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Rays Outfielder Says Organization "Really Has No Fan Base"

Yo Tee

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Rays' Pham: Tampa has 'really no fan base at all'

The least attended teams in the MLB are both in Florida. Is it possible that the MLB should just get out of Florida and relocate them to other areas? They aren't good teams but even when they were good teams, their attendance just wasn't good at all.

Rays attendance during their World Series year was an average of 23,000 per game and they were 12th out of 14 AL teams. Their 2018 average was 14,259 and they were 2nd to last in the MLB. This was their lowest attendance since 2005 and 4th lowest attendance year in franchise history.

Marlins average attendance per game was cut in half from 2017 to 2018. Marlins averaged 20,295 in 2017 but down to 10,014 in 2018. During their WS year of 2003, their average attendance was just above 16,000 a game, which was 2nd to last amongst NL teams. 2018 was their lowest attendance year in franchise history.
 

nynasty

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It's a bad situation. The "Stadium" is the worst in MLB, and is not easy to get to. A few months ago it looked like all systems were go for a new stadium in Ybor city, but those plans have since been scrapped.

Nothings going to get any better for the franchise as long as they continue to play in an oversized gymnasium that's a pain in the ass to get to.
 

Yo Tee

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It's a bad situation. The "Stadium" is the worst in MLB, and is not easy to get to. A few months ago it looked like all systems were go for a new stadium in Ybor city, but those plans have since been scrapped.

Nothings going to get any better for the franchise as long as they continue to play in an oversized gymnasium that's a pain in the ass to get to.

They should just relocate the team to be honest. That lease isn't up for another 8 years so they'll be playing in that stadium for a while which sucks for the people of Tampa and honestly sucks for the guys wearing the Rays' uniform.
 

huskers1217

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It's a bad situation. The "Stadium" is the worst in MLB, and is not easy to get to. A few months ago it looked like all systems were go for a new stadium in Ybor city, but those plans have since been scrapped.

Nothings going to get any better for the franchise as long as they continue to play in an oversized gymnasium that's a pain in the ass to get to.

i wonder if the drive from Tampa to the Trop compares to NYC to giants Stadium (im sure there are naming rights for that stadium but i forget right now). of course, that drive 8 times a year is better than 81 games.
 

brandonk989

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I live south of the Trop so it makes the drive much easier for me than driving to Tampa. The problem is most people live in Tampa or in the surrounding areas and the stadium is not easy to get to from those areas. If you live in Brandon or Riverview and a lot of people do, you actually have to go around Tampa Bay, over a bridge, and back the opposite direction to get to the stadium. If you put the stadium at the Fairgrounds which is the I75/I4 junction, you now draw the Orlando crowd as it's less than an hour drive for them instead of 90 minutes plus right now.

I think they're gone after the 2027 season and their stadium lease is up.
 

huskers1217

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I live south of the Trop so it makes the drive much easier for me than driving to Tampa. The problem is most people live in Tampa or in the surrounding areas and the stadium is not easy to get to from those areas. If you live in Brandon or Riverview and a lot of people do, you actually have to go around Tampa Bay, over a bridge, and back the opposite direction to get to the stadium. If you put the stadium at the Fairgrounds which is the I75/I4 junction, you now draw the Orlando crowd as it's less than an hour drive for them instead of 90 minutes plus right now.

I think they're gone after the 2027 season and their stadium lease is up.

i like the fairgrounds idea..but i-4 is getting so bad right now.

I always thought they could find land off of Fowler or Fletcher for a stadium and also draw the pasco county folks.
 

nynasty

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i wonder if the drive from Tampa to the Trop compares to NYC to giants Stadium (im sure there are naming rights for that stadium but i forget right now). of course, that drive 8 times a year is better than 81 games.


From Manhattan to the Meadowlands, you have several different public transportation options. From Tampa to St Pete, there might be a bus? I don't even know.
 

huskers1217

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From Manhattan to the Meadowlands, you have several different public transportation options. From Tampa to St Pete, there might be a bus? I don't even know.

there might be a bus. i don't remember.

I used to get off of work at 5. go home and eat and leave the house about 6:45 (NE Tampa) - get to the Trop around 7:45-8.

I got there usually the 2nd inning, put down 20 bucks and sat 3rd row from the 3rd base.
 

thedddd

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I live south of the Trop so it makes the drive much easier for me than driving to Tampa. The problem is most people live in Tampa or in the surrounding areas and the stadium is not easy to get to from those areas. If you live in Brandon or Riverview and a lot of people do, you actually have to go around Tampa Bay, over a bridge, and back the opposite direction to get to the stadium. If you put the stadium at the Fairgrounds which is the I75/I4 junction, you now draw the Orlando crowd as it's less than an hour drive for them instead of 90 minutes plus right now.

I think they're gone after the 2027 season and their stadium lease is up.
That is a great idea and probably the only thing that could save the team from moving.
Also do you think getting closer to the tourist trap areas would help pull in the casual "away team" fan on vacation?
 

JohnU

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It isn't like MLB is trying to cling to that part of Florida. If they relocate, nobody in the business will care. TB area keeps begging for a stadium that is more useless than the one in Miami.
 

seattlefan75

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I have been to that stadium living in Orlando and those home games would be DEAD the stadium would be empty infact there is more traffic and people running around during spring training in Steinbrenner field when the Yankees play than a tampa home game. When the Yankees come into town their stadium does pretty well because of all the Yankee fans living in FL but other than that its an empty park. Even when I went down to Marlins park there new stadium wouldn't really sell, Florida is not a baseball state they love their college football and NFL and NBA basketball is a distant 2nd.

I wonder if they were to move the team to Puerto Rico and renovated the Hiram Bithrow stadium how that would turn out
 

carson

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Tropicana is so far from the heart of Tampa and lacks the modern ballpark amenities most families are growing accustomed to. I've seen a few games and enjoy the oddities of the "park" but the Tampa Yankees (or Tarpons) have more shit to occupy kids at Steinbrenner Field.

Building a new park in the downtown Tampa area only projects about a 5k increase in attendance. That's obviously not enough to warrant building there. Taxpayers will never fund it; not after how bad Miami got hosed. Reality is the Rays came too late. Tampa is full of Yankees and Braves faithful.

It's only a matter of time before Nashville or Portland welcome the relocated Rays.
 

wazzu31

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The Rays may not have a fan base nor is Tropicana ideal but in no way is it even remotely as bad as Oakland’s stadium.
 

navamind

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It took Tommy Pham *that* long to come to that realization?
 
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