I wrote a column for Sunday’s Tribune on the issue with Rays attendance. It got a lot of you talking. Here’s some of the feedback I received.

SPOKE FOR TAMPA: Enjoyed your article the other day concerning lack of fan interest for Rays games. I thought you spoke for a lot of us Tampa natives who have been here all along. ... I watch most games on TV, and usually attend 6-8 games a year. And yeah, I love what we are seeing now from the team. Give Sternberg a lot of credit. Because he essentially has taken an “expansion team” and made it a division leader in three years. But to listen to these Johnny-come-lately’s on the radio bash me for not going and “supporting” the local team is insulting. Where are their St Pete Giants T-Shirt anyway???—A.J.

NAILED IT: Your Sunday column hit the nail right on the head on both counts. The Rays need more season tickets holders and to build a stadium where proposed will be a terrible mistake. The thought of watching baseball in an open stadium during July, August and September while being protected from the sun and our terrible thunder storms during those month by a flimsy sail, gives me the shivers. Not to mention the thought of having to walk 20 minutes to the stadium in the heat or worst, the rain after trying my luck to find a street parking space and having to come with enough change to pay for it. ... I hope the peoples of St. Pete have more sense than the Rays’ owner and reject the proposal. If another stadium is to be built, the ideal location will be at the intersection of I-4 and 301 at the fair ground and with plenty of parking for all attendees.—Americo, Tampa.

SEASON-TICKETS ARE THE PROBLEM: you’re the only one in the media who seems to understand the main issue with the Rays attendance, which I quoted from your column today. I wish you could make the rounds at the nitwit talking head radio and TV sports hosts in the Bay area to set them straight. There are other issues and that includes the fact that school is not out as well as some of the stuff you mentioned but by and large this is a base ticket holder issue. I’m not sure what kind of “walkup” anyone would expect for a given game but anyone who thinks that the “walkup” for a Thursday night game is going to be anything more than a couple of thousand, and that’s probably a best case scenario, really hasn’t a clue.—Steve

NEED CENTRAL LOCATION: Building a prissy little minor-league outdoor ballpark neat the end of the bay area earth would be disastrous for baseball in Tampa Bay.  It’s probably a good financial deal for the Rays owner, but a lousy one for baseball in general, the Rays specifically, and baseball fans in the region.  The Rays and Marlins – even with the Marlins having won 2 World Series in the last 11 years – have the lowest home attendance in their respective leagues.  Marlins play outdoors, but are contracting to build a retractable roof park because they understand that fans have other interests than spending 4-to-5 hours in Florida’s heat and humidity.

Summer evening bay area thunderstorms, coupled with impossible parking and a proposal to “mist” the fans (not my wife – she likes the comfort of Tropicana and would never go anywhere where she might get “misted” just doesn’t make baseball sense.  The Rays need, and the fans deserve, a central bay area location, a 43-45,000 indoor stadium (less expensive the retractable roof) that can host the all-star game and be used for other large indoor attractions all year around.” - Ted, Lake Jovita.

DO A SURVEY:I couldn’t agree with you anymore than with the location. I live in Wesley Chapel and to travel to St Pete for a game doesn’t interest me at all. I did it last year and it took me and my wife an hour to get home after the game. The Yanks were in town so it was a Saturday night game but it just turns me off to spend money on gas and to drive that far to go to a game. I am from Bayside Queens and to go to Shea Stadium is a easy hop on the Long Island Railroad 15 minutes later you are there. To go by car it takes 20 minutes to get there. It was nice to know it was a quick and easy trip to Shea.

For the Rays, they are better off moving to Hillsborough or Pasco county. Most people who would go to Rays games are in those counties. Why not do a survey from those areas and see what people would say about going to a Rays game if a stadium is built in Pasco or Hillsborough. Most big businesses are in Hillsborough so to bring a client to St Pete is a pain the butt for them drive there and then back. A stadium in North Tampa near 275 or 75 would bring more fans and make the franchise more popular. You would see the stadium packed every game if it is built over here. I would go to at least 5 games if it was closer.—Michael, Wesley Chapel.

JUST LIKE MARLINS:I was born and raised in St. Petersburg back in the 60’s & 70’s and for the past 25 years have lived in Valrico just outside Tampa. I went to the game last Thursday (we lost 5-1 to the White Sox) and the ball bark was a quarter filled at best but I can honestly say its not because of the location or the facillity (who can ask for more than no chance of rain and 72 degree weather??).  As I’m writing this on Saturday afternoon it is 92 degrees outside and anyone thinking people will go to a 2 pm game in an outdoor ball park (no matter how many ‘sails’ there are is CRAZY). Just look up “Florida Marlin’s Rain-Outs” to see what is coming if Al Lang is replaced as the Ray’s new home.—Paul Gross, Valrico.

COULDN’T BUY SEATS: I had moved here from Indiana and joined a quartet that sang the National Anthem for the Rays about a dozen times. I got interested in the Rays and purchased a couple of 20 season passes. I bought again the next year (2007). When I got my season ticket packet from the Rays this season I was pretty miffed. For the prior 2 seasons, my 20 game package was down front of the press box in section 101. Wow what great seats. Even though the Rays were losing, they sometimes played a great brand of baseball and showed occasional flashes by one player or another. My wife and I loved sitting there. That, and the promise of great things to come would have brought me back.

This spring, I wasn’t allowed to consider my same seats for the 2008 campaign. The Rays had decided those seats were to be offered only to full season package purchasers (all 81 games). The only seats they would sell for a 20 game package was way out beyond the dugouts. I was told that if I wanted to sit in my old seats, I’d have to purchase the whole season.
Now, I’m a teacher and so is my wife. There’s no way we can go to that many games and do all the things we need to do for our kids at school. When I asked the Rays for an exception, I was told we could purchase the whole season and then share it with a buddy. When I asked if they could pair us up, they said no. Bottom line is this, I didn’t purchase tickets.—William, Riverview.

REPEATING A MISTAKE: First rule of real estate investing - Location, Location, Location.  You’re right; the majority of the populace is not in St. Pete but mainly Hillsborough and surrounding counties. Everything you wrote I agree with.  What is it that the Rays’ organization doesn’t understand? Build a stadium near the I-4-Interstate 75 area and their problem of attracting fans would be solved.  Making a mistake a second time by building a stadium in St Pete, isn’t that the definition of insanity?—Tim, Brandon.