Tipped off
They’re no longer cute.
Still, despite the fact that the Tampa Bay Rays have transformed from annual also-ran to fierce and legitimate contender in the American League East, in no way can we consider Tampa, the Bay, St. Petersburg, or wherever residents want to demand the team be called home, a baseball town altered for the times in its midst.
Case in point: In today’s Tampa Tribune: “10 tips for new Rays fans.” That’s one for every year of irrelevance.
You’ve got to love a baseball town where the local paper has to urge you to “Purchase Rays gear,” and “Learn the fight song,” which apparently goes, “Feel [pause] the Heat [pause] Rays."
Uh-huh.
Among some of the other things we learn:
- Only new “Rays” gear is acceptable (the pro shop thanks the Tampa Tribune for their kindness).
- No fishing in the Rays tank.
- The Rays’ mascot is furry and blue.
- It’s Evan, not Eva Longoria.
- Hey. Free pizza and donuts.
Reading this will make you take back every “alternative” hat comment you’ve ever made. It obviously could be worse pink-hat-haters. You could be stuck in Tampa.
The fact that a team’s hometown paper feels the need to print these instructions has to be an utter embarrassment to hard-core Rays fans across the country, those 11 or 12 dedicated folks who’ve stuck day-in, day-out with the former Devils. No disrespect to the Rays, who indeed are the most exciting story to come out of this 2008 baseball season thus far. But this list of Tampa Commandments doesn’t exactly help ease the perception that baseball doesn’t belong there.
The last time the Rays played at home, they drew just 19,778 for a Sunday afternoon contest against the Astros. This is, again, a team that has managed to stay within striking distance of first place, even overtaking it from the Red Sox yesterday. And fewer than 20,000 bother to show up to watch. Rays fever, baby.
This is, of course, the latest in a season that the Rays have visited first place in the AL East, a destination once thought more mythical in Florida than Ponce de León’s ultimate quest. And yet, there are the Rays, 28th out of 30 baseball teams in home attendance with an average of 19,915, dead-last in the American League. If it weren't for series against the Yankees and Red Sox, imagine how much worse it might be.
Thus, I suppose, the embarrassingly necessary need for 10 tips.
Look, we like the Rays. A lot. The longer they continue to stick around, the more intrigued we become about their prospects for the second half of the season and, yes, October. Scott Kazmir gets little mention for some reason when we’re talking about the best pitcher in the game, even though he very well might be. Longoria is leaps and bounds ahead of Jacoby Ellsbury when it comes to deciphering Rookie of the Year candidacy. And if Joe Maddon isn’t unanimous AL Manager of the Year, it’s only because of George King’s automatic vote for Joe Girardi.
But if there has ever been a more yahoo band of baseball fans, we’ve yet to see it. Those that pack (to use a term lightly) the Trop on a nightly basis are the sort of fans that scoreboards telling you to cheer, Thunderstix, rally monkeys, and Sox Appeal were made for. These are the fans that actually LIKE that stuff, which means it’s safe for us to blame our misfortune of dealing with it all on their misguided preferences. Thanks for playing, Tampa.
And yet, just think, if the Rays somehow find a way to win the World Series, Tampa will join Boston with three titles in three different sports this decade. When the city celebrated it’s hockey championship, did you ever think anything else would seem as out of place?
Tampa is making a run for it with the Rays, who keep winning despite a fan base doing its best to show that it simply doesn’t care.
The fact the Rays are putting out a competitive, major-league product is VERY good for baseball. I can't see anything worth mocking here.
Let the bandwagon grow a real fan base. What 1967 did for us, 2008 can do for them.
You mentioned thunderstix...Unfortunately, Rays fans make noise with something worse--Cowbells. Last time the Sox went to St Pete it was cowbell giveaway weekend. All Rays fans got one of their own little noisemakers. I guess it didn't matter to Rays officials who announce rules before the game including a prohibition against artificial noisemakers.
