(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 1995 1998 2003 2004 Tampa Bay Devil Rays Team Formation Finally, on March 9, 1995, new expansion franchises were awarded to Naimoli’s Tampa Bay group and a group from Phoenix (the Arizona Diamondbacks). The new franchises were scheduled to begin play in 1998. The Tampa Bay area finally had a team, but the stadium in …