Keep winning, Rays, and they will come

Posted Sep 29, 2010 by Tom McEwen

Updated Sep 29, 2010 at 01:26 AM

The Tampa Bay Rays have a fine team, a fine manager, a fine record, a fine ownership in the Stuart Sternberg group, and a solid base of fans - just not enough. They have a decent place to play at Tropicana Field, but it is unsatisfactory in some ways and simply in the wrong place and, right now, they have no alternative.

Plenty believe Sternberg should pick the team up and move it to downtown Tampa, north of the St. Pete Time Forum, but to do that he would have to buy that location and build his own facility.

All of this now has moved into the forefront when after key Rays players Evan Longoria and David Price told reporters that the crowd of 12,446 on hand Monday night was disheartening and embarrassing for the team. Manager Joe Maddon made the careful observation that “that is the way it is.” They are all right: it is embarrassing and disheartening, but that is the way it is. The fact is there is no one to blame. These Rays must simply continue their fine play and winning streak. Someone said a long time ago: keep winning and they will come.

This team appears to have no faults and is back in the playoffs, and ownership must continue to encourage attendance, as it is doing with a giveaway program of 20,000 tickets at the final home game and players such as Longoria and Price should continue their appeal for more fans to come see them play. They are taking the right tact in this appeal and their marvelous effort on the field.

Many of us believe that Tropicana Field is not completely suitable for major league baseball play and we have believed this all along, but also acknowledge that the Rays should have moved to Tropicana in the beginning. They have simply had no alternative.

The days of public money to build stadiums is over. No one among us now expects any city to build at their expense.

The thinking of many is that a new stadium in that pocket of downtown Tampa is ideal because it can accommodate easily fans in all directions, making it far more accessible to those population centers to the south and north of that location and creating a fine sports center that will include this facility and the Forum. The fact of the matter is the Rays in Tropicana Field are simply not accessible to fans in Central Florida, and North Tampa. 

Longoria and Price have been criticized for their public comments about the empty seats during this surge to the top of this fine team Sternberg and Maddon have assembled. The players are not just performing well on the field, but off it as well. There have been no major problems away from the field and absolutely none on it. This team does deserve to have Tropicana Field packed and ownership, rather than criticize those who do not come, encourage them with their new giveaway programs.

Longoria and Price have every right to suggest more fans should come to see them play. This is an absolutely splendid team, of which we are all proud. The only gripe is that the Rays deserve the kind of stadium and the kind of location that could be provided for them in downtown Tampa. But for the moment the Rays are taking care of the more important business of winning the championship now.

Babaloo!