The Trop has some fan-friendly features like a pretty cool soaring atrium and the live ray tank in center field. But it’s tucked away in downtown St. Petersburg and it’s just too far from where most Tampa Bay folks live.

Mike Harrington — buffalonews.com

Most?  I just wish I knew how many times Mike Harrington has been to Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, and the Trop.  And then there’s this:

Ownership has actually lowered ticket prices, improved concession offerings and — get this — provided free parking, but the Rays still languish 24th in attendance, entering the weekend at 21,896 per game.

Note to Mr. Harrington, the free parking was a few years ago.  It has nothing to do with this year’s per game average.  I paid $20 today to park.  That’s not free.  Now, I know there’s still some free parking going on.  But, associating free parking with this year’s attendance is misleading.  But wait, there’s more from Buffalo…

To get to downtown St. Pete from Tampa, you have to travel over the traffic-choked Howard Frankland Bridge, a 10-mile trip across the bay. It’s quite scenic to an outsider but it’s the bane of your existence if you’re a local…

Seriously?  I don’t travel it much.  But, for me, it’s not the bridge that’s the problem.  It’s something on the Tampa roadways that trap people on the bridge that often causes the problem.  Hence, the problem with a Tampa stadium location. 

And, Mr. Harrington didn’t really put this all together.  But, the bridge goes both directions.  In the evenings, it’s more likely that the choke is eastbound, not westbound.  Assuming baseball’s success in Tampa Bay depends on fans from both sides of the bay, the “traffic-choked” bridge will always be a problem for someone.

Perhaps this isn’t a baseball market.  Perhaps the Tampa residents are too pig-headed to support a St. Petersburg-based team.  And, vice versa.  Whatever.  But, there are many factors that are impacting attendance. 

With the Rays’ bats slumping in recent weeks, the attention is definitely on the Rays starting pitching rotation.  Paul White of USA Today wrote about the staff, calling them the “Five-armed Monster”.

Quoting Indians manager Manny Acta:

“Pitching rules.  They’re in first place because of their pitching.”

So, how did the Rays develop such a strong rotation?  Five starters, all doing well with Jeremy Hellickson waiting in the wings.  Quite frankly Rays General Manager Andrew Friedman isn’t saying: 

“There are certain attributes we like in pitchers.  Beyond that, it’s none of your business. Sorry, I was trying to think of a polite way to say that.”

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The Fort Worth Star-Telegram passed out more high praise on the Rays’ starting pitching staff, noting that Wade Davis is the only starter with an ERA over 3.00.  And, the team ERA of 3.04 more than a half-run better than the next-best team, Seattle, who sits at 3.72.

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Frank Fitzpatrick takes a parting swipe at Pat Burrell in the Philadelphia Inquirer:

“We know as starters that we have to take the pressure off our bullpen.  It’s not something we obsess over, but I think we approach it like everybody needs to do what they’re capable of doing every time they take the mound. If everybody does that, things will take care of themselves.’’

Also within the piece is the obligatory Carl Crawford is a free-agent after this season reference.  Carl’s response:

“I’m definitely happy and thankful to be back.  It’s been fun so far. I like it. It’s definitely different than what I’m used to, but it is all worthwhile.”

Despite a shoulder injury that hinders his throwing, Rocco continues to be active.  When the Rays are at home, he’s with the big league club, working out and taking batting practice. 

“I still feel like I’m pretty young.  I don’t feel like I should be done playing. But, that being said, I have to get my arm feeling better first and see where I am at that point. Yeah, I would love to be back out there.”

There’s a school of thought that he could be a fall-back alternative if Pat Burrell continues to struggle.  For me, at worst, I’d love to see Rocco added to the roster on September 1.   

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The New York Post’s Bill Madden quoted an AL Executive’s pre-season assessment of the Rays:

“The Rays have so much talent, all those high-ceiling, high-draft choice guys. If they ever all put it together at the same time, they could be awesome. The problem is that almost never happens and then they start breaking it up – which is what will likely happen with the Rays. The clock is ticking for them.”

