Sure, it's hard to fathom, but the long-suffering Rays are indeed perched atop what may be baseball's toughest division. This, folks, is a good and welcome thing.

In fact, unless you're a fan of one of the other, less interesting and perhaps more sinister teams in the AL East, you should be rooting for the Rays to keep this going. This is so because a championship Rays squad would be good for the soul, good for the game and, most of all, good for the Republic.

So here are nine (nine ... because it's baseball!) reasons why America should be giving its full-fledged support to the fightin', scrappin' and — most of all — winnin' Tampa Bay Rays:

Reason No. 1: Most of America is sick to death of Red Sox-Yankees

Sox-Yanks may be the best rivalry in all of sports, but baseball fans out West, down South, and in the fly-over states can agree that most of the two teams' supporters are annoying in the extreme. Whether it's Yankee partisans who perpetuate the rank myth that Derek Jeter is an adequate defensive shortstop or the multitudes of Sox "fans" whose Nation memberships extend back no further than October of 2004, they're all too much with us these days. What better way to chasten and, more importantly, silence them than a Rays division flag in 2008? If you're looking for an antidote to Sox-Yanks self-absorption — and who among us isn't? — the Rays provide your last, best hope. After all, no team other than New York or Boson has won the division since 1997. So it's past time for some other team to step up, free the subjects, and behead the tyrants. The only team with the stuff to do that is Tampa. Vive le resistance!

Reason No. 2: They can actually pull this off

This isn't false hope, people. The Rays are actually a good team. Ignore history for a moment, and consider that the Rays have a number of high-ceiling young bats, a quality pitching staff, an exceptional team defense, and a first do-no-harm manager. The Red Sox are better on paper, but they're aging at several key positions and have health issues in the rotation. The Yankees? Making a laundry list of their present shortcomings would take more time than we have. The headier outlets tabbed the Rays for 85-plus wins this season, and they're looking better than that thus far. They're not going anywhere.

Reason No. 3: They're fun to watch

Carl Crawford's speed on the bases ... Scott Kazmir's slider ... Evan Longoria's flashes of brilliance ... B.J. Upton's zipper-quick bat ... James Shields' efficiency on the mound ... Troy Percival's squint-eyed dominance ... Joe Maddon and his Elvis Costello glasses — this is simply a highly enjoyable team. If you're one of those who thinks baseball is boring, then A) You clearly hate freedom, and B) You haven't given the fast, hard-charging, never-say-die Rays a proper look.

Reason No. 4: They've taken their lumps

Fans of the Cubs, Indians and Rangers, among others, will object to the idea that the Rays are somehow "due" because of their past struggles. Still, this is a team that has never won more than 70 games in a season and has finished out of last place exactly once in 10 seasons. They haven't been able to avoid the cellar since Rays management shocked the baseball world by parting ways with Rey Sanchez following the 2004 season. So if you'd like to see the dreaded, soul-crushing "Curse of Rey Sanchez" come to a merciful end, then you need to put all your karmic energy behind the Rays.

Reason No. 5: They're doing it with pitching, defense

Jaded by the run-scoring excess of the so-called "Steroid Age?" Sick to death of even hearing about the so-called "Steroid Age?" Then this year's Rays model is here to help. Right now, they rank fifth in the AL in fewest runs allowed, fifth in rotation ERA, fifth in bullpen ERA, first in fielding percentage, and first in defensive efficiency (a measure of what percentage of balls in play a defense converts into outs). In other words, they're doing it for the most part by pitching well and catching the ball. Remember that?

Heck, even the ballboy can pick it.

Reason No. 6: They're as homegrown as it gets

If you look over the Rays starting lineup and rotation, you'll find that just Matt Garza, Akinori Iwamura, Cliff Floyd, Eric Hinske, and Jason Bartlett didn't spend at least some of their developmental time in the Tampa farm system. Oh, and more are on the way. With five-star prospects like David Price, Reid Brignac, Wade Davis, and Desmond Jennings in the system, with the top overall pick in next month's draft also headed their way, the Rays are going to remain a homegrown success for years to come.

Reason No. 7: They're doing it on the cheap

The Rays are in first in the AL East but rank 29th in the league in payroll. Yep, only their Florida label-mates, the Marlins, have a lower payroll. That's mostly a function of the Rays' youth (in the AL, only the Twins have younger hitters, and just the A's and Angels are younger in terms of pitching), but it's still refreshing to see one of the little guys faring so well.

Reason No. 8: They now have cool uniforms

There was a time when the Rays, back in their Devil days, had fashion-forward unis that called to mind an Ocean Pacific sales rack or a Jimmy Buffet concert. Neither is a good look for any sentient being. These days, the Rays are rocking a look that's pleasingly understated and traditional, and the world is a better place for it. So good for them. Now Americans everywhere can throw their support behind the Rays without feeling as though they're tacitly endorsing sartorial crimes.

Reason No. 9: They need your support

Pity them. The Rays just can't seem to win over the people of Tampa-St. Pete. Despite their success, the Rays rank a paltry 13th in the 14-team AL in home attendance. Sure, things will probably pick up now that most schools are out for the summer, but they need your help nonetheless. It's a shame that such an exciting young team must play in front of the indifferent or altogether absent crowd, so do the Rays a solid and pull for them. As we stated in Reason No. 2, they can actually do this thing.

Compelling stuff, no? Anyone who argues otherwise or isn't dreaming fondly of an AL East title for the Rays is objectively hostile to the core values of this great nation. So now you know why, in so many ways, it's a moral imperative to pull for the Tampa Bay Rays, America's (New) TeamTM.