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Thread: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

  1. #1
    Hall of Famer Tobywan's Avatar
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    Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    Longo and Price publicly call out fans.




    Longo spoke to the ST Pete Times and Price tweeted, though later apologized.


    Yes, it’s understandable guys, that is much more fun to have a crowd, I feel the same. I was also there when we had about the same crowds for games as the Marlins do now and it is a whole lot more fun when you have more rabid Rays fans around you for hooting and hollering. Alot of us are frustrated that we can't go more.

    However, there are three glaring differences I can name right off the bat from 2008 and 2010.

    A) The economy is much worse. In fact just a couple of weeks ago there was a report in the same local paper about how TB has been one of the areas hit hardest, though of course not those of you that live in the mansions in Avila and Bayshore or the condos in Hyde Park and Reddington Beach.

    B) Prices……….even with the economy, the ticket, concession and parking prices went up, when peoples' incomes, work hours or even in some cases jobs have cut back or are completely gone.

    C) When the Rays clinched in 2008 it was a weekend,. Monday and now Tues. are weeknights, children are in school and the majority of people that do have jobs aren’t starting at 7 or 7:30 PM more like AM.


    I am one of those in the minority of not begrudging the players for their salaries or the teams for their payrolls, teams will pay what they think is market value and players will try to get what they can, but I for one don’t think millionaires should then begrudge how others are spending their hard earned money in these times.

    Thankfully, I am also one of the minority that doesn’t have to get kids off, or go to work during morning rush hour. I have a bit more “play” money and since I was off today and don’t go in early tomorrow I had already planned to be there tonight hoping it gets done. The majority though have bigger mortgages and families to juggle so calling them out for not spending close to $80 or a $100 just to walk through the gates of the Trop several nights a week is a bit unfair.

    Maybe you guys could have a talk with Stu about that, ooooooooh that’s right, he is having to cut back on expenses next year since he doesn’t think he has any chance of winning the lottery by then, but I bet the prices won’t be cut in fact might actually be more. Wonder how many of his hobbies he has to cut back?


    Sorry, no Evan on this subject, you are not the guy. David take heed that the first half of that website name is "twit".

    Irony thy name is Rays.



  2. #2
    B/S Leader Trendy Bastard's Avatar
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    I don't understand it. The cubs sucked this year and we still had over 3 million in attendance at home. I realize that we have a bigger market but still.
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  3. #3
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    Re: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    I was there when the Rays clinched in 2008 and it was ****ing slampacked! The players came out and showered everyone near the dugout with champagne. It was a huge ordeal! I can understand it being on a weekend as opposed to be on a weekday like this year but still, where were all those fans in 2008? The main point in all of this is that the Rays need a new stadium.

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    Hall of Famer Slyder's Avatar
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    Re: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    Isnt the area that the Tampa Bay stadium located more of the business and elderly residence in the area and thus further for the average fan to come, while if they were across the river or something have a much larger population base to pull from?
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    Re: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    I'm not too sure about that, Toby would have a better idea but I know after the game my friend and I walked around looking for a bar to celebrate and there was hardly anything around that stadium worth a ****. Looked like a ghosttown after two blocks from that stadium.

  6. #6
    Hall of Famer Tobywan's Avatar
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    Re: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    Yes, Slyder some sections of Pinellas County rolls up at 5pm, it is the retirement county in this area for the most part. One reason why there is and always has been a complaint about ST Pete being awarded the Rays in the first place. One thing I personally never point to for bad attendance which is one of the main sticklers for local media is location. I live just NW of Tampa, technically about 10 minutes from the outer metro Tampa area, so I would be within the realm of those that would have a “drive” to St Pete. One of the big complaints is how far it is……I live around 25 miles from ST Pete Times Forum (which…….. how ironic… is located smack dab in the middle of downtown TAMPA where the Lightning play), according to mapquest I am 38 miles from the Trop, 13 miles farther!!!!!! OMG, the team has to move because 13 miles is just too much more!!!! Downtown Tampa area is where all the majority of the media, bloggers and analysts here think a new stadium should be.

    Now, yes, weeknights, rush hour is just as f’d up here as most cities, but I personally have driven across the bridges in rush hour and it never took me more than an hour from here. Try complaining to people in LA stuck at I-5 and I-10 for a 7pm Dodgers game about an hour drive to ST Pete in rush hour.

    I was also there for the 2008 clincher, again it was a weekend. Prices were lower, mainly tickets and parking in fact a family in a car/van was free. The season ticket base is a lot lower here, so the majority aren’t even getting that break. The Rays even had to back off from “bragging” about how they had the average lowest tickets in MLB in 2009 AFTER their post WS appearance when folks looked closer and found out how they achieved that misleading claim. They lowered the prices of their Home Plate area, Suites, Club and Box prices but bumped up the upper deck, outfield and loge boxes which is where the average people could afford to sit, especially families. Even the so called free concert series isn’t REALLY free with the “tiered” style pricing, but when you consider the costs of most concerts by themselves it’s a good deal. Most people are going to those games.

