Saturday sellout

The Rays announced that Saturday's game - which features a postgame concert by country star Trace Adkins - is sold-out except for a limited number of single and obstructed view seats.
It will be the Rays third sellout of the season. Gametime is 6:10 p.m.

Comments

[rayray]

If we come back from tough road trip in 1st, I could see 20,000 plus in Trop for the first 6 games of homestand vs Marlins & Cubs.

[Bodog]

Steve, althought the Trop has a seating capacity of 46 thousand plus. The Rays only use 36 thousand plus seats for baseball games and that is where the sellout comes into play. Even when the Dirty Sox's and Stankees are in town they don't use the extra seats (Upper deck) - they only use the 36 plus.

[steve in clw]

RE post by Daniel...I was at the game last night(5-31) and there were plenty of EMPTY seats all over the upperdeck. Whole sections were EMPTY...HOW can this be called a "sellout" game???
Someone is definetly inflating numbers...GREAT GAME though...GO RAYS!

[brian]

I agree with JKR, even though the crowds are still small so far, the crowds are much louder and into the game. It is a lot more fun this season than ever before.

[skp]

newsflash - the same folks who aren't going to the games are the ones who aren't reading these comments....can we quit talking at people who aren't listening....we RAYS fans are here and have been at the trop all season, and we should just leave it at being excited about the sellout and the fact that first-timers and longtime fans will be treated to kaz's magic, free concert, free hat, and probably free pizza, and maybe some of those guys will be back more often....go RAYS, and go TRUE RAYS FANS - hope we add a few more to our number tonight...see you at the trop!! fans are won one good performance at a time, and the same folks who ar complaining about poor attendance will be the first to complain about "all these bandwagon fans" when support picks up....some folks will never be happy....i am, because my team is mopping the floor with the rest of MLB and that's all i've ever been interested in. the rest will come, and new things to complain about along with it.

[JKR]

All that being said, I've never seen the crowds at the Trop be so into the game, even in games we lose. It used to be that fans were more interested in the Pepsi bottle races than the game. That to me is a sign of improvement. Let these guys keep winning, the fans will be there eventually.

[JKR]

The whining about empty seats is wearing thin.

This team has had a long, very consistent history of losing for 1620 games. Two months of admittedly terrific baseball aren't going to suddenly turn Tropicana Field into Fenway.

Many casual and even dedicated fans are probably still waiting for the collapse . Some fans just assume the team is losing - I've had to inform big baseball fans that we're in first place. Gas prices keep going higher. The economy still sucks. Tropicana Field is still Tropicana Field, and it's still in a lousy part of St. Petersburg. There are still 81 home games. We're still in May.

The point is this: you don't erase years of losing with two months of winning. If the Rays are still in first place in early August and the Trop is still drawing 12,000 each game, then we have a bit of a problem. Even then, however, it may take an entire season of consistent winning - and maybe a new stadium - to see average attendance go up significantly.

Just be glad there are still two teams with worst average attendance in the majors.

And one more note to the complainers: please keep this complaining in mind later when the Trop has 30,000 and all you want to do is complain about fairweather fans.

[Andy]

Danny,

In order top televise the game they'd have to move it back to 7:10. Fox has exclusive rights to the airwaves for baseball for all Saturday afternoon games, and a 6:10 start would be subject to their blackout power anyways.

[Danny]

I also want to know why the game isnt televised since it is sold out? Isnt that why they didnt televise it in the first place? Thats ridiculous. Televise the game dammit!

[Danny]

Art, You are a poor excuse for someone who claims to be disabled. I have spina bifida. If you dont know what it is, look it up. I went to 2 games back to back last week when the Rangers were in town. We were not even 500 feet from the main entrance. Take a left and there were our seats (we sat in right field). Getting and getting out was no problem at all.Yes the drive is a bit long, but it is well worth it to watch these guys play. Stop making dumb excuses!

[Andy]

I was Rays Country Night when Rays Country night wasn't cool!

[Jesse]

Ill be there FRONT ROW, LC AS ALWAYS!!!!

[CharlieRay]

We have so many excuses why we can't go. I have not heard one that doesn't sound just like that, an excuse. It's just a waste of space on a blog. Let's try no excuse unless it health reasons. We travel 78 miles each way for the whole season and don't expect a medal. We only want a win and some fans to help us cheer on the Rays. Come on guys and gals. Come have some fun. No better way to spend a day or night.

[Brent]

Chad just hit the nail on the head. I have little to add, but to challenge Tampa fans to try getting to an Angels game in Anaheim or a Cubs game in Chicago. Those fans don't mind an hour-plus drive. I mean, come on, the interstate goes right to the ballpark here! You guys don't know how good you have it, and your excuses ring hollow. If you were real baseball fans, you'd be at the games. You don't know what you're missing.

[Brent]

Chad just hit the nail on the head. I have little to add, but to challenge Tampa fans to try getting to an Angels game in Anaheim or a Cubs game in Chicago. Those fans don't mind an hour-plus drive. I mean, come on, the interstate goes right to the ballpark here! You guys don't know how good you have it, and your excuses ring hollow. If you were real baseball fans, you'd be at the games. You don't know what you're missing.

