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How does baseball survive in Tampa?

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Posted: #1

I visited Tampa two years ago, overall it was a nice place. It's a 24 mile drive from downtown Tampa to Tropicana Field one way and I can see how that might deter people from going.

But as I sit here and watch the Ray's/Red Sox on MLB, the crowd is so sparse...I just wonder how they keep them there?

 
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Posted: #2
only thing they remotely care about in that state is college football 
 
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Posted: #3
It's a shame because they are an exciting team to watch. 
 
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Posted: #4

Good question.

They just don't embrace mlb baseball in the south. Look at Miami.

All football out there.

 
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Posted: #5
The revenue sharing is too generous.  Teams that can't get fans in the seats and pay their own bills should be left to make serious changes or be contracted all together.  
 
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Posted: #6
Reading The Extra 2% makes you scratch your head even more at the subject of attendence.

A great, contending product on the field for the better part of a decade and still nobody lifts an eyebrow down there.  

 
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Posted: #7
Tropicana Field is a dump, that's why the Rays desperately need a new stadium to generate more revenue and more fan interest.
 
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Posted: #8
Rays would draw more in a nicer outdoor park not in St. Pete. Nice team and farm system. Great coach and awesome GM. Too bad they can't get out of their lease at The Trop. in the meantime they spend wisely.
 
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Posted: #9
They stuck the Trop (originally The Suncoast Dome) in the middle of the one and only ghetto in the Tampa/St. Pete area. One of those urban development projects that backfired. The people that will pay to see the Rays play, won't go to that part of town. It's a shame. Agree with others who mentioned the need for a new stadium in a friendlier location.
 
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Posted: #10
Screwed the pooch when they turned their backs on Tampa and went to St. Pete.  I lived there for 3 years, and nobody in Tampa wants to drive the 40-45 minutes to get there.  With the open lot right across the street from Raymond James Stadium, they could and should look to get in there.
 
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Posted: #11

ESPN alone gives baseball 800 million for tv. Money ruined the game , the players walk around like peacocks hitting 240 and think you are lucky to watch them play. There is at least 3 little leauge mistakes every game .

 
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Posted: #12
Quote Originally Posted by gfinger:

Rays would draw more in a nicer outdoor park not in St. Pete. Nice team and farm system. Great coach and awesome GM. Too bad they can't get out of their lease at The Trop. in the meantime they spend wisely.

Outdoors?

Doesn't it rain almost every day several times a day down there???

I wouldn't want to sit in that.
 
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Posted: #13
Quote Originally Posted by cubsin08:

ESPN alone gives baseball 800 million for tv. Money ruined the game , the players walk around like peacocks hitting 240 and think you are lucky to watch them play. There is at least 3 little leauge mistakes every game .

Exactly.

 
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Posted: #14

Interesting article on the Rays in today's USA Today (12 June 2013) It states the Rays have one of the three smallest payrolls and play in the worst ballpark in the majors with the least amount of fan support.

They have not drawn 2 million fans since 1998, their inaugural season. Yet they win averaging 92 wins over the last five years, winning two American League titles and one wild card berth.

If I was still living there I would be going to see the Rays as much as possible. I agree with Bill 702, they are an exciting team to watch.

 
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Posted: #15
Quote Originally Posted by Daddy_Freddie:

Interesting article on the Rays in today's USA Today (12 June 2013) It states the Rays have one of the three smallest payrolls and play in the worst ballpark in the majors with the least amount of fan support.

They have not drawn 2 million fans since 1998, their inaugural season. Yet they win averaging 92 wins over the last five years, winning two American League titles and one wild card berth.

If I was still living there I would be going to see the Rays as much as possible. I agree with Bill 702, they are an exciting team to watch.



Yeah, because they got the #1 pick for for like 10 straight years
 
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Posted: #16
Quote Originally Posted by Omerta:



Yeah, because they got the #1 pick for for like 10 straight years

Yeah sure.

Try 4 early onion their history (only one remains on the team).

They are a model of management and scouting with little money to tie it all together and make it work.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tampa_Bay_Rays_first-round_draft_picks



 
 
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Posted: #17
Quote Originally Posted by scalabrine:


Outdoors?

Doesn't it rain almost every day several times a day down there???

I wouldn't want to sit in that.

Retractable of course.
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