A Letter from Andrew Friedman to DRaysBay

As Andrew Friedman departs the Tampa Bay Rays, he took a moment to send us the following letter:

As thought leaders for Rays nation and some of the most passionate and well-informed fans in all of baseball, DRaysbay is an appropriate place for me to post my thoughts as I depart from the Rays.  Thank you for caring as much as you do, and thank you for some of the ideas which I may or may not have taken from you over the years.

This is both a happy and sad day for me.  I leave the Tampa Bay area with incredible memories and life-long friendships from my ten years here.  My experience was far beyond what I could ever have imagined.  This region and this organization will always be a very special place to me and my family.  I owe so much to so many, from the incredible, loyal Rays fans to the remarkable team we assembled in baseball operations, to Joe Maddon, to the coaches, clubhouse staff and players.  Most importantly, I thank Stu Sternberg, his ownership team and Matt Silverman for their incredible faith in and support of me every moment of every day.  They gave me the chance to lead a baseball department, and for that I will be eternally grateful.  With their leadership and direction, we were able to create together an unbelievable culture that no doubt will continue.  This organization is loaded with talent from ownership to players and everyone between.  I am absolutely confident that the success we have achieved over the years will continue into the future.  I am very excited about the next chapter in my life, and the experiences that I enjoyed here will help guide me as I embark on my next journey.

Thank you Andrew, for your candid thoughts and for your leadership of the Tampa Bay Rays. You and your team inspired us to think deeply and write diligently, and made the Rays who they are today.

Best of luck in LA, and enjoy the ride.