I had a blast taking my 11 yr old son and his friend to the game on Sunday, I was working Monday.  I can tell you something, to see those guys in action and really playing hard and giving 100% is paying off.

We were going to go to MOSI and then to a movie, but instead, going to a good old fashion ball game, with hotdogs, crackerjacks, and coke was by all means the best day ever. It brought back a lot of old memories when I use to go to baseball games as a kid, and I can tell you after Sunday afternoon, it will be a tradition that I want to do with my son and his friends.

Baseball is America, get out there and get in the game with you own kids one afternoon!

I have been a Rays fan since I moved to this area in 1993.  I go to about 3-4 games per year.  Now that money is tight this was not a good year to start charging for parking again (vehicles with less than 4 people).  I will be at Saturday night's game.  I watch to see what the give away is.  If it is anything that kids will use to make noise or annoy real fans I don't go to that game.

I agree, the main reason we do not attend alot of games is that money has gotten tighter this year.  My son LOVES the Rays and he would go to every game if he could.  Our whole family are Rays fans but we support them mainly from our couch. We went opening day and about 3 games since then, but a family of 5 is not a cheap family even when we plan to go to a Rays game.  Bringing in our own food helps alot too.   I am sure we will go to at least 2-3 more games before the season ends though.

I have been cheering on the Rays since there was not much to cheer for and I resent the fact that now that they are coming into their own, there is no support for those of us who stuck with them through the trying years!  I have been to a  half dozen games this year and will attend more, but it is extremely difficult after work to battle traffic and the mess at the parking lot to attend during the week.  And now they want to move the stadium farther away?!

St. Pete is a bush league city incapable of supporting a team. Tampa has a few hundred thousand kids who have never been to the Trop, but if the stadium were in Tampa they would be semi-regular fans. If Monday's game would have been in Tampa, the place would have been packed! The owners want to build a new stadium, which they still won't sell out regularly in St. Pete. They could build in the Plant City area and draw 4 times as many fans, make beaucoup more millions of dollars, yet they don't make a move. Why do the owners want to stay in St. Pete and lose money??? Rays fans are being Culverhoused, and before spending millions St. Pete needs to ask themselves why the owners are rejecting millions in profits while draining the coffers of their city.

Maybe the cost of gas has something to do with it, in addition to location.

How about making the Memorial Day game at noon instead of at 7:10, when all of the fans had  a long weekend. Also, how about putting the stadium in Tampa next to the Ice Palace?

Hey, 10 years of garbage ball, and we get 2 solid months and some folks are saying "where is enryone"?  It'll take a pennant race to really get things charged up.  The stadium being in St. Pete is an excuse, not a reason.  I have a far more difficult drive going from northern Pinellas to downtown St. Pete than someone who is coming from New Tampa or Lakeland, so anyone saying they have too long a drive is full of it.  Folks saying that sort of thing want OTHERS to go, but truly they don't care to.  Fans in other cities have far worse traffic, parking, and stadium location woes than the Rays do in St. Pete.

Floyd - you truly think Tampa is that much better of a sports town?  Come on, man.  This area is loaded with folks who refuse to give up on their old allegiances, and that is not confined to any one town, city or county.  And if I recall, the Bucs and Lightning drew flies until they started to win.  Give it time, folks.  If the Rays continue to play like they have the crowds will start to grow.  If they get into the playoffs the Trop will be packed.

Also, I recall some decent crowds at the Trop in that brief time in the middle of the 2004 season when the Rays had a very good sustained run, and ended up a bit over .500 halfway through the season.  That was after a run that was something like 32-12 and in July.  Let's see the current run continue, and withold judgement on attendence until maybe August.  If the crowds still stink then, and the Rays are still playing good, then we can fairly say we have a fan base problem.

the rays such be in tampa more fan. ll go to game

I have resided in this area for 25 years and have always heard the same old story "Tampa is a sports town and will support any sport, look what happened when the Bucs started winning"..Well, people don't understand that there is no comparison between a sport that has EIGHT (8) regular season home games and baseball which has EIGHTY ONE (81) regular home games. Also, the "market" is up north this time of year and here during football season. Regardless the product on the field, which is finally a very good product, I firmly believe Florida will never support a baseball team with high attendance. The Marlins, also in 1st place are certainly an example and remember when they won everything, the attendance was pitiful. Numerous TV broadcasts and high fuel add to the problem but are not the main areas of concern. There is no market in Florida for high attendance at baseball games.

The worst thing the Rays management did was to start charging for parking and adding $2.00 extra to the price of tickets if you purchase them 5 hours prior to the game. Come on guys, in times like today with gas so outragious the worse thing to do is add additional costs. Don't think of using Ticketmaster, they add the cost of an additional ticket for service charges. The smart thing, stay home and watch the game on TV.

Disposable Dollars.  For me that says it all.  With the upsurge in the price of just about everything from buying groceries to just putting enough gas in the car to get to work and back, I'm really limited in the amount of money my family can put toward entertainment.  Until this year, my wife and I have always driven across the bay and attended a number of Rays games.  I'm not sure I'll be able to make a single game this year; and I REALLY hate it.  I love going to the Trop, even when they lose. And now, after all these years we have a winner and as much as we hate it, we just can't afford to go.  It's a simple matter of;  Do I put food on the table or go to a ball game?

I am Curious Al and Tom, how many of your fellow ABC workforce was there at a weds. matinee game? Tom as I came in at 6:10 pm. I caught your broadcast and statements regarding the poor attendance, what are you thinking? Myself and many others are out helping the economy by working all day just to pay the bills. I take your tone as a insult, I am sorry I can not line the player pockets with extra dough by leaving my responsibilites at the front door of the Trop, sorry kids on goodies for dinner, I went to the matinee ball game. It is so clear by Al's statements and yours that you dont have a pulse on the surrounding economic issues affecting your viewers. I suppose that is (1) of many reasons why never tune into your news broadcast. My wife must have had your channel on by mistake. Get real gentlemen, step out of your shoes and look thru somebody elses world, for many its a little grim. Good luck to the RAYS, we do support them as best as we can.

For myself, it has nothing to do with the price.  Althought I do think paying more for parking than the ticket is a bit much.  

I have been going to the games for years.  I am a 20 game (weekendplan ) season ticket holder and I will probably go to another 5 - 10 weekend games.  I think it is unfair to expect attendance to go up for the weekday games when most people work Monday through Friday.  And if you have young kids, it's even worse.  I live in Tampa which means getting home from a game around 11:30 or worse if they go extra innings.  And I absolutely refuse to leave a game before the final out.  

I heard from my Rays sales rep that they are offering a new 6 game pick-a-game plan.   If anybody is interested, their main number is 727 825 3137

people in Tampa wont go to St Pete, but people from St Pete go to Tampa

(see lightning, Bucs)  why is that?  People who complain about the parking, traffice, etc at the Trop have obviously never been to a game a Wrigley Field or Fenway!

Come on people, appreciate what we have here before we lose it!