Maybe if the Rays show a commitment to winning, the fans will show up. After ten years of futility, it might take more than three months of good baseball to get people too excited about them. Having a strong 2008 would be a good start. Building on that going forward would help. Making a trade right now for a big name player would go a long way towards showing the fans that the Rays actually mean it, too.
Of course, once the fans start showing up, you'll start hearing the criticisms about them being bandwagon jumpers. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
I hate the Devli Rays and all their fans. And yes I called them Devil Rays. I was in Tampa for the final games of the 2003 season and they were the most obnoxious fans I've seen. And I've been to Yankee Stadium.
The same is true on the other side of the state where the Marlins play. No one goes to those games either. Only the Yankees and Red Sox draw when they have inter-league games, other than that the place is usually empty just like the Trop.
From a lifelong Tampa Native to Red Sox nation:
1. If Tampa Bay is, as the author states, "not a baseball town" then why is it droves of MLB teams spring train in the very same area the Rays call home? Face it Sox Fans, barring the '86 Buckner boot, hardly anyone in Red Sox nation showed up either until Papi, Pedro, Damon and the rest of your knuckleheads showed up. Tampa Bay has just as long of a baseball history as Beantown, with Ruth, Williams, Gehris, Musial, and more playing here every Spring.
2. As a Tampa Native, nothing angers me more than to go to Rays games against the Yankees and Red Sox and see your arrogant loud mouthed fans spouting off. The issue with Tampa Bay is that the large majority of the people housed in Tampa Bay are from New York, Mass, and the rest of the frozen tundra north. That demographic is changing however with more and more citizens being born and raised here. With the Rays winning, for the first time in ten years, and with a good owner for the first time in Rays history, attendance is up and climbing each game.
3. Just think Beantown, with a $200 million payroll, you can't best our $40 million payroll. Isn't that pathetic? Perhaps you should unload all those OVERPAID primadonnas and build the Rays way.
4. Before hubris gets too much out of you Bean Sprouts, remember until a 2004, it had been a much longer time that Bloody Sock Nation had to wait than even our 10 years of futility. After this series is concluded, I look forward to shipping all of you a slice of Florida Humble Pie.
5. Just remember Mass Holes, Red Sox nation had 100 years to grow, we have had 10, and you better believe you are going to see a WHOLE LOT MORE OF THESE RAYS, for many more years to come.
HOOOO-Rays
Any chance we can bring Izzy Alcantera back to the majors for the Rays series? A couple of well-aimed karate kicks, and we'll be back in possession of first place!
If you want me to take the Rays seriously, they need to make a payroll-adding move at the deadline to add an impact player. You know the Sox will.
I grew up in Boston and remember many games when the Sox stunk and drew 12,000 in the early 70s. That was with 90 years of baseball history, no internet, cable TV, 24 screen movie theatres, and a shopping mall every other block to distract fans. It was the Red Sox or stay home and baseball fans stayed home by the thousands!
So give it a rest picking on Rays fans, who have only been around for ten years!
I live in Tampa now, and root for the Rays because it's my home town. They play exciting baseball, much like the 1967 Red Sox. The fan base is growing. Our attendance is up 42% over last year.
It will be a pleasure representing the American league in the World Series this season!
I agree with J-Bone. If the Rays somehow found a way, hypothetically, to turn their franchise into a money maker via creative marketing, would all of the new fans be bandwagon jumpers? I am all for supply and demand. If the "Pink Hats" can afford to buy expensive tickets and increase revenue for the Sox, in return the Sox can continue to spend more money on talent, or sometimes to bury mistakes, so be it.
Going to Fenway was a big part of my childhood, and the Sox still are a big part of my life, but I do not remember any World Series victories pre the pink hat days. Is it perfect, no. But, I will take the victories, being a little annoyed by the pink hats, versus still complaining about how the Sox cannot beat the Yankees. I relished this agony in my youth, but the pink hats symbolize capitalistic progress by Henry and company. Weren't people who were anti-Capitalism called Pinkos? Ironic?
