If you’ve followed the Rays at all this season (which I’m sure with their new-found World Series berth you have), you’ve probably heard the phrase “9=8.” It’s the apparent rage in Tampa and it’s not uncommon to see fans gracing Tropicana Field with tee shirts bearing this slogan.

Most Philadelphians (myself included), have no idea what “9=8” means (much like those little men on the pavement in most Philly intersections). After doing a little research I’ve found the secret behind “9=8.”

The brainchild of “9=8” is Rays manager Joe Maddon. This spring while riding a stationary bike (where all great ideas are conceived), Maddon came up with the idea. Its meaning is “9 players who play 9 innings can be one of baseball’s 8 postseason teams.” Maddon explained this theory to his ballclub, and it became the Rays 2008 creed.

Although simplistic (well not really), I do sort of understand this slogan. I just have a couple issues with it.

1 – A good slogan should be something people understand, not something that requires an explanation. Nike’s “Just Do It,” or Maxwell House’s “Good to the Last Drop” are slogans that are simple, catchy, and people easily understand. You see “9=8” and you end up scratching your head.

2 – Using Maddon’s logic, wouldn’t 9=4 be a better slogan? Given the Rays play in the American League, they could have half the City of Tampa take the field for nine innings, and they’d still never win the NL Central. Thinking further, it should actually be 9=2 since the only actually playoff spots the Rays can actually win are the American League East or the Wildcard. I should probably stop before I become Jim Carrey’s character in the movie “Number 23” (probably one of the worst movies ever made).

Anyway, “9-8” might end up being a moot point because Maddon has a new theory (it’s unknown if a stationary bike was involved in the development), which is “9=8=1.” I’ve yet to hear an explanation on this slogan, but presumably it’s something like “If 9 players play 9 innings, they can become one of the 8 postseason teams, which can turn into 1 World Champion.”

Nice theory Joe. Good luck with that. Just remember the likes of Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Shane Victorino will have something to say about that.

Let’s go Phillies!