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More Cowbell? Sold Out!

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By JOEY JOHNSTON

jjohnston@tampatrib.com

Published: October 24, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Yes, we have no cowbells.

We have no cowbells today.

"And to think this all started out as a small idea," said 16-year-old Jake Sternberg, son of the Rays' principal owner.

The Twins had Homer Hankies.

The Angels had the Rally Monkey.

And the Rays have cowbells, now the most readily identifiable trait of fans at Tropicana Field. The cowbells come in all shapes, sizes and colors - most notably the yellow "official" World Series cowbell. They are everywhere.

Except, of course, in the Trop's shops.

"We are sold out," said a clerk at the Rays' Team Store on Thursday night before Game 2 of the World Series. "We will not have any until next week."

This kind of demand wasn't anticipated. Apparently, more than 10,000 cowbells (limit two per person) were sold during Game 1.

Ten-thousand!

"It's unique, it belongs to the Rays, and I like that," ESPN's Chris Berman said. "Would cowbells be my first choice? Probably not. But it's yours, and I respect that."

Cowbells became the instrument of choice for Rays fans after Jake Sternberg showed his father a "Saturday Night Live" skit with Christopher Walken, in which he called for "more cowbell" during a recording session with Blue Oyster Cult.

Sternberg, the owner, ran with it.

"Who cares what people in other cities think about it?" said Rays fan Robin Wentz of Bradenton. "It's our way of showing support for the Rays. I truly believe it bothers the opposing team, so I'm all for it."

Describing Chase Utley's two-run homer in Game 1, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said the early blow was a "way to quiet down those cowbells."

"The cowbells don't bother me," said Phillies fan Tony Bacon of Clearwater, who grew up in South Jersey and actually caught a foul ball when Philadelphia's Whiz Kids played Game 1 of the 1950 World Series. "I went to playoff games against the Red Sox and it was so noisy in here, the concrete was vibrating. I don't think cowbells are going to stop the Phillies from hitting and pitching the way they can."

Don't tell that to Rays fans.

They believe cowbells are just the thing to drive the Phillies crazy.

"I met somebody who said their son was thrown out of Fenway Park because they rang a cowbell, so don't tell me it isn't bothersome," said Rays fan Diana Brough of St. Petersburg. "Let people make fun of us. We're at the World Series with our cowbells. Where are they?"

Phillies fan Robert Brylewski, who lives in Virginia, attended the first two games and said the cowbells weren't a big deal.

"You can let anything bother you at a game, whether it's a cowbell or an obnoxious person who's induced by alcohol," Brylewski said. "It's a gimmick, something to put them on the map. Somebody's making a buck off it."

Would Brylewski ever purchase a Rays cowbell?

"Absolutely not," he said. "Negative."

Anyway, it's too late. More cowbell? For now, they're all gone.

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