Giving fans a winning team not enough in Tampa Bay
Baseball is thriving, even in these tough economic times. But that doesn't mean it's all prime rib and champagne on every table in Bud Selig's little empire.
That became clear this week when the defending world champion Phillies visited the Tampa Bay Rays in a rematch of the World Series and Tropicana Field was only half-full.
A couple of disclaimers: Obviously, these games aren't as important as the ones that were played last October. And there's nothing more distasteful than teams whining about lack of fan support as though fans are obliged to come out and spend money at the ballpark. They're not.
But . . .
The Rays are an exciting young team. They have a lot of really good players. In a few years, they're going to be an exciting, slightly older team. Which means those good players are going to be able to command a lot more money than they're making now. And the revenue to pay them has to come from somewhere.
That's what made the sub-20,000 crowds for this series a little troubling for the people who run the franchise.
Team president Matt Silverman told the St. Petersburg Times that those attendance numbers "give us pause, and make us question how quickly we can get this ramped up. It makes us question whether we have the firepower to keep this team compelling and competitive . . .
"We're not shooting for the moon. We don't expect to be a top-five team in attendance. But when we're near the bottom of the major leagues in attendance on a night with a special matchup, it shows how far away we are from the league average. It just doesn't feel good."
Because of the Phillies' long ties to the Tampa Bay area, the Rays had projected sellouts for the series. "It's a huge miss," Silverman said.
It's worth noting that the franchise's history before last season was pretty much unrelieved futility. And that while air conditioning is a nice perk in an area where summer heat can be oppressive, Tropicana Field is hardly a great venue to watch a ballgame.
At the same time, the people who run this team can't change the past, control the weather or build a new stadium on their own. What they can do is put a compelling product on the field.
They've done that. At the moment, it doesn't seem to be enough.
The hot corner
-- The Indians will reportedly meet soon to discuss manager Eric Wedge's future. And Yankees manager Joe Girardi is feeling some heat after the team lost nine of 13 before beating the Braves on Wednesday. "I know the drill here," Girardi shrugged."You win or you go home."
-- Brewers general manager Doug Melvin traded top prospect Matt LaPorta to get CC Sabathia last July, but said he's unlikely to part with third baseman Mat Gamel or shortstop Alicedes Escobar this year.
-- The Giants have talked about promoting catcher Butch Posey, their best prospect, directly from Double A to the majors. But manager Brian Sabean insists the plan is to leave Posey in the minors all year.
Cheers
For the Los Angeles Dodgers. No Manny? No problem. The Dodgers have the best record in baseball even though their biggest name has been serving a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's steroid policy.
