By ERIC McKINNEY
Sports Writer

When Stuart Sternberg assumed control of the then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays as principal owner and promised a better future following the 2005 season, it was easy for fans to scoff.

The young organization had produced nothing but losing through its first eight seasons, and the on-the-field product hardly generated optimism.

Sure, free parking was nice. The fact that fans could bring their own food wasn't bad either. But neither had anything to do with winning, and the hiring of former Anaheim Angels bench coach Joe Maddon as manager heading into the 2006 season left most fans thinking, 'Who?'

Then Tampa Bay went a combined 127-197 over the next two seasons. That's a whopping .391 winning percentage.

But as the saying goes, hindsight is 20-20.

"When you're trying to build something special, it doesn't necessarily happen overnight," said Maddon with a smirk earlier this season. "Over the last few years we've been able to put the program out there, and it's starting to take hold now."

That program -- "the Ray way," as Maddon likes to say --is simply good pitching, solid defense, playing hard for nine innings and maintaining a good attitude.

"The addition of the appropriate veteran has made a difference also," Maddon added.

It certainly has, as the Devil-free Rays reached the All-Star break half a game back of the Boston Red Sox in the American League East standings with a 55-39 record. Just 15 wins shy of setting a new franchise record with a realistic shot at its first postseason appearance, Sternberg's promise suddenly seems prophetic.

"They've done a good job of putting this team together. You have a good mix of the old guys, and the young guys are hungry to win," said closer Troy Percival, who has 19 saves after signing as a free agent during the offseason.

The 38-year-old Percival and 35-year-old designated hitter Cliff Floyd have provided the kind of veteran leadership the Rays once lacked. They also proved the front office is willing to spend a few bucks when necessary.

Of course, the signing of first baseman Carlos Pena, second baseman Akinori Iwamura and reliever Al Reyes in 2007 have proved wise, as well. All five recent free-agent additions, along with utilityman Eric Hinske, have played vital roles this season.

"These guys just really enjoy playing baseball, and that's fun," Percival said. "You don't always have teams where every guy enjoys playing baseball. ... So that's fun for me. It just makes me feel young."

The foundation of the Rays' success, however, remains the fact the organization has drafted well for years and had the confidence to trust its strategy. Nobody understands that better than left fielder Carl Crawford, whom the Rays drafted in the second round of the 1999 draft. Crawford is a two-time All-Star in his seventh season and is widely considered one of the best left fielders in all of baseball.

"It's been great to see the team being able to go from nothing to something," Crawford admitted. "This is a testament to everybody doing well, an attitude change and the guys in the front office who put the team together. ... I think we all appreciate it the same. (But) it's probably a little more heartfelt for me because I've been through all the bad times." Third baseman Evan Longoria (third overall, 2006), center fielder B.J. Upton (second overall, 2002), outfielder Jonny Gomes (18th round, 2001) and pitchers James Shields (16th round, 2000) and Andy Sonnanstine (13th round, 2004), to name a few, join Crawford in the homegrown department.

While Tampa Bay never has been a major player in the trade market, the Rays certainly made the most of their opportunities.

The 2004 trade with the New York Mets that landed Scott Kazmir remains one of the better trades in recent history. Another wise move took place this past offseason, when the disgruntled Delmon Young was shipped to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for starter Matt Garza and shortstop Jason Bartlett. And don't forget the Rays added reliever J.P. Howell in a 2006 deal that shipped Joey Gathright to the Kansas City Royals.

Much of the front-office credit belongs to Andrew Friedman, executive vice president of baseball operations. Friedman was promoted from director of baseball development shortly after Sternberg

took over.

Attempts to contact Friedman for comment during the Rays' six-game road trip heading into the All-Star break were unsuccessful.

While that fact likely had nothing to do with Tampa Bay's season-high seven-game slide entering the break, it just might have increased Friedman's to-do list. Numerous trade rumors throughout baseball have included the Rays. Yet Percival insisted that wasn't necessary earlier this season. "If you're looking for help, you have no business being where you're at," he said. "We've done this with what we've got. ... I'm not looking for a trade at the deadline. I'm not looking for a player to come in here. If you get that, that's a bonus. You've got to look to do it with what you've got."

The Rays, however, were without the services of Percival, Reyes and Bartlett heading into the break. So just getting them back to start the second half should provide a lift.

Floyd also insisted the Rays' first-half success was no fluke.

"We're just very knowledgeable about the game," Floyd said. "We understand defense, pitching and holding yourself accountable for the role you have on the field is very important. And we just let it ride with that.

"If we come out on top, great," he continued. "If we don't come out on top, people already wrote that, and they can't wait to print it. So we're going to keep it rolling."