FULL HOUSE! Tampa Bay Rays Fans Pack the Trop
The Tampa Bay Rays had their first two home playoff games this week (October 7th and 9th, 2019), and it was packed! Both nights brought in over 32,000 fans, which is more than double their regular season attendance. But yet people are still harping on the Rays attendance. So let’s take a look at some of their arguments and why this proves the Rays need to move to Tampa.
The Arguments
One of the most common arguments against the Ray’s attendance last night was that the Trop Holds 42,000. Meaning that they did not sell out their game. While this is true, people have failed to realize the team does not sell all of these seats. The Rays do cover up the third level because many of these seats are obstructed by the rings holding up the dome. They only start selling these tickets the deeper they move into the playoffs. So for this round, the Rays capacity was not the full 42,000. But still, the games were packed and had little to no empty seats.
Another thing some have asked is where these people were during the regular season. The MLB has the most games of any sport, with teams only having one or two off days a month. For the fans in Tampa, it is not worth it to drive all the way to St. Petersburg for a regular-season game on a Wednesday. However, this is the playoffs, so it is a much different situation. And it’s not as if these fans just didn’t exist. According to Fox Sports Sun spokesman Eric Esteban viewership is up 18%. And also streaming viewership is up 103% this year. This further proves that plenty of people want to watch the Rays but aren’t willing to make that terrible drive to St. Petersburg.
Looking Ahead
The past two playoff games at the Trop were electric. In fact, it was so electric that even Houston Astros right fielder Josh Reddick said, “We were a little surprised with how loud and how much intensity was in the atmosphere. Just not used to that crowd, that much atmosphere. So maybe a little different for us coming in. But no excuse” (From @JoeSmithTB). Rays fans definitely played a factor in helping swing the momentum towards the Rays despite being down in the series 2-0.
#Astros rightfielder Josh Reddick on atmosphere at Trop for #Rays: "We were a little surprised with how loud and how much intensity was in this atmosphere. Just not used to that crowd, that much atmosphere. So maybe a little different for us coming in. But no excuse."
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) October 9, 2019
Mayor Jane Castor was seen at the Trop supporting the Rays and was asked about getting a stadium in Tampa. Castor said that she thinks they need to just get back to the table and start again, she does not want to lose the Rays. This is a huge step in the right direction and Rays fans should be excited. If you want to know more about why a stadium in Tampa would be a good fit, you can learn more here, but it’s clear the Rays have plenty of fans.
Caught up w/ Tampa mayor Jane Castor at #Rays game last night. Castor said plan is to “go back to drawing board” and re-start talks with team on finding stadium site in region. Not including Montreal split. “The Rays want to stay in Tampa Bay area. We need to keep the Rays here” pic.twitter.com/tdLqh9Ohhw
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) October 9, 2019
Bottom Line
After watching fans pack the Trop and rattle the Astros, it’s time for the attendance jokes to end and the talks to begin. The fans are excited about the Rays playoff run as they have put together something special.
The Rays will take on the Astros in Game 5 Thursday night at 7:07 PM in Houston. The Rays are looking to complete the reverse sweep. If they can pull it off, look for the Trop to be even louder than it was this round. Visiting teams beware, Rays fans are here, and they’re here to stay.
