PinellasParkRaysFan

PinellasParkRaysFan's Comments

Posted Tuesday July 14, 2009, About: Rays AL title not selling tickets
Elvis -- the Rays recently released a study that said the population of people within a 30 minute drive of the Trop was 600,000. You could lower that based on the estimate that 60-70% of the residents are transplants and tend to root for their team from up north. There is a commission investigating potential sites for a new stadium. The most attractive seems to be the Carillon area in northeast St. Petersburg or the old Toytown landfill (lovely thought). Both of those sites are right next to I-275 and would be the very first exit once crossing the Howard Frankland Bridge. The study shows that this location would increase the population of people within a 30 minute drive to 1.3 million (closer to Hillsborough & Pasco counties). And I believe the capacity of the now-defunct waterfront site in downtown St. Pete was going to be 35 or 36K --- which is also the capacity of the Trop with the tarps down (about 43k without). The commission's recommendation is due by year-end. The problem is that residents are very wary of any additional taxes being used to build the stadium as the Trop isn't even paid off yet. I think they are short-sighted as failure to build a new stadium will more than likely mean the Rays move elsewhere and the impact of losing that franchise would be much greater than what they pay to build a new stadium. When the old "Devil Rays" were stinking up the cellar, the estimated economic impact was estimated at $110 million/year to St. Pete & Pinellas county. This was before last year's 22% increase in attendance and this year's 11% increase (to-date). Bottom line --- this is a very unique market, with very unique challenges. We haven't even gotten into the geographic challenges of being on the southeast tip of a peninsula accessible only by THREE bridges. This explains why attendance is low during the week. Who wants to deal with the rush hour traffic on only three bridges to try and make a game. Weekend attendance is much higher.
Posted Tuesday July 14, 2009, About: Rays AL title not selling tickets
yoyoma -- by the way ---- St. Pete is NOT in northern Florida. It's in central Florida on the gulf coast. Time to open up an atlas.
Posted Tuesday July 14, 2009, About: Rays AL title not selling tickets
Dirtytrees --- parking is FREE for cars with 4 or more people in it. It costs $15 on the main lots, and $10 on the remote lots. You can bring your own food and certain drinks into the Trop. Friday nights are $1 dog nights. Sundays are "family fun" days when an outfield ticket costs $25 and includes a hot dog and a drink. And the entire upper deck and TBT Party Deck seats are $10 for regular games, $13 for marquee, and $16 for prime. Could the location be better? Probably -- but if it weren't for the city of St. Pete -- the bay area wouldn't have baseball AT ALL. So quit your whining, get in the car, drive over the bridge, and come to a game!
Posted Tuesday July 14, 2009, About: Rays AL title not selling tickets
And just to clarify --- attendance is down across the league right now. The Rays attendance is up 11% over last year. Still not where it needs to be -- but give the economy, the fact that 60-70% of the residents are transplants rooting for another team, and the fact that the Rays have only been in existance for 11 years and had 1 winning season, I think any increase in attendance is laudible. And ELVISISKING --- the Yanks/Red Sox/Phillies games USED to be majority opposing fans -- not any more. While still a sizable presence, the majority of the fans are now Rays fans at those games.
Posted Tuesday July 14, 2009, About: Rays AL title not selling tickets
The principal problem are the transplants who move to Florida, but continue to root for their team up north. Conservative estimates put the transplant population at 60-70% and many of them have not "switched sides" to the Rays -- YET. "Take me out to the ball game", in one of its most important lines says "Root, root, root for the HOME TEAM". These people move down here, make Tampa Bay their home, but refuse to root for the HOME TEAM. In my opinion, if they love NY, Boston, or Philly so much -- take I-95 north!! If Tampa Bay is your home -- then the Rays should be your team. I was born and raised in Cleveland and will always root for the Tribe -- unless they play the Rays. I'm not moving back to Cleveland --- Tampa Bay is my home -- the Rays are my team.
Posted Thursday February 12, 2009, About: Joba: Yankees are AL East's best
I would love to see all you naysayer's faces when the Rays clinch the AL East again this season. You were all the same people who last May said, "Oh isn't that cute, the Rays are in first. It won't last". Then in June when they lost seven pre-All Star break you said, "Oh -- see, I told you so. It was fun while it lasted". Then in August when Longoria, Pena, Bartlett, and Percival were all injured you predicted "Yup -- here's what's going to make them fold" --- only to have the Rays answer you with the best month in the club's history. Then in September you said, "yeah -- being in first in the summer is one thing --- Septemer is a whole different story -- they'll fold under the pressure". They answered you by clinching the AL east and eventually the AL championship.
So keep talking and keep saying that the Rays will have a "sophomore stumble" this year. I'll be laughing and smiling again in October while you all pay for your new stadium(s) out of your own pockets while your owners plunked down almost a half-billioin for players that can't buy you a playoff spot.
Posted Friday August 22, 2008, About: Rays' Crawford eyes '08 return
DEVO (SPECTRE) UMMM --- who says the team is falling apart???? Their record after Crawford and Longoria were injured is 9 and 3!! All the naysayers need to understand that this team's success is not based on one, two, or even three key players. Every single member of the roster contributes and helps pick up the slack when another is injured.
Carl is one of the many keys to this team's success. His ability to return will be a huge accomplishment. But the Rays continue to shine without him, as well as without Longoria and Percival.
Posted Friday August 15, 2008, About: Giants GM: Rays should sign Bonds
I don't think I'll ever get used to "Progessive field". It is "The Jake".
Posted Friday August 15, 2008, About: Giants GM: Rays should sign Bonds
My biggest concern would be what he does to the Rays' chemistry. That's what has got them this far. We have multiple "key players" out on injuries (Longoria, Crawford, Bartlett -- now Percival); however, we're still winning! The thing that has been commented over and over is that there are no inflated egos to deal with in the clubhouse. Our total salary is less than half the Yanks or the Red Sox and we're still in first and a lot of that has to do with the mental approach this team has taken to the game this year. I would hate to have someone like Bonds screw it up. It would be toxic.
Posted Sunday June 29, 2008, About: Rays to be active in trade talks
I'm just glad to see that the Rays are generating this much buzz and discussion. I knew this was going to be a different season when they ended Spring Training with the best record of any team. But nothing would have prepared me for how much fun I would have the first half of this season. It's been a long time coming and us Rays fans are having a blast. I'm just glad to be in the mix (and in First Place in the AL East).
Posted Sunday June 29, 2008, About: Rays to be active in trade talks
I'm just glad that the Rays are generating this much conversation. It's been a really, really fun season so far for us long-suffering Rays fans. GO RAYS!!!
Posted Saturday June 28, 2008, About: Rays upset by Crisp reduction
Just another example of the MLB cowtowing to the Red Sox (and Yankees). As if their bloated salaries weren't enough, they get special treatment from MLB. That's allright though, the Rays got where they are without any special treatment from the MLB and with a fraction of the payroll.

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