<P> The Devil Rays played their first game on March 31 , 1998 against the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field before a crowd of 45,369 . Wilson Álvarez threw the first pitch and Wade Boggs hit the first home run in team history that day . Despite losing their opening game 11 -- 6 , the team actually got off to a respectable start and were 11 -- 8 after 19 before losing six straight and falling below . 500 . They would go on to lose 99 games that year . One of the first memorable moments in franchise history occurred on August 7 , 1999 when Wade Boggs tallied his 3000th career hit , the first player to do so with a home run . Boggs retired after the season and was the first Ray with his number retired . He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005 . </P>
<P> The Devil Rays played their first game on March 31 , 1998 against the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field before a crowd of 45,369 . Wilson Álvarez threw the first pitch and Wade Boggs hit the first home run in team history that day . Despite losing their opening game 11 -- 6 , the team actually got off to a respectable start and were 11 -- 8 after 19 before losing six straight and falling below . 500 . They would go on to lose 99 games that year . One of the first memorable moments in franchise history occurred on August 7 , 1999 when Wade Boggs tallied his 3000th career hit , the first player to do so with a home run . Boggs retired after the season and was the first Ray with his number retired . He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005 . </P>
who had the first hit in tampa bay rays history
who had the first hit in tampa bay rays history
Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs