* For what it’s worth, both the Miami Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays, as expected, sold out their opening games. Once the tradition and hipness of opening day had passed, however, reality set in. By game three, the announced crowds in Miami and St. Petersburg were 13,442 and 17,838, respectively. By game four, the numbers were 10,428 and 14,256. And that 10,428 at Marlins Park was the lowest in the facility’s history.
For the Rays, a new stadium–in a different part of the market–is the last chance to get this right. For the Marlins, a new stadium–in the same part of the market–hasn’t been nearly enough.