    Just an FYI, upper deck play-offs/WS packages are priced at $1100 per seat and this is the discount price of having season tickets and it had to be paid in advance (any games not played go towards your ST package for 2011). I can’t even imagine what they are for lower sections and this isn’t Yankee Stadium, Wrigley or Fenway.

    Of course for the most part spending money on games doesn’t seem so much when it’s just one person, but when you got 2-4 kids and a spouse it adds up quick.



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    Minor Leaguer Mr. Baseball's Avatar
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    Re: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    I think the biggest reason for the Rays lack of attendence is this: Florida and Miami is one of the worlds top migration areas. Many of the people living in the general area didn't grow up in the city and therefor don't have any real connection to the franchise. Secondly, it takes time to build a connection. Tampa Bay has only been in the league for what, 11 seasons now? A big reason I go to the ballpark and love baseball is because i grew up with it. The people in Florida didn't grow up with a major league team. Once the grade school youth gets to be 20-30 years old I believe you will see a vast increase in ticket sales...

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    Re: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    I would so go if I lived down there. It's really too bad because people are missing out on watching the last days of a great player in Carl Crawford before his inevitable move to a big spender.
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    Re: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    After the Rays lose the likes of Crawford, Price,Pena, Upton, and Longoria in the next few years they won't have a reason to come to the Trop.

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    Re: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    I don't think that's true Pebbles. The Rays will definitely lose Crawford, Pena and Soriano after this year but they will also get draft picks for all three which is like gold to them. Desmond Jennings will take over for Crawford and Longoria isn't going anywhere for a while. Plus they have a good group of pitchers in the farm system. On top of all of this is they will probably trade Garza for a nice package in the offseason. This franchise is one of the best run organizations and don't see this team going back to their last place days for a long time.

  11. #11

    Re: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    Quote Originally Posted by love_that_reefer View Post
    I don't think that's true Pebbles. The Rays will definitely lose Crawford, Pena and Soriano after this year but they will also get draft picks for all three which is like gold to them. Desmond Jennings will take over for Crawford and Longoria isn't going anywhere for a while. Plus they have a good group of pitchers in the farm system. On top of all of this is they will probably trade Garza for a nice package in the offseason. This franchise is one of the best run organizations and don't see this team going back to their last place days for a long time.
    Even if this is true will the fan come or will there still be a ton of empty seats to see a good ball club?

  12. #12
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    Re: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    They will of course have to get a new stadium in a new location for that to happen.

  13. #13
    Hall of Famer Tobywan's Avatar
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    Re: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Baseball View Post
    I think the biggest reason for the Rays lack of attendence is this: Florida and Miami is one of the worlds top migration areas.
    This is also another observation that has been made over the years. It seems to be evidenced by the fact that even in the most dismal of attendance years the Red Sox and Yankees games have almost always sold out so have the Braves the few times we have had series against them.

    Quote Originally Posted by Pebbles View Post
    After the Rays lose the likes of Crawford, Price,Pena, Upton, and Longoria in the next few years they won't have a reason to come to the Trop.
    CC and Pena yes, Upton who knows, I think the Rays only gave him a one year contract but Longo is signed for guaranteed money through 2013 and options for ‘14,’15 and ‘16. I don’t believe Price is even eligible for free agency until 2014.

    With Sternberg going into “crying poor” mode in order to try to get talks started about a stadium it is iffy on whether they will pony up any money even for Soriano, but Jennings is likely to take an OF slot, Joyce could too…..Johnson maybe at 1st, a SP or two is likely to go giving Hellboy one of those spots.


    Quote Originally Posted by Pebbles View Post
    Even if this is true will the fan come or will there still be a ton of empty seats to see a good ball club?
    There are going to continue to be empty seats for many of the reasons that have already been discussed.

    As for a new stadium, the TB area has already been burned……..public funding for the Bucs that now can‘t fill their stadium and the St Pete Times Forum with the Lightning who can‘t even get fans to come when they offer thousands of free tickets. If the Rays can squeeze a new venue out of the Tampa City or Hillsborough County officials anytime this decade I will be surprised,. Though many people didn‘t think the referendum for Raymond James would get approved and low and behold it got built, course people are pissed now, but sometimes memories spans are short.

    Thing is while new stadiums are nice and all, in many cases people only come out in droves until the novelty of newness wears off.

    BTW, the Rays in response to the multitude of phone calls and emails expressing displeasure about the comments are giving away 20,000 free tickets for tomorrow’s home finale for those areas I mentioned that are the “lower end” of the pricing. Maddon and Price both apologized in their after game speeches tonight, so they are on their way to making amends.


  14. #14
    Hall of Famer BuckFoston's Avatar
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    Re: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    If you build it, they will come.

  15. #15

    Re: Rays frustrated at lack of attendance.

    20,000 free tickets, will fans even show up for that?

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