Since early in the month of September the lack of attendance at Rays home games has been brought up quite a bit. Some criticize the fans for not showing up. Others criticize the organization for not putting a winner on the field for 10 years. But lets stop pointing fingers and look at the facts.
The Rays play in a dome. I don’t care where you are located or how good your team is. If you play in a non-retractable dome, you are playing in an environment in which the game of baseball was not meant to be played.
The Rays play in St. Petersburg. It’s not Tampa Bay and it’s home to 109,665 households according to a 2007 consensus. The median income for a household in the city was $34,597. In these tough economic times, how can a family afford to come to a seasons worth of games especially when most games are broadcast on tv.
Think of a baseball team much like a rock band. Fans of rock bands can be extremely loyal, but before pledging allegiance to a band one must enjoy the music the band plays. Since the conception of the Rays (or Devil Rays before 2008) the organization, until this season, has never won more than 70 games while losing more than 100 three times an 99 twice. Bottom line, the Rays have not build a following during their first 9 years in the league. The fans simply have not enjoyed the product that has been put on the field. Though now they are in a position to win the AL East, years of finishing in last have taken their toll on potential fans.
I think fans should show up! But I am a diehard baseball fan and I understand that not everyone follows the game like I do. I will go watch a team in spring training just to see the prospects. I will support a team even if times are tough. That’s the way I feel about the game. However, I know that some people enjoy the game from a different perspective. Some people are causal fans. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Sports thrive on the causal fan. People have things to do. They work and raise kids and watch football and go to the beach. It’s these fans that are choosing to stay home and watch from there new HD TV that they saved up to buy. From bizjournals.com:
Overall, as the Rays work toward by far the team’s best record in franchise history, ratings on FSN Florida for the 33 Tampa Bay games it aired are up 36 percent over 2007.
I’ll say one thing though. If the Rays do not sell out any one playoff game it’s time to seriously look at the market. The thing about the Rays is their organization is peaking at the right time. The Yankees are in a mini rebuilding process, the Red Sox are showing their age and the Orioles and Blue Jays are still well behind when it comes to their pitching. As of 2008 the Rays organization is set up for a run of competitive seasons as long as management is willing to spend a few extra bucks here and there. If the Rays sustain success and eventually move out of the dome, the people will come. They most certainly will come.