As the Devil Rays they were ocean bottom feeding boneless creatures. As Rays they are a well known cause of cancer when over exposed. Some baseball franchises have highs and lows. This franchise will always be the worst.
From a Tampa Bay Native to Red Sox Nation:
Hey,,,Chowdaheads, don't like the Rays in first place? Deal with it, your days of hubris are at an end. Your sports columnist is an absolute baffoon. He doesn't know the first thing about Tampa Bay. So allow me to enlighten you egomaniacal Bean Sprouts.
1. Tampa Bay has just as long of a Baseball history as you Clambakes, Ruth, Williams, Cobb, Gehrig all played in the Tampa Bay area every year are history runs nearly 100 years as well.
2. We hate nothing more than you Beansprouts and your big brother in New York bringing your pompous arrogant fans here to our area. Tonight, and from this moment forward, Red Sox Nation needs to get used to looking up at Tampa Bay's Rays. You had a 100 year head start, but Rays Nation is here.
3. It takes $200 million to field your group of underacheivers, it takes us $40 million to field a TRUE TEAM of 25 players. Vintage:Rays
4. I look forward to telling your Chowdacrowds to welcome to Tampa tonight, where winning will happen more than twice every 86 years.
HOOOOOO-RAYS! LATER SPROUTS, I AM OUT!
Mark -- did the scoreboard ever call for More Cowbell? Because, let's face it, that would almost make it all worthwhile.
A little slack here Wilbur. Tampa has a pretty serious disadvantage when it comes to attracting baseball fans. I agree with the first comment that building a fan base on a 10 year old team in this age of NASCAR-commercialism-gone-wild is impossible without consistently putting up wins. And it sure is hard to put up wins without major revenue to pay for big name players like in NY, LA, and Boston. So, winning is the precursor to a fan base (because it takes a bandwagon to get some people to "remember" the teams winning history). A fanbase is a precursor to sustained winning with high-dollar payrolls.
So big credit goes to the current Rays organization for making it work so far without a big fan base, in the AL east no less! And lets hope they can keep up being competitive (and aren't forced to trade off their best players--I don't want any of the starters to end up on the Yanks!).
Remember, tradition has to start somewhere. Can't wait to watch this series! Thanks to the Globe for putting forth lots of effort to giving this series the attention it deserves. Its refreshing to say the least, and I am not looking forward to hearing about the old Yankee-Sox rivalry re-hash (snore...). Bring on the Rays!
Maybe Mr. Wilbur should be more clear in his definition of "baseball town."
There are more major leaguers on active rosters from the tampa bay area than any other city in the US. The roster of major leaguers who grew up in and around Tampa dwarfs the number from the entire New England region. The kids in the inner city in Tampa play baseball...Gooden, Sheffield, McGriff, etc. When is the last time a kid in the projects in Boston chose baseball over other sports? Ask any New England high school player who has been down for a spring tournament and been beaten by 10 runs per game by third-tier tampa high school programs. Go to the little league fields, high school fields, winter ball fields and see the involvement. Black teams, hispanic teams, white teams, urban teams, suburban teams. Everyone playing baseball. People may not have chosen to go see a crappy team in a horrendous stadium for the past 10 yrs, but there is a sports world beyond the professional one. Something that condescending "red sox nation" bloggers should perhaps remember when writing their derisive, condescending, lowest common denominator, hack journalism blog posts.
As one of these "new" Rays fans that you are apparently so jealous over, I'll spare you the angry fan comments. Just some things to consider: Boston and the New England area in general draw from a much larger fan base, many of those people being from several generations living in the same area. The Tampa Bay sports market is much smaller and much newer, and built of many transplants from other areas of the country that cheer for other teams. Yet you feel the need to implicitly mock the new fans and the city in general?
It must be nice on that pedestal built on the Patriots, Celtics, and Sox. Just remember the days when your teams weren't winning and remember how good it felt to suddenly turn around. In the specific case of the Rays, this is the first time that's ever happened, and you know what, it just might take some time for it to catch.
