This is the season: Maybe not the season to be happy, but definitely the season to eat a hot dog, drink a beer, and enjoy the sun at the local ballpark. Move over Santa’s poop, mistletoe and reindeer – baseball season is here.

This sentiment is a particularly good statement for the people of Florida: of all the places to be a baseball fan, Florida is one of the best; It was made for fun in the sun.

This year, Florida fans who aren’t rooting for the Marlins can fill the seats at Tropicana Field to cheer on the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

As one of the youngest franchises in baseball, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have had their legs in the sea for several seasons: Like many new teams, they’re just finding their way to a jog. It seemed, however, that they had nearly found it in the middle of last season: At the 2006 All-Star break, the Devil Rays were just eleven games under .500. With a strong second half, they could have become real contenders.

However, top management had other plans. Rather than compete for a playoff spot, the Devil Rays traded many veteran players for younger players who could contribute more to the team’s future. The future, as they say, begins this season.

When the Tampa Bay Devil Rays took the mound for opening day in 2007, they had the youngest starting lineup since the Minnesota Twins in 1983. Turns out, youth didn’t win this one: The Devil Rays lost to the New York Yankees. by a score of 9-5.

However, the season is just beginning and anything can happen. Fans are hoping that Tampa Bay will follow in the footsteps of the other team from Florida and start working its way to a championship.

As for what the rest of the season holds, the Devil Rays definitely have their work cut out for them. Not only do they compete in the American League East, a division that includes the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, but many of their players are young and inexperienced. No one knows for sure which path they will take.

This ignorance, however, is part of the excitement: Watching a player grow to greatness is one of the things baseball is all about. Among the Tampa Bay Devil Rays who have a chance to do just that are third baseman Akinori Iwamura, infielder BJ Upton, outfielder Delmon Young and shortstop Ben Zobrist.

The Devil Rays’ strength rests on the shoulders of their outfielders: In addition to Delmon Young, Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli could also have breakout seasons. The Rays need great outfielders who don’t mind being busy. That brings us to the Devil Rays’ weakness: pitching.

Last season, Devil Ray’s rotation received the fewest wins in the entire league with 36. They were also tied for the most with 70 losses. On the bright side, however, is Scott Kazmir, a man who could become a great pitcher. But he certainly can’t throw every game: the Devil Rays will have to be better armed and with better weapons. This young team must also learn to win away from home. Last year, his road record was teetering on the ridiculous; they had 20 wins and 61 losses.

If the pitching can solidify and the Devil Rays learn to win when they’re not in Florida, they might have a chance to compete. Playing in the tough AL East is also a problem; one they can only solve by getting tough too.