Jeff Houck

The Tampa Tribune’s food writer since 2005, Jeff Houck covers the way people live through their food. He also hosts the Table Conversations food podcast and believes that everything crunchy is good.

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Let’s Eat, Rays [Anything The Cleveland Indians Can Do, We Can Do Better]

Posted May 20, 2009 by Jeff Houck

Updated May 20, 2009 at 09:19 AM

August is a long way off. Months away, in fact.

We’re only about one-quarter through the Tampa Bay Rays’ season, but things are improving. The team is moving up in its division as it jumps back and forth over a .500 record. Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria and Jason Bartlett are having dream seasons. Manager Joe Maddon cussed out an ump this week. Our pitchers have stopped throwing to the backstop. Things are looking up.

Which is why we need to think about August 3.

On that day, the Rays are scheduled to play the Kansas City Royals. For the first time in years, the Royals are showing promise as they flirt with the lead in the American League’s Central Division.

Unfortunately, the teams do so at 12:08 p.m. on that day. Noon games on a Monday have not exactly been burning up the turnstiles at the Trop.

The Cleveland Indians (stay with me here) have four noontime games scheduled at home this season. They’re pushing a promotion to get fans to spend their lunch hour at the game. For $15, you get a ticket to a 12:05 p.m. game and a $10 voucher for use at Progressive Field.

Fans can stay longer than the three innings or so it takes to play in a typical lunch hour, but the idea is to get fans in the stands for a game that normally would only attract crickets. The first game in the promotion: against the Rays on Thursday.

Come on, Rays. If the Indians can do this, so can you. You can’t let them throw at B.J. Upton and then brush you back with a ticket deal.

It’s only one game. Make us a lunch offer we can’t refuse.