“I’m a conservative person,” says Dan Sumner, smiling.

The 65-year-old retired teacher is wearing a shoulder length, electric-blue wig under his Rays cap. His beard is dyed blue and tied with a string. He has a Rays tattoo on his face.

“No, really,” he says. “I’m a conservative person. I’m just to get psyched up for this series.”

That shouldn’t be a problem for Sumner. A resident of Weeki Wachee, makes the nearly two-hour drive to Tropicana Field 40 times a year to see the Rays play.

“It’s getting really expensive,” he said.

But he’s hooked, and has been since he came to his first game 10 years ago. The domed stadium was perfect for a guy who is susceptible to skin cancer from the sun.

Friday night’s 2-0 loss to the Red Sox was painful, he says, a matter of “tough pitching.”

Tonight, he says, the Rays will win and even this best-of-seven playoff series at 1-1.

“We went against a good pitcher,” he says. “But that game’s gone. We got six to go.”

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