[Powerage]

Great to see a sellout, even though I can't be there, I'll be in TIA waiting for a flight. The Rays are a fun team to watch and the atmosphere should be super. And too bad I have to miss Trace Adkins.

[Chad]

Why is it that when the Lightning played in St. Pete, these same Tampa fans that won't go see the Rays because of this and that had no problem showing up for those games? They had to drive over the same bridge, down the same interstate and park in the same locations. They played in the same dome!! Yet there were never any complaints by *Tampa* fans then. You all showed up in huge numbers on a regular basis.

You think Tampa Bay is the only sports area in the country where people have to drive and have trouble parking and have high prices? The Rays have some of the lowest prices in MLB by the way. Stop whining about driving and other false excuses and support your team.

Or don't support them and continue to support your precious Yankees. Just stop whining.

[Will Ferrell]

This thread needs more cowbell.

[Tom]

Get off your high horse, Julie. I don't like country music also but don't belittle others for their taste.

[MLNFL]

No Rays on the tube tonight and the game is sold out! Tried to get some tics on Thurs. but with no luck. Congrats to the 30,000 or so that got in. They will get to watch history being made not only for the Rays and
St. Pete but maybe one of the greatest
achievements ever in Major League Baseball.

[MLNFL]

No Rays on the tube tonight and the game is sold out! Tried to get some tics on Thurs. but with no luck. Congrats to the 30,000 or so that got in. They will get to watch history being made not only for the Rays and
St. Pete but maybe one of the greatest
achievements ever in Major League Baseball.

[jeff]

ROCKN' WITH KAZMIR

[jeff]

ROCKN' WITH KAZMIR

[Tony and Angie]

Me and Angie are the Rays Public Service Announcers and we think the Rays and especially this season, are the best thing since sliced bread (for those of you who are old enough to remember that!!!-like we are) Go Rays!!!

[Aaron]

Can everyone stop their crying and complaining! People in St. Pete don't complain about going to Lightning or Bucs game. Art how does it take 4-5 hours to travel? Exaggerate much?

[Brad M]

Rays are having an excellant season,lets all support them and hopefull only the best things will come to them and the fans this year!

[Bodog]

Art, I've read a ton of excuses about why people don't or won't come to a Rays Game. I'm gonna tell ya, WE RAYS FANS, all 12, 13, or 14 thousand, whatever the number might be, will be in the stands clanging cowbells, yelling and doing whatever it takes to help OUR TEAM WIN THE GAME. You aren't the only disabled person that attends a game and you probably aren't the only one that has to drive from Wesley Chapel whether you are disable or not.

[Art]

I know there's some debate as to the fans and why they are or aren't coming to the games. In an answer to that I can give you the reason *I* don't go, and though I can't speak for them, I'm sure I'm not alone in my reasoning. You see, I live in Wesley Chapel. Anything on the other side of the Howard Frankland is an hour drive to me. The VAST MAJORITY of the Tampa/St. Pete population is on the TAMPA side of the bridges and then the stadium is JUST OVER the bridges at that. You have to drive an extra 10-15 minutes, then 15 minutes for parking, then 15 minutes to get to the park (I'm badly disabled). It's not exactly a place built for tailgating, so there's no reason to get there early, so basically we're talking 4 hours to 5 hours of time to see a LOCAL 2-3 hour ballgame. I can get to the RayJay AND park AND get in, in under 45 minutes. And yet you wonder why I'll go to football and not the Rays, even though I'm more of a baseball fan than football? I'm not going to travel 4 to 5 hours in a day to watch a ballgame. I didn't even have to do that, living 40 miles away from Shea in NY. The whole location, Park situation, Parking situation, etc... make it a team I'll never go see in person. I'm a fan. But I'll never go watch a game as long as I live on this side of the bridge (and in North New Tampa at that)

[Einhard]

Read the post, Daniel. The sellout is announced for tomorrow's game, not tonight's. Nobody is lying. Apparently you hope someone is so you can revive the now dead argument that the current ownership is untrustworthy.

[Daniel]

According to AP writer Fred Goodall, "A crowd of 14,679 saw the Rays win a matchup of division leaders". Since when is 14K a sellout in the trop? So who is lying? Why is a sellout being announced when only 14K are in the stands? An earlier blog said there were plenty of empty seats. I bet when this is mentioned on SportsCenter, they mention the AP's numbers instead of the "team's" numbers. SportsCenter has been leading Ray's recaps with attendence numbers. How embarrassing!!!
I wish I was in town to see the games.

[Mark]

Good job Tampa/St. Pete residents. Now how about a sellout that isn't on the same night as a concert? We all know that's why it's sold out because there were 30,000 last Saturday for the Commodores.

Nevertheless, a sellout is a sellout, so I can't complain too much, although I know that I shouldn't complain at all. Unfortunately the game isn't televised so I won't get to see a person in every seat...

Match tomorrow night with a win, and we'll be sitting in first place going into June.

[the clown]

Hey Julie your there to see the game you clown The concert is after the game. Hence you dont have to watch a country show.... Get a clue and quit complaining your better off at your grey haired event anyways.....yank

[Julie Clone]

Is there any doubt we live in Gooberville? Here come the hicks....
This will be the first Saturday night game I SKIP because Country Music gives me HIVES.
I'm going to the Florida Orchestra down at the Mahaffey instead....