Heatcheck Wednesday: Week 4

Week 4 of Heatcheck Wednesday, a permanent feature here at Ballpark Frankness. The idea behind this post is to track the past week's Rays home games and wonder how tolerable they would have been, had they been played outdoors.

Two home games since last Wednesday (One night game, one 4 p.m. first pitch). We rated Wednesday's home game against the Yankees "Take me out the ball game" and the Thursday afternoon contest "Hot, but nothing a cold beverage couldn't cure."

So after 24 homes games, 30 percent of the home schedule, here are our up-to-date standings:

How you feeling? Hot. Hot. Hot. ---- 0

Hot, but nothing a cold beverage couldn't cure. ---- 2

Take me out the ball game. ---- 22

Comments

[Gene & Patty]

Aaron....where can I vote on this heat issue? Or is this a private census of Stu and friends?

[Aaron Sharockman]

feel free to add in your opinion below. we're tracking each home game, starting at the time the game starts. so, if you're up to it, stand outside friday at 7:05 p.m. (the rays don't play at home until then) and let people know how it feels.

[Rick K]

LMHO @ the idea of so many people running around outside at gametime, then filing reports from all over the City.

I am not saying it isn't a newsworthy idea, and, I am not sure why, but this idea cracks me up.

[Gene & Patty]

I know how it feels, It's hot! We go to the Trop because it's comfortable, inside. We have our air set at 75 in our house, according to my humidity meter, the humidity is 50-55%, thats how we like it. If I go outside, it's only for a few minutes, then back inside. Many people are differnet, many likes and dislikes are different. You can't say just because you think 80 or 85 is comfortable then thats what the general consensus is. I am 60 years old, I've had enough of the heat. There are many like me who can afford to go to the games, but will not attend outside functions. This new stadium will only cater to a few. Thats my two cents, thank you.
And I wish you would monitor Rick K, and Ray F. so they don't blog all day long the same propaganda. I know I'm tired of reading it. Must be nice to just sit around all day with nothing to do.

[Ray F]

OK Gene and Patty- What about Don Mott, Thomas, Barbie, Get Smart, etc...

oh wait, their opinion concures with yours so it's ok???

What's next Stalin???

[Ray F]

... and it is nice to be able to sit in my office all day and blog. Don't worry, game starts on 1250-WHNZ at 3:35 so I'll be tuning that in instead.

[Mike]

What a joke.. All you Nay Sayers stand up here and shout at the top of your lungs no no no ..and you know what I respect your opinion. However last I checked we live in a democracy so I should have the right to vote on this proposal. This needs to be on all surrounding counties referendums so we can share in the expense since it is the Tampa Bay Rays and not the St. Pete Rays. Besides it mostly NON Pinellas residents coming to games anyway. I have been to 6 games this year and I bet there aren’t more than 1000 locals at any one of them which surprises me since it was St Pete that worked so hard to lure a MLB team.

As far as the heat goes give me a break. We live in Florida people. Most everyone goes to the Beach right? It was hot when you moved down here and it will be hot if you ever go back to where you moved from. I hear about all the St Pete support for the Bucs and I think ummm they put 65,000 fans in the seats for 1:00 games where it’s a field temp of 110 degrees and guys wearing pads so quit your bitchin. It is what it is. And listen I hear about how people can’t afford to go well here s the deal.. You can buy a ticket for 9 BUCKS that’s $9. Family of 4 $36.00 plus free parking.

Do you remember how bad the Bucs sucked before the new owners came in? Well most people have forgotten some of those scared years because of the success they have had under new ownership. I admit Culverhouse sucked but the Glazers have turned it around. Give the Rays new ownership the ability to change your minds people.

You also have to remember that Football has a salary cap so all teams are equal. You can wait to support the team once they put a winner on the field but baseball has only revenue sharing.
They rely our support in order to have success and grow.

St Pete city Council please respect our right to vote on this issue.

