Back to the Rays Report

Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

 @RMooneyTrib
 TBO_Rays
Send us your questions

More Links:

• Schedule/Results
• Player Stats
• Team Stats

Most Recent Entries

• Robinson product Gibson advances to NCAA track finals
• Panini previews Gold Standard autographs
• UD unveils Military Machines inserts for 2012 Goodwin Champions set
• Rays @ BoSox: Guyer out for the season, Jennings close to returning and lineups
• USF softball: It’s game day
• Weekly Tampa Bay fishing report
• Rays at BoSox: Rivalry renewed
• Karen Cooley returns as Zephyrhills girls swimming coach
• USF beats Pitt, stays alive
• The Nerds head north
• Jeffrey Shank out as Gulf boys basketball coach
• Berkeley Prep captures Academic Team Champion Award - again
• This week’s signings and offers
• Berkeley Prep wins FHSAA Academic Award standings
• Shank out as Gulf boys hoops coach

More

• Bucs Report -Tribune staff
• Rays Report - Roger Mooney
• Bolts Report - Erik Erlendsson
• Bulls Report
• Prep Report - Hillsborough
• Prep Report - Pasco
• Prep Report - Region
• Prep Report - Recruiting Updates
• Prep Report - Football
• Go Fishing: On The Waterfront
• The Sports Bookie - Bob D'Angelo
• Gators Report - Tribune staff
• Youth Sports Report
• NFL Draft Report
• Go Ask: Frank's Tacklebox
• Bucified Bert Blog
• BUK Power - Bucs Fan Blog
• Pigskin Preacher - NFL Fan Blog
• Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen
• Highlands Sports

Monthly Archives

• May 2012
• April 2012
• March 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011

Longoria calls Rays’ attendance ‘disheartening’

Posted Sep 28, 2010 by Tribune Sports

Updated Sep 28, 2010 at 12:13 AM

By TONY FABRIZIO and JOE HENDERSON

ST. PETERSBURG Rays All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria became the center of attention after Monday’s 4-0 loss to the Orioles, even though he didn’t play because of a strained squad.

In a heartfelt address in which he wasn’t prodded, Longoria said Monday’s crowd of 12,446 at Tropicana Field for a game in which the Rays could have clinched a postseason berth was embarrassing and disheartening.

And he said Rays players are “confused” about why a team that has played outstanding baseball for the last three seasons doesn’t draw better.

“… You’d pretty much like to think that a team in a playoff hunt, with an opportunity to clinch that, you could at least get 30,000 in here to cheer you on,” Longoria said.

“We play 155 games of really good baseball and it’s kind of like what else do we have to do to get fans into this place? I mean, it’s actually embarrsing to us.”
And he said Rays players are “confused” about why a team that has played outstanding baseball for the last three seasons doesn’t draw better.

“… You’d pretty much like to think that a team in a playoff hunt, with an opportunity to clinch that, you could at least get 30,000 in here to cheer you on,” Longoria said.

Monday’s crowd was the fourth smallest of the year, larger then only the 10,825 and 10,691 gatherings for a pair late-April games against Oakland and 11,968 for a June 2 game against Toronto.

The Rays entered Monday with the best record in the majors and a half-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. Had they won or had the Red Sox lost at Chicago, they would have clinched at least the wild-card berth.

And yet most people chose to stay home and watch on TV.

“It’s disheartening,” Longoria said. “It’s something I’ve been wanting to say for a long time. It’s not a jab at the fans. It’s not a kick below the belt, but it’s something we’d like to see. Obviously we want to bring a championship to Tampa. We’d like more than 12-to-15,000 to know about it.”

Longoria, who has assumed an expanded role as a team leader and spokesman this year, but generally chooses his words carefully, also chided fans for booing reliever Dan Wheeler during a recent tough outing.

“For us, it was like, can you see what he has done for us over the course of three years? I know it’s like, ‘what have you done for us lately?’ But this guy has been an integral part of our team.

“Someone had to stand up on his behalf, because he’s not going to say it, but for him to get booed off the mound over one or two bad outings I didn’t think was respectful for him.

The Rays entered Monday ranked 23rd in the major leagues in attendance, averaging 23,047. With the two home games remaining, they are on place to finish with a lower average than last year’s 23,147.

Longoria had more to say about the attendance.

“And the other thing about the fans is that we’ve been playing great baseball all year. Since I’ve been here in ’06, the fans have wanted to watch good baseball – they’ve wanted to watch a contender. For us to play good baseball for three years now, and for us to be in a spot to clinch again and go to the playoffs, we’re all confused with 15-to-20,000 in the building.”

“I don’t think there’s any more time for rationalizations. We figured if we have a chance at the beginning of September, maybe the fans will come. Now it’s the end of September and it’s almost October, and we’re still looking up in the seats and going, ‘Where is everyone?’

“We’ve still got some more time, so hopefully it starts to fill up. If no other time, maybe the postseason.”

Orioles manager Buck Showalter, a former ESPN analyst, said he wasn’t surprised by the attendance because he has been coming to St. Petersburg for awhile.

“I just know that it’s a really good baseball team going to the playoffs again,” he said. “From a baseball fan, I’d like to see them get a lot more support. They deserve it. But the 12,000 people that were here were very supportive, I can tell you that. They were certainly screaming at me. I kept going back as deep as I could where I could see the game.”