields said. “It’s half the reason we’re where we are.”

Pena agreed.

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He played with Texas, Oakland, Detroit and Boston before signing with Tampa Bay and can’t recall being in another situation where young players felt free to mingle with veterans and guys genuinely pulled for one another.

“Everybody feels comfortable and can be themselves,” Pena said. “That carries over to the field. Nobody’s trying to do it all. They’re comfortable with contributing what they have to offer.”

Speaking of contributing, Crawford, a four-time AL stolen base champion, is trying his best to return to the lineup after being sidelined seven weeks with a finger injury that required surgery.

He played two innings in the outfield during Sunday’s season finale at Detroit, then participated in an Instructional League game at Tropicana Field on Monday. He went 0-for-4 against Pittsburgh Pirates minor leaguers but said he didn’t feel any discomfort swinging the bat.

“I felt fine. The hand didn’t hurt. It’s just a matter of me getting my timing back,” said Crawford, who’s played more games for Tampa Bay than anyone else in the club’s 11-season history.

The two-time All-Star finds it difficult to imagine himself not being in uniform for the team’s first playoff appearance.

“That would be very disappointing,” Crawford said, adding the decision will be made by Maddon, who watched the Instructional League game, along with hitting coach Steve Henderson.

“I don’t know what he’s going to do. I just have to try to do my best to keep showing them that I’m ready to play,” Crawford said. “I thought I did enough today. I didn’t get any hits, but I showed them the bat speed is still there.”