A month in, so far…so good.  Yep.  They could be awesome.

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USA Today followed up on 2009’s top draft choice Levon Washington as he completes his season at Chipola Junior College.  Washington was slowed initially by off-season shoulder surgery.  But, he rebounded to hit an impressive .371 with eight home runs and eight stolen bases.

Chipola coach Jeff Johnson summed up his performance this way:

“He played really well for us.  I don’t know of anyone else out there like him with his bat and speed.   He’s a real good offensive player.  He has quick hands and a lot of pop in his bat. And he has good plate discipline. He understands the strike zone very well.”

The MLB draft rolls around again on June 7.  I wonder if the Rays might take another crack at him.

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It seems, all of baseball is talking about the Rays attendance.  One would have to wonder if all this talk, by itself, has a negative impact on attendance.  Would attendance be better if everyone would stop talking about, and worrying about, attendance?

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Quote of the day:

“It’s way too early to be concerned about attendance figures. I look at it the same way you evaluate a team’s play. You can’t do that in April. You need to wait. Attendance always jumps when schools let out.”

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig – posted by La Velle Neal III – Minnesota Star Tribune

In the context, he was talking about MLB attendance in general.  Now, if he were talking about only the Rays, his quote would be different. 

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Yet the fans still do not go to the monstrosity known as Tropicana Field. And we can assume that is never changing.

There is interest because TV and radio ratings are actually up, yet few come to the games…and postgame concerts by John Fogerty and ZZ Top did not nudge it past the low 20,000s.

Joel Sherman – New York Post

Overheard in line as I waited for the Trop’s doors to open yesterday…”I can’t wait until they let us in.  It’s way too hot out here.”  It’s May 1 and temperatures are approaching 90.  If anyone thinks that a Sunday afternoon game in July outdoors will outdraw the same game in the Trop, they’re fooling themselves.

And, I think Sherman may have gotten lazy and finished this column before last night’s game.  Why else would he report that last night’s attendance was in the “low 20,000s”  instead of the 34,813 that actually attended.

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The Trop is not a palace, we’ll give you that. But neither its hermetically sealed nature nor the drive to get there is a good reason for not supporting a team that is arguably the easiest to love in the majors.

While fans in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles endure nasty commutes to go to games, Tampa residents act like a $100 tariff is required to cross the Howard Frankland Bridge to get to Tropicana Field. Here’s some unsolicited advice — get over it.

Phil Rogers – Chicago Tribune

I don’t have much to add here.  He hit the nail on the head.  Does the Trop have flaws?  Sure.  Do people hate the commute.  Absolutely. 

As I said at the outset, I think all of the talk about attendance is hurting attendance.  I think there’s a mindset in Hillsborough county that if they don’t support the Rays in St. Pete, the team will move to their backyard in Tampa.  Unless they move their backyard to some other region of America or beyond, their thinking may be flawed.

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Without question, the Rays need a new ballpark. But the fans of many cities would flock to see a club as exciting as this one.

The Rays are hardly alone in having attendance issues. Entering the weekend, 25 of the 30 franchises were down in average attendance, with the biggest drops for the Mets, Blue Jays, Indians and White Sox. Some of that will work itself out as April is never as important as summer months, but it doesn’t appear baseball is beginning the recovery from the economic downturn that began late in 2008.

Phil Rogers – Chicago Tribune – different column

Now that’s just crazy talk.  You mean the Rays aren’t the only team in baseball having attendance issues?  C’mon.  That’s news not worthy of print.

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There you go.  Let’s stop talking about attendance.  In this area, the Rays are not the only team who is struggling.  If anyone noticed, the Tampa Bay Lightning (who play in Tampa), were 26th out of 30 NHL teams in attendance, playing to 78% of capacity.  The Tampa Bay Bucs (also in Tampa) were 21st out of 32 teams in home attendance, playing to 96% of capacity.  Not bad, but there’s talk of television blackouts in this area for 2010. 

Perhaps Tampa Bay isn’t a great sports market.  But, I just wish discussion of attendance issues weren’t unique to the Rays. 

It’s worth pointing out that Larry Stone wrote about early attendance figures for the 2010 baseball season in the Seattle Times and there’s no mention of the Rays anywhere. 

Last week, Toronto, Cleveland and Baltimore all experienced their one-game attendance totals ever.   Of course, Rays management would counter that none of these teams would be considered contenders, while the Rays definitely are.  But, Stone also comments about the attendance declines of the Mariners as well.  They, most likely, are contenders.

I know it’s early, but the Rays rank 18th out of 30 teams in home attendance so far.  And, we haven’t even had Hall and Oates, ZZ Top or Adam Lambert in the building.  A lot will be said about empty seats at the Trop.  But, it’s a problem that goes beyond Tampa Bay.

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Phil Rogers posted in the Chicago Tribune that the Kansas City Royals are looking to move reliever Juan Cruz and are willing to pay most (or all) of his $3.75 million salary. 

Cruz is a bullpen veteran of many teams including appearances in eight playoff games with the Cubs, Braves and Diamondbacks.  But, most of his success has come in the National League, and he’s been disappointing for the Royals. 

Having said that, the Rays are currently using Mike Ekstrom.  If the Rays look outide, could he be an option?

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NESN, Boston’s flagship, ran a poll last night asking where the Rays would finish in the standings.  54% of their viewers selected third or worst.  Huge shocker, isn’t it?  That’s like Fox News asking its viewers if they approve of the President.

An early assessment of the Carl Crawford sweepstakes provided by the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo:

My dark horse candidate for Crawford’s services in free agency is the Angels. They have an older, immobile outfield and could use someone of his athleticism. Crawford also fits into the Angels style of play. He can steal bases and would be a big part of Mike Scioscia’s small-ball approach, but he also can hit some home runs. Of course, every time Crawford goes to New York, he’s going to be mentally fitted for pinstripes, and with good reason. The Yankees can spend the money to make it happen. Not seeing the Sox as a team in the mix.

If he can’t be in a Rays uniform, CC going out west is fine with me.  In the same article, Cafardo suggests that Carlos Pena could become a target for the Red Sox during the off-season.

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The Rays earned a “Thumbs Down” from the Seattle Times this week:

The Rays used a smoke machine for pregame intros in the opener at domed Tropicana Field, and the lingering haze led to burned eyes and vision problems for fielders.

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How about this take from FoxSports’ Ken Rosenthal:

Tiger Woods stands a better chance of being named “Husband of the Year” than the Rays re-signing Crawford to, say, an eight-year, $120 million deal.

We’re going to see this all season long.  My beef with this is, this is only half the story.  Sure, the Rays will be called cheap and poor and cash-strapped and all those things.  What if, just maybe, the Rays feel they have a suitable, and cheaper, option for getting Carl Crawford’s numbers into the lineup in Desmond Jennings? If you’re the Rays, do you pay Crawford $15 million per to get what you might get from Jennings at league minimum?

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And, finally, here’s this from Rays minor league pitcher Darin Downs as told to Stacy Long of the Montgomery Advertiser.  Downs, you probably remember, took a hard line drive to the head late last season.

“It was just good to get back out there again.  It’s always nice to get off to a good start … but you have to get outs again next time, no matter how you do the first time.”

On Friday, Downs pitched four scoreless innings in relief in his first outing since the injury.

Tony Massarotti, Boston Globe -

Good rotation, good lineup, good defense, good bench. As for the bullpen, Tampa went out and acquired closer Rafael Soriano in hopes of stabilizing the bullpen. If everything clicks, it could be 2008 all over again.