As a Red Sox fan, I'm ashamed to be associated with this column. It is, once again, a tired attempt by the author to dredge up something negative to complain about during a time of great success. Regardless of how Tampa is run as an organization, it's easy for a Red Sox fan to look down at every team but the Yankees and sneer. I'm happy, for once, that there's a team besides the Yankees to compete with. It's good for baseball. Bloggers like Wilbur, on the other hand, are not.
Ah, give it a rest, Eric.
We have our morons in Boston too. Let them have a few more years of history before making these statements.
75% of the current Rays fans are bandwagon members, without a doubt. I bet 1 out of 2 rays fans don't know who was the Catcher on the team 3 years ago. So for the Rays fans to say a lot of Sox fans are bandwagoners, well, the Rays fans don't have far to look to see a fellow jumper next to them. Tampa will stumble in the next month. Injuries will start to hit them, long road trips yet to come for them, and there is still 80 games left in the season!!!! So for all these Rays fans to start declaring they will win anything, they are wrong.
As a lifelong Red Sox fan, it is not as embarrassing as it is tiresome to read Wilbur's blog. He is in the business of entertainment, and he is, to a certain audience, entertaining, offering an adolescent, uninformed, radio-talk-show-offensive and often critical view of various topics in the sports world. If he offered up insightful comments that praised appropriately and offered constructive criticism when due, then he would be writing for the Wall Street Journal. Similar to his oft-bitter colleague Shaughnessy, he offers appeal to many for whom he offers a catharsis 'against the (sports) world'. It is too bad that he can not see a real story -- the Rays rise this year with no one star and a darn good manager -- and write a positive, uplifting, and enlivening piece that would inspire rather than anger. Eric, I used to find some of your earlier pieces funny; they have morphed into sarcastic and mean-spirited diatribes of late. As I am sure you aspire to be a good writer, do what one would do: Go back and look at some of your earlier work. Find your old 'stance', and try to return to it.
Funny how people are willing to throw the Rays a bone for only being 10 years old.
Guess who else is only 10 years old and is a very solid franchise with one of the most memorable world championships of recent memory under their belt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamondbacks
What about another memorable championship run by a franchise that was 4 years old at the time? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Marlins ...also noteworthy for having added a second championship.
2008 Rays- great 1st half story. Good looking young talent. Will they build a head of steam leading to playoff success? Remains to be seen.
How are Rays fans comparing the Sox title drought to their ten years of futility? They're not the same. The Sox didn't win the World Series for 86 years, but they weren't coming in last every year, they weren't drawing less fans than every other team. They were winning the pennant and losing in the World Series or losing out to the Yankees. There's a difference between not winning the championship and being out of your league.
The Rays look great this year and my hat's off to them, but we're only at the midway point. It's not quite time for their fans to be acting as if our dynasty is crumbling.
What an arrogant little sh*t. I hate you and all the stupid bo sox fans I've ever met. How many championships have you won in the last 100 yrs.?...now how much $$$ have you spent trying to do it...alot huh? Read your own letter and puke those sour grapes out of your , way, way too big a mouth. Carpetbagger bostonian. I hate all of you yankees. Do yourself and all of the South a favor and stay up there where you belong. We don't want you, and you got nothing we need. You can't win with grace and you lose without it too. You are cheap. You all are cheap fans. You have a bigger,richer fanbase and tradition....so shut-up about it already. Bet you can't tell me one thing Ted Williams did without looking it up. The best football,baseball is taught down here. Shove your hat up your....
Wilbur, you're one bitter a$$ dude...what's in the water in boston? Get a life.
Geez Wilbur, nothing positive to write about so you have to resort to ragging Rays fan. I see a pulitzer in your future.
