Every sports team in the world has some segment of die-hard fans. Those people live and die with their team, whether it's the New York Yankees, the Saskatchewan Rough Riders or the Rockford Ice Hogs.
The Tampa Bay Rays certainly have some such fans; they just don't have very many.
With the entire season on the line on Tuesday night, and with the Rays needing a victory to keep pace with the Red Sox and continue their historic march toward a postseason berth, it was time for the fans to show up en masse to root for their team. Despite the circumstances, Tropicana Field was just 63.3 percent full.
The attendance number was 22,820, which is actually about 4,000 more people than the team's average number. Still, given the circumstances, you just have to be disheartened as a baseball fan to know that so many big-time markets would kill for the opportunity to see their team in this position, while one in Florida could seemingly not care less. I actually know of one on the North Side of Chicago that would probably fill its ballpark under similar circumstances.
It's obviously not a new issue, as last year's team actually had some complaints about attendance as they fought for a playoff spot.
"Had a chance to clinch a postseason spot tonight with about 10,000 fans in the stands….embarrassing," David Price tweeted last year, with Evan Longoria sharing similar comments.
A year later, not much has changed. The Rays rank 23rd out of 30 in attendance percentage this season. They have 90 wins; the seven teams ranked below have, on average, 76 wins. (Just below the Rays are the Diamondbacks, who still draw 7,000 more fans than Tampa but rank behind the Rays due to a massive stadium that holds 48,633, nearly 15,000 more than Tropicana Field.)
Rays fans — those die-hards mentioned before who take umbrage with criticisms of the team's attendance — have for years explained the hardships of getting to the park due to traffic and other factors. In a city like Boston, where Fenway Park is 101.7 percent full every night, those fans get no sympathy. Ever try to make it down Storrow Drive at 6:30 p.m.? It's not exactly a pleasure cruise to baseball's oldest ballpark on any given weeknight.
Of course, should the Rays beat out the Red Sox for the American League's final playoff spot, the fans will show up. They did last year for the most part, as the place was 98.5 percent full for the Rays' two postseason games. Still, the rest of the baseball world can't help but see the empty seats and wonder why a city that doesn't support its team in the midst of such an unbelievable run even has a team to begin with.
Photo of the day
What do you think of the Rays' low attendance numbers, even as they race with the Red Sox for the American League wild card? Check out this photo from Monday night, when the Rays won to draw even with the Sox in the wild-card race. There were 18,772 paid attendees, which means the building was only 52.1 percent full.
Quote of the day
"We're trying to be a winning team. That's what we're trying to be."
–Bill Belichick, when asked for his thoughts on Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain referring to the Patriots as a "finesse" team
Tweet of the day
Red Sox fans in Boston and all over the U.S. had an angst-filled evening on Tuesday. Imagine if you had to stay up past 3 a.m. to experience it.
Video of the day
This was so dumb that you'd have to think the guy did it on purpose. That is, until you see the look of sheer horror in his face as he hits the deck.