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USA Today has a poll going for readers to suggest who will win the AL East.  After only 230 votes, the Yankees have 55% of the vote.  No surprise.  But, here’s what caught my eye.  9% have selected the Orioles, while only 8% have selected the Rays.  Seriously?

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While we’re looking at rankings, the Globe’s Nick Cafardo ranked the 30 managers top to bottom.  Joe came in 12th. 

One of the most intellectual, innovative (think Ortiz shift) managers in the game. Uses psychology as well as anyone in motivating players and thinks outside the box with strategic matters. 

Cafardo had Ozzie Guillen 10th and Lou Piniella 11th.  You’d be hard-pressed to convince me that either of those managers would do a better job than Joe.  Lou tried, and failed.  I’m just saying.

New York Daily News baseball writer Bill Madden has an article posted stating that the Rays are talented.  And ready to contend again.

It’s the typical Rays assessment of good young talent, a team that has another year’s experience. 

It’s the very first sentence that I enjoy the most.

Everyone seems to agree the window of opportunity is closing for the Tampa Bay Rays with three of their key players – left fielder Carl Crawford, first baseman Carlos Pena and closer Rafael Soriano – free agents and likely unsignable after the season.

I love the fact that everyone writes the Rays off after losing these three players.  First, they haven’t lost them yet.  So, 2010 remains bright.  But, I still like the depth in the Rays minor league system to rebound if and when the Rays lose these players.  Desmond Jennings isn’t far off.  Jake McGee could very well be being groomed as the next closer.  That leaves first base.  Heck, who says Ben Zobrist doesn’t end up there. 

With all that said, let the rest of baseball think that the Rays are done after 2010.  Won’t 2011 be a great story when the Rays remain in contention?

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By now, you might have already heard about Jim Rome’s “take” on the Rays taking a “night club” approach with drawing fans to the Trop.  He suggests a more “tight” and “sleek” name for the Trop.  He offers up “Juice” or “Squeeze” or “813″. 

WHAT?  813?  Is this taking the Tampa / St. Petersburg ignorance to another level?  The name of the building should be after the area code that you do NOT call locally if you want to get into the building?    Note to Romey, the Trop and the Rays are in area code 727, genius.

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The New York Times has a profile of former Rays minor league outfielder Jon Weber posted.  Weber signed on with the Yankees after spending the past three seasons in the Rays organization.  Weber told the NYT:

“I had a bunch of offers, but it wasn’t the offers that New York brought to me. They told me they were going to bring me into camp and give me a shot. Other teams were like, we want you to be a Triple A veteran guy. I’ve done that the last six years.”

“I don’t know if you’d call this a setback.  We’re looking at this thing from a broad spectrum. I plateaued out.  We’re taking a step back and making sure we’re moving in the right direction from a conditioning and longevity standpoint.”

ESPN’s Rob Neyer had this to say:

Blalock’s cheaper, though, and his career numbers against right-handed pitchers, while far from brilliant, are better than Burrell’s. A few decades from now, if somebody’s studying the 2010 season he probably won’t pay much attention to Blalock or Branyan, let alone the relationship between the two. But this summer I’ll be watching them.

Who knows?  The way Blalock’s contract in written, if he’s not in line for an opening day spot on the Rays’ roster, he could end up in Cleveland replacing Branyan.

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Depending how the battle for the fifth starting spot ends, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo thinks the Rays will begin shopping Andy Sonnanstine:

He is beginning to creep up the list for teams needing an end-of-rotation starter. He pitched four strong innings Thursday in a 4-1 win over Toronto, but he doesn’t seem to fit in the Tampa (Bay) rotation. Look for the Rays to entertain offers for him.

If the Rays can get something worthwhile, I’m all for it.  While I’m pretty sure Andy’s not the kind of player who will sulk if things don’t turn out to his liking, it would be nice to see him get an opportunity elsewhere.  Heck, put him in the National League and watch him hit every fifth day.

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