Tampa Bay made their Major League debut in 1998, where they were an expansion team. For their first ten seasons, Tampa Bay struggled, never had a winning record, and always finished fifth in the American League Eastern Division, except for a fourth-place finish in the 2004 season. However, Tampa Bay had their best season ever in 2008, when they won their first American League East Division title, defeated the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS, beat the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS, but lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.