Out of Nowhere Longest winning streaks by sub-.400 teams Year Team Streak Dates Pct. 1916 Giants 17 May 9-29 .133 (2-13) 1999 Padres 14 June 18-July 3 .390 (25-64) 1942 Indians 13 April 18-May 2 .250 (1-3) 2004 Devil Rays 12 June 9-22 .382 (21-34) 1982 Cardinals 12 April 11-24 .250 (1-4) 1976 Dodgers 12 April 24-May 7 .250 (3-9) 1965 Pirates 12 May 21- June 1 .273 (9-24) 1957 Reds 12 April 30-May 12 .364 (4-7) 1993 Dodgers 11 May 17-29 .389 (14-22) 1987 Orioles 11 July 12-25 .391 (34-53) 1982 Padres 11 April 14-27 .200 (1-4) 1970 Braves 11 April 25- May 9 .353 (6-11) 1921 Robins 11 April 20-May 2 .167 (1-5)

One day at the end of May, I was sitting in the office of Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella and getting an earful about his frustration with his team and life in the AL East.

Lou is the kind of engaging, emotional guy who literally throws his hands up when he's exasperated. And he was throwing his hands up repeatedly that day. Three weeks later, his Rays are one of the biggest stories in baseball and Lou is happy.

The Devil Rays' 12-game winning streak and flirtation with .500 are shocking. But then, shouldn't we have known by now that Piniella is one of the best managers in baseball? I still truly don't know what to make of this team, but it's fun watching this continue. Read on for more on the Rays of Hope.

Do you think the Devil Rays' current win streak is for real or some kind of fluke?
 -- Christian Blonshine, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Only eight teams in history ever began a 12-game streak when they were playing less than .400 baseball. I wouldn't call it a fluke, but this is almost once-in-a-generation stuff. I've been surprised how well they've pitched during this stretch, especially the bullpen. They're making a believer out of me. Put it this way: I'm beginning to think the Devil Rays can win 81 games this year. Before the season, I figured they would win about 70 games -- and that would have been enough to give Piniella a parade.

The Red Sox shouldn't try to trade for Freddy Garcia or Carlos Beltran. Here's the trade we need to make: Kevin Youkilis and Kelly Shoppach to Tampa Bay for Piniella. We have plenty of talent. We need someone who can inspire, lead and manage the team. Anyone who can take the Devil Rays out of last place with a 12-game win streak can get the Red Sox into October.
 -- Jason Jarvis, Lincoln, Mass.

I love that idea. Did you see Lou yank his pitcher in the first inning -- and the Devil Rays won the game, 5-1? Awesome. I think Lou is probably one of about five managers in the game who can make a real difference in a team over 162 games. Art Howe is not one of them. Lou should have been managing the Mets, but it's to Tampa Bay's credit that it was bold and got him. I don't think the Rays miss Randy Winn.

Lots of A's fans for some odd reason seem to agree with your suggestion that Beltran would help the team. If you examine his numbers so far this year and compare them with Eric Byrnes, Jermaine Dye, Mark Kotsay, Scott Hatteberg and Erubiel Durazo, the only A's Beltran conceivably could replace, he's not doing any better than them. Also keep in mind that Beltran plays in what has been a poor pitching division.
 -- Steven, Fremont, Calif.

Very good points. In fact, when I spoke to Billy Beane he made the same observations about his outfield/DH spots. Beltran also probably would lose a bit off his numbers by moving from Kauffman Stadium to Network Associates Coliseum. The guys you mentioned all have been productive. But would I still rather have Beltran than any of them? Yes. I'll put my faith in the past five years, not the first two-and-a-half months. I will acknowledge, though, that right now the Oakland bullpen is a need of more urgency than another bat, so I can't argue with your logic.

Acquiring Beltran would be great, but you didn't indicate who the A's would give up. If Barry Zito is not expendable, do they have minor league prospects that Kansas City would be interested in?
 -- Ed, Carbondale, Ill.

MAILBAG Tom Verducci will answer select questions from SI.com users in his Baseball Mailbag. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

Kansas City GM Allard Baird was looking at Class AAA third baseman Mark Teahen last week. Oakland also has a couple of minor league catchers in its system, though maybe not the high-ceiling kind Baird is looking for. I don't see Oakland moving a prized pitching prospect such as Joe Blanton.

Why is it that after an MLB game only one team comes out to shake hands? Where did we lose the Little League tradition of both teams coming out to shake hands with each other in a display of sportsmanship? I find it smug to see all those inside shakes and high fives and find it hard to explain to my kids. Other sports, including NFL and NBA, are together at the end of the game and shake, hug and do whatever.
 -- Joseph Ballantine, Madison, Conn.

Amazing you brought that up, because just last night, after watching the end of a game on TV, my 11-year-old son asked me the same thing. It seemed odd to him not to see both teams shaking hands because that's all he's known. You've come up with one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time, and I think MLB should push to adopt it. The only argument you might get is that these guys play each other every night for three or four straights nights -- the NFL and NBA guys don't. So maybe the answer is to do it at the end of a series, like in the NHL playoffs. You can never have too much sportsmanship.

Why wasn't there an all-out feeding frenzy for Vladimir Guerrero this offseason? He can rake, his arm is a cannon and he's fast. Best of all he's young. He's carrying the Angels right now. Surely, big market teams loaded with aging veterans like the Giants, Mets and Yankees are kicking themselves for not signing him.
 -- Chung Tron, Silicon Valley, Calif.

There's nothing like a back injury to scare off teams, and that's what happened to Vlady. Even though Guerrero came back from the injury and played well late last season, interested teams still had some doubts about how many years to guarantee him. The Mets are a perfect example. He would have been just what they needed, but fresh off the Mo Vaughn disaster, they were gun-shy. The Giants didn't have the money to get him; the Yanks' George Steinbrenner had his heart set on Gary Sheffield, which has worked out well; and the Orioles tried to get him but Vlady didn't want them. There's no doubt he's one of the most exciting players in the game. The Angels got themselves a true franchise hitter.

Great move in choosing to honor Les Expos and especially in trying to (in your own words) "keep youth baseball fun." What a great double treat for your Little Leaguers! Wanna coach my son in a few years?
 -- Paul Hauge, Westfield, N.J.

Cal Ripken is doing a terrific job with Cal Ripken Baseball, and I share his philosophies. Among them: adults need to be de-emphasized in youth baseball, it's not enough to tell kids what to do, but explaining why is just as important, and having fun overrides everything.

How come you give so little coverage to Jewish baseball players?
 -- Chaim Greenbaum, Los Angeles

What an odd question. Not once have I ever stopped to consider a player's religious preference or ethnicity as a determination to write about (or not write about) that player. It's not even on the radar, and that's one of the great things about sports: it's one of the most democratic areas of our society. Prove yourself talented and worthy enough and you'll play, regardless of what boxes you check on a census form.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers baseball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com.