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Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

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Maddon: ‘Our goal is to win the World Series. It’s got to be’

Posted Feb 20, 2012 by Roger Mooney

Updated Feb 20, 2012 at 02:47 PM

ROGER MOONEY
PORT CHARLOTTE – Much has been written and much will be written about the Rays chances of reaching the World Series this season, and Rays manager Joe Maddon is all for it.

In fact, Maddon said playing in the Fall Classic is the Rays only goal.

“We’re at the point now that every time we show up (to spring training) our goal is to get back to the playoffs, and our goal is to win the World Series. It’s got to be,” Maddon said this afternoon. “You always got to be careful what you aim for. If you’re not aiming high enough the threat is you’re going to hit your mark and not get to that level, that point where you want to be. For us, it’s always got to be about winning the World Series. It’s always got to be about that, and with that as being your goal, other things not quite to that level may happen, but you should have yourself a pretty good year regardless.”

Maddon said he was somewhat surprised to see predictions picking the Rays as American League champions.

“I read during the winter at some point that some predicted that we were the top team, the No. 1 team, I was kind of surprised by that a little bit,” Maddon said. “I know we’re good, but I was surprised that someone would actually lay it out that we were the No. 1 team in the offseason going into the season.”