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Passan: The Rays blame slow start on '08 hangover

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"We probably didn’t take April as seriously as we should’ve," Rays outfifelder Carl Crawford said. "Coming off a World Series, all the stuff going on, we weren’t focused. We were still celebrating the things that happened. It didn’t register that these games would be as important as all the other ones." "And," reliever J.P. Howell said, "a lot of guys were dragging and tired. I was. It was the first time for most of us with that quick an offseason. We just weren’t ready. We were physically there, but mentally? Not close." "I talked about it a lot in spring training, and I tried to avoid it," said Joe Maddon, the Rays’ 55-year-old shaman. "It’s very difficult to not have it happen. Young team. World Series run. Shorter offseason. Longer spring training. It’s a setup for difficulties.