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Rays Churn Through Empty Sea Of Blue

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 28, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - It's an empty kind of feeling.

Wednesday night, there was more cavern than cacophony at Tropicana Field, home this season to the very best story in baseball. There's only one first time. It'll never be this new again.

So the Rays met the Blue Jays. And 12,678 souls braved the air conditioning.

12-6.

It was the smallest Rays home crowd since, since, well, last month.

It was startling in the middle of this team's first playoff race.

Rays pitcher Scott Kazmir went further.

"It's embarrassing," he said.

This after Tuesday's horde of 13,478. The first-place team in the AL East was outdrawn by San Diego, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Washington.

Yes, it was a school night.

I checked.

There are schools all over the country.

There's no discounting the newfound buzz about this team. They've gone national. You see it around Tampa Bay, too. You see blue hats, blue shirts, even blue pride.

And now that sea of empty blue seats.

The Crickets

Look, I get into these games for free. I've never thought it was my place to tell people what to do with their money, any of it. There are those frivolous items like rent, food, clothing and gas.

"We're not going to tell you how to spend your money, either," Rays president Matt Silverman said. "But we're proud of this product."

It's startling.

Disheartening, too.

Kazmir was on national radio Wednesday afternoon, and he mentioned that he nearly "heard crickets" at Tuesday's game. Part of me wonders whether he should be worried more about his pitch counts than turnstile counts. But at least it was heartfelt.

Kazmir and his teammates appreciate those who show up. Only ...

"We'd love to pack this place," he said.

The Rays are looking at a 95-win season and still getting some 100-loss crowds.

And they have the second best home record in baseball.

Maybe it will happen when the Orioles visit this weekend.

Or when the Yankees come in for formal burial.

Or the Red Sox.

Wednesday was still startling.

Over the last 10 years, as awful Rays teams attracted flies, I would listen to the echoes in their great baseball hall and wonder what it would be like if this team ever played meaningful games late in a season. Wednesday, it meant 12,678.

"We just came from Chicago," Kazmir said. "It was packed and it was jumping - jumping."

By the way, the Rays are 16-1 this season before Trop crowds of 30,000 or more.

"That's no coincidence," Kazmir said. "This place rocks when it's full. We love having people here. The sound just bounces off the walls and roof."

The 12,678 were rewarded with a 1-0 win. Matt Garza starred on the mound, Carlos Pena homered and our man Justin Ruggiano jumped high against the left-field wall to grab the final out.

"A classic kind of game," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

12-6.

It Is What It Is

These next few seasons are nothing short of a referendum on baseball in this area. You've heard about the new stadium. I assure you that Rays owner Stuart Sternberg means business, if not now, later. Mind you, I'm not defending that - how many games has Uncle Stu been to this season? But there's no way around the reality.

"Two days ago, we had the best record in the American League and we had the worst attendance in the American League," Silverman said.

I don't blame anyone for not going to Rays games. I'm not telling anyone to do anything. At the same time, don't begin to be upset if you wake up in two years (or a month) and somebody says you're not really a baseball town.

It's never going to be any better, or at least any fresher, than this season.

"Maybe we can have an Elvis night every night," Kazmir said.

The 12,678, and the crickets, had left the building.

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