Joey Johnston

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As the American League playoffs get going, it's easy to paint the Tampa Bay Rays as a cute, cuddly story, a worst-to-first baseball turnaround that comes around every generation or so. It would be easy to suggest the Rays’ 15 minutes of fame have expired, that it’s time to exit stage right, time to let the big boys take over.

Considering the franchise’s miserable history — 10 straight losing seasons and nine last-place finishes — it would be very easy to do that.

But this isn’t a history lesson.

Let’s stick to current events. Considering what has been assembled this season, considering what has been proven time and time again, summarily dismissing the Rays would be a grave mistake.

It might even be commonplace to ignore the Rays this postseason, what with the Red Sox defending a title, the Cubs trying to reverse the curse and the Dodgers thriving with Manny Ramirez-mania.

But do so at your own risk.

Oh, it’s easy to understand why there’s still a lack of respect. After all, this isn’t supposed to happen.

A team such as the Rays, whose $43.8 million payroll can’t even match financials on the left side of the Yankees’ infield, isn’t supposed to win the American League East.

It’s not supposed to win 97 games (improving by 31 victories) and capture perhaps the most rigorous division in all of sports.

It’s not supposed to become the second team to reach the postseason one year after having baseball’s worst record (joining the 1991 Braves).

It’s not supposed to take a bullpen coming off a 6.16 ERA — worst in baseball since Milton Berle had the nation’s highest-rated TV show — and transform it into a collection of rally-killing buzzsaws.

It’s not supposed to thrive with a lineup that failed to produce a single .300 batter and (probably) not one player who will finish in the top 10 of AL Most Valuable Player voting.

It’s not supposed to sweep the Cubs, Angels and Red Sox (twice).

Is everyone in agreement on that?

Well, guess what? The Rays didn’t listen.

“We have good chemistry,’’ said Rays manager Joe Maddon, who resembles Elvis Costello with his way-cool Hugo Boss specs.

Maddon savors a drink from his office wine rack following particularly meaningful victories. Rays win the AL East? Anyone making such a prediction might’ve needed to sample Maddon’s really hard stuff.

Right?

He thinks that’s a stretch.

“You’ve got to believe it before you see it,’’ Maddon said. “We knew it was coming. We knew if we played together, we could achieve something really special.’’

Which brings us to Maddon’s now-ubiquitous saying — 9=8 — that can be found on caps, T-shirts and banners all around the Tampa Bay area.

Nine equals eight?

Translation: Nine players playing hard for nine innings will make the Rays one of eight teams playing in October.

And if you still don’t get it, if you still don’t believe, the Rays are fine with that. They’ve been fueled by the non-believers all season. Why change?

“What they have done is incredible, to say the least,’’ Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “They’ve built a championship-caliber ballclub.’’

It was built around the bullpen and the solid, youthful pitching rotation, led by James Shields (the Game 1 winner vs. the White Sox), Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza.

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It was fueled by the clutch bat of first baseman Carlos Pena and the rise of rookie third baseman Evan Longoria, who already looks like a perennial All-Star.

It was bonded through defense, particularly the play of shortstop Jason Bartlett, second baseman Akinori Iwamura and Longoria.

It was guided by Maddon through a mixture of unconventional (intentionally walking hot-hitting Josh Hamilton with the bases loaded, then escaping a jam) and old-school methods (benching B.J. Upton for lack of hustle).

“Don’t bother looking for a turning point because there isn’t one,’’ Rays designated hitter Cliff Floyd said. “Everybody on the roster has a stake in it because every single one of us has done something big this year.

“That’s the special thing. So many things have happened. So many people have contributed. We’ve had so many walk-off wins. So many things that people would call unlikely. After a while, you can’t call them unlikely. Because we’ve done it all season.’’  

The Nov. 28 trade with Minnesota, bringing Bartlett and Garza to Tampa Bay and sending outfielder Delmon Young to the Twins, was an especially key move. So was the acquisition of veterans Floyd, outfielder Eric Hinske and reliever Troy Percival, maybe more for their clubhouse presence than on-field contributions.

But when writing this tale, you’ve got to zig and zag before getting to the finish line.