[Gene & Patty]

Well Ray F...while you sit in your nice comfy air-conditioned(I'm sure) office and blog away. Many of us are out in the real world, meeting clients, etc...and we hear the talk. It's not for, but against the stadium. Oh and by the way...try sitting outside for 3 hours instead of in your nice comfy cozy office. Then you might have some idea as to how the open-air stadium stinks. In more ways than one.

[Colorado Snowbird]

"And I wish you would monitor Rick K, and Ray F. so they don't blog all day long the same propaganda. I know I'm tired of reading it. Must be nice to just sit around all day with nothing to do."

-- They aren't blogging propaganda.
-- Their posts are outnumbered 10 to one by those who oppose
-- If you don't want to read it, don't.

[Ray F]

Gene and Patty,

I will be happy to go watch the Rays play in a beautiful outdoor park. I am out enjoying our parks and beaches with my wife every weekend. We have picnics at Crescent Lake; take our dog to Ft DeSoto to run in the dog park; We go to the Grand Prix every year (all 3 days); I play pick-up baseball for hours on end with a group of friends every sunday at NW community center; I barbeque outdoors with my friends. I was born in Florida. I know why people come here. It isn't for our air-conditioning. It's to enjoy beautiful weather 95% of the year and I will be glad to watch my Rays win or lose in an outdoor stadium.

[Jon McPhee]

Ray F, you may feel an affinity for the home team, even though it's not even named for "home." But I can guaran-darn-tee you they are not "your" Rays. The corporate entity, with its antitrust exemption and revenue sharing and current pretty good deal, belongs to the 23 dudes who bought it way back when.

Let's vote, on the one little piece of this we may possibly be allowed by the City Council to vote on, the Al Lang bit. And let's keep on making sure we know what we are in for on the expense and risk side. Ain't no way the other counties and cities whose residents, according to the above, come to the Trop, are going to drop a nickel in the pot for this Big Deal.

Hey, maybe you can get the Rays owners to do like the Shredded Wheat people did decades ago -- they bought up an acre of Alaska land, and for the price of a box of cereal you got a deed to one square inch of that acre. Maybe the Rays owners could sell shares in the Bid Deal on the same basis, so you could claim actual ownership of a piece of the Rays.

[Rick K]

Jon McPhee's latest is incorrect. (no surprise to many)

The amount of money that will be spent by the people who buy homes, work, shop, dine, and entertain at the redeveloped Trop site will very, very quickly DWARF the amount of public investment in these projects. When you add the amount that will be spent by the Rays, their opponents, employees, vendors, and fans, it becomes obvious that a great portion of money which will be spent in connection with these redevelopment projects will come from people who DO NOT LIVE in St. Pete.

Ooops. Just took a Jon McPhee post and turned it into shredded wheat!

[Ray F]

Respectfully, Jon, they are my Rays. Just like the Pier is mine. The Bucs are mine. The Lightning are mine. Straub Park is mine. Those things belong to everybody. People who are more than willing to use local amenities as their own and form a base of civic pride over the privalege to live in a Major League Town.

I say privaleged because it IS a privalege to live in a City as dynamic as St Pete and the Rays are a huge part of that. Go downtown after a Friday or Saturday night game and hang out in Mastry's or the Independent, or Bishop's and you'll see the fans who went downtown to spend more money after the game. Even if 1,000 people stayed downtown after the game and spent an extra $20, that's $20,000 going to businesses that wouldn't have gone were it not for the Rays.

Imagine if the field was already downtown... Huge plus.

[Heat is a non-issue]

I was at the Big East baseball tournament last night at Brighthouse Field in Clearwater (outdoor). It was beautiful out, and it was 80 degrees.

[Bubba, Pinellas Park]

Heat a non-issue. Man, I wish I was taking whatever you guys are taking. I'm sweating my you know whats off, and yes, I was born and raised here too. I still sweat!!! 80 is comfortable maybe if the humidity is 10%....you can keep your outside venues, NO THANKS!