The Rays’ ownership and front office continue to be nonplussed by attendance, notably that three-game “World Series Rematch” with the Philadelphia Phillies that averaged less than 20,000. Here’s a possible rationale.
Start with the daily double: St. Petersburg’s Trop, among the worst facilities in Major League Baseball, is also poorly located in an asymmetrical market with no mass transit. Then add the region’s lack of corporate headquarters, which is the typical life blood of season tickets, as well as sponsorship deals. Then throw in history. Baseball is part of the social fabric of traditional markets such as Philadelphia. The game is generational and attendance is not driven solely by on-field success.
In contrast, Tampa Bay’s history is spring training, which means inexpensive, tourist-skewed, relatively intimate gatherings. It’s a diversion.
And then it ends in time for summer, when big league clubs head north, and locals turn to a lifestyle that many relocated here to enjoy. And baseball isn’t a big part of that. We’re talking golf, tennis, fishing, boating, swimming and retreating to the Carolinas. In short, there are better things to do in the summer around here than go to a baseball game.