Rays' original owner Naimoli dies at 81

Vince Naimoli, the founding owner of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, died Sunday night after a long illness. He was 81. After the area had struggled for nearly three decades to gain an expansion franchise or entice a team to relocate, the New Jersey-born businessman led the group that brought Major League Baseball to Florida's Gulf Coast in 1995.

The Devil Rays began to play during the 1998 season and later shortened their name to the Rays before the 2008 season. Naimoli sold the team to Stuart Sternberg in 2004 and stepped down as managing general partner in 2005.

Naimoli is also remembered as a philanthropist who donated millions to charity, including $1 million to the University of South Florida athletic department and $5 million to the University of Tampa for a new lacrosse field. He is survived by his wife, Lenda, four daughters, and several grandchildren.