11,968? Tied for the best record in the majors. Indoor stadium. WTF is the matter with Florida?

[El Supremo]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—The Tampa Bay Rays have almost everything they could want for a September playoff run.

They’re in first place, and they’re getting big hits and powerful pitching.

Now they just need some more fans to show up.

Carlos Pena homered and drove in four runs, Wade Davis(notes) won his sixth straight decision and the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 before an announced crowd of just 11,968 on Monday night.

The sparse gathering came one day after the AL East co-leading Rays completed a three-game series against Boston in which Tampa Bay took two of three.

“It was a big letdown,” Rays All-Star left fielder Carl Crawford(notes) said. “We came out all fired up and you see that, it’s really depressing.”

rest at: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/recap?gid=300830130

[KamaAina]

1. Most of their players are ready to make the jump to the major leagues

depends on when they become free agents, I guess.

[flvegan]

2. As a local (I live in Tampa)

let me tell you what it's like to get to a Rays weekday night game. Leaving Tampa for a 7pm game means leaving your house around 4. Yes, 4. You'll get on I275 and sit. And sit. And sit. Did I mention that Tampa has zero public transportation for this? Anyway, so you slowly progress across the Howard Franklin bridge and into St. Pete, now is the time to decide in which neighborhood you want to be mugged and killed walking from parking to the Trop. There are only 3 or 4 mid-sized parking lots directly at the Trop, the rest are scattered about in some of the worst neighborhoods in the area. Or, you can choose to not pay $15 and park in a parking lot of a closed store or gas station (where your car will be stripped/stolen/keyed/burned).

Also bear in mind that Tampa Bay is still seriously (considering) youthful as a baseball area. Teams like the Red Sox could be in the basement and Fenway would still sell out. It's tradition.

Lastly, 99% of the home games are on tv. I can forego all of the above and sit my ass on my comfy couch with GOOD beer and watch the up close action on my huge tv.

Is it sad and shameful that the Rays aren't selling out every game? Absolutely. Is it their fault? Absolutely not. I'd love to see a full stadium.

[hughee99]

3. The Rays TV and radio ratings are very strong.

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/television-ratings-for-tampa-bay-rays-on-the-rise/1111241

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

4. Bad

Yeah, that's bad. I've never lived in FL, but I wonder if it might have something to do with the transplants rooting for their home teams. I also wonder if Floridians get burnt out on spring training.

[El Supremo]

5. Welcome to DU!

You are right.

Damn Yankees.

[bigwillq]

9. Hello

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Ganja Ninja]

6. Let me give you a clue.

The company I work for use to have over 60 employees. Today we have less than 20. Most of those are not getting 40 hours a week and it's the same all over the bay area and the rest of Florida. Just this week one of our local sports/talk radio host was saying, friends of his that he use to go to games with, guys that would never think twice about dropping a hundred bucks going to a game simply can't anymore. People don't have the money.

What's really going on here is ESPN bias. They have their little narrative they want to push. It's a northeast narrative that basically looks down it's nose at the rest of the country and especially Tampa. They constantly highlight teams in the northeast and give the bare minimum of coverage to the rest of the league. The problem for them is the Rays have the audacity to challenge the mighty Yankees and beloved Red Sox.

If attendance is such a big deal then why not criticize some of the other teams with poor attendance? The Rays are 23rd out of 30 teams in attendance drawing 22,794 on average. Where's the criticism for teams like Cincinnati or San Diego? They're leading their divisions and drawing only slightly more. The Padres and Reds are 19th and 20th out of 30 and drawing only 3000 more fans per game. Meanwhile Toronto, Baltimore, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Miami, Oakland and Cleveland are all drawing anywhere from 1500 to 5500 fewer fans per game.

As far as the stadium goes, It's a bad stadium and it's in a poor location. Less than 1/2 a million fans are within 30 minutes drive of it and there's no mass transit system of any kind. It's due for replacement and the new one will be in Tampa near the new high speed rail terminal but that's not going to happen right now. Everybody's too broke.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance

[trumad]

7. Because it's the continued narrative of El Supremo

to simply bash anything from Florida. He's using the same type of Douche tactics made famous by our tombstoned douchebag, Cboy4 and his twin nutsack, Upton.

[El Supremo]

8. Think so?

[trumad]

10. Yep---

you/ve become a full Douche!

[El Supremo]

11. You know, I've lost count of how many times you've called me a douche.

Can you find any instance of where I've called you anything derogatory?

[trumad]

12. Hey---if the shoe fucking fits...

[TZ]

13. Join the club.

Wear your slur proudly!!! :rofl:. Honestly, there are very few regulars here that trumad has not called a douche at one time or another...:crazy:
I think it has to do with anyone criticizing ANYTHING to do with Florida. Cause you know, every one in Miami are such sweet and innocent angels...:eyes:

[JonLP24]

14. I'm one of them

Never been called a douche by Trumad!!

:woohoo:

I have to be honest though. Half this stuff about the Marlins remind me of this--http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=215x102424

It was SOOOOO uncool for cboy4 or upton to bash Marlins' attendance and everyone--even people other than Trumad--criticized them for it. Now it's cool to bash Marlins' attendance.

[TZ]

15. Here: You are a douche....

KIDDING. But you know, we have attendence issues in DC understandably(when Strasburg's not around anyhoo) so I have to say it really does irk me to see winning teams like the Rays (and the Braves for that matter..they struggle to sell out PLAYOFFS). Its one thing for teams like Pittsburgh to have no fan base. They don't give a shit about their fans, really but Florida and Tampa in particular, to have great teams that go unappreciated? Fair game for criticism I think.

[JonLP24]

16. Attendance has never been an issue with me

I don't consider people who prefer to stay home and watch the game not real fans. I consider them as real as a fan as someone who pays the admission and high priced food and beer. Plus I've read explanations here on how Tampa's ballpark isn't in a great location for going to a game. I've read more than 1 person refer to Sunlife or whatever they call it now a ridiculous venue. I would say the Marlins owner makes a good case about not caring about the fans. The Marlins are generating huge profits through revenue sharing, tv & radio, but they cried poor when they asked for the stadium. Also they let talented players leave. Pirates are pretty much in the same boat. They make lots of money through revenue sharing and TV & radio deals but they don't spend that money on players.

On the flip side and not really related, Tampa was actually in those two years detailed by the financial documents, they were among the lowest in the league when it came to television & radio deals and revenue sharing. The year they went to the world series and spent more on players is a year they made less money. They wouldn't of made a profit at all if it wasn't for making the WS and playoff run. My theory is, under MLB current system it benefits teams being where they are for the most part. It is probably the most profitable business model for the Pirates to be one of the worst teams in the league and collect off of revenue sharing and don't spend a lot on players. Also it is probably the best business model for the Yankees to spend the most on players, run their on TV station, etc. Now back to what I was saying.

Also Florida has had one of the highest (if not the highest) foreclosure rates in the nation. Their unemployment rate is higher than the national average as well so that might have something to do with it.

[Renew Deal]

17. Rays fans know the Yankees are better

And so do the rest of us.