72-90 10,014 1966
92-70 21,331 1967
These are Boston's W-L and attendance figures from 1966 (9th in AL) and 1967, the Impossible Dream season. Clearly, even the *amazing* Boston fans can only handle so much losing yet also respond favorably to success. Looks like every team is kinda the same. Point being, Sox fans are not special. They're just like everybody else. We might be having our first magical season too. Enjoy it Tampa Bay! Go Rays!
And what's with the cheap shot on our new glam metal Feel The Heat tune? It rocks! And don't y'all listen to Sweet Caroline for the 7th inning stretch? I don't know any way that that could be construed as cool. You might want to just pack that one away.
You have to be a pretty big sh*thead to tee off on us after what we have gone through as a fanbase for a decade. Grow up.
The Tampa Bay area is soaked in baseball tradition. First, more major league baseball players come from this area than most. This has been a major league baseball pipeline for over 120 years. Just to name a few players off the top of my head...
Derek Bell
Steve Garvey
Dwight Gooden
Tony LaRussa
Al Lopez
Tino Martinez
Fred McGriff
Tyler Clippard
Mike Rabelo
Lou Piniella
Gary Sheffield
Casey Kotchman
Mike Shenk
Louis DeRosa
Luis Gonzalez
Brad Radke
We know how to play baseball here. Not only that, there has been spring training in this state, which started in Tampa and St. Petersburg when the Cubs, Browns, and Yankees decided to make this area home, since the turn of the century. Florida, Florida State, and Miami are top notch baseball programs with mostly home grown talent.
By the way, when the Sox sucked in the mid-1960's, you drew...
1962 -9,164
1963 -11,710
1964 - 10,905
1965 - 8,052
1966 - 10,014
Of course you had they worst team in baseball back then. Even 10 years ago you were drawing 10,000 less fans than you draw today. I respect Boston, I respect the tradition of Red Sox Baseball. I just do not appreciate bullcrap like this. We have endured 10 years of losing, give us some respect here. The Rays could be the next '69 Mets or 1991 Braves, and may be able to build a fanbase like those clubs did after years of horrible attendance.
As a long time Sox fan who now lives in VA, we visited friends in the Tampa area and took in Monday's game at the Trop. A real nice physical complex, great place for a fan to watch a game, affordable (unlike Fenway!), and a great competitive game.
However, we won't be back. Why? It's been a while (early 70s) since my grandmother took my brother and I to a week's worth of games at Fenway. But fan behavior is beyond troubling. It's obnoxious and physically threatening. I watched numerous instances of Sox fans being verbally abused (got it, you wear the shirt, take the heat, "this is our house") but when the 30's something went after the 60's something fellow right after the game and shoved him down the stadium steps and the security folks did basically nothing, that was enough for me.
I understand this used to be "Fenway South" and a lot of Tampa fans don't like that. And it has been a while for me to "experience" the "real thing". But if this is what it is like in Tampa, or in every baseball park in America, I'll stick with "Extra Innings".
So, Sox fans, if you are heading to Florida to take in a Rays game, beware, the situation on the ground has changed. The place is packed, the traffic after the game horrendous (not used to dealing with large crowds, I guess), and the natives are way less than friendly. And don't expect any help from the security folks if you are wearing a Boston logo.
The team has been in existence for 10 years.....THAT'S 10 years. Multiply that by 8, and you still have a Red Sox World Series drought longer than that.
What is it with the instant gratification all of the sudden. Florida has only recently experienced a population boom in the last 30 or so years (many people of which have run screaming from Taxachusetts). Give the baseball market time to grow. We allowed the Red Sox 80+ years of embarrasing baseball moments (Babe Ruth, Bucky Dent, Bill Buckner) etc.
The only reason you feel this need to criticize is you finally got the World Series monkey off your back.
Andrew S.,
Please also take note that the Arizona Diamondbacks are in a ton of debt, and owes Major League Baseball some $$. They over extended themselves, and are not a model franchise if you conisder the dollars side of running a business. If the Diamondbacks were a regular brick and mortar company, they would have shut down years ago.
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
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