Recap: We're going to finish at least .500

Hopefully not watching BHO

better not great stats

6 IP

2 ER

He has his faults. So does Sonny. But they seem to be consistently keeping us in games. I’ll take our 4 and 5 against pretty much anyones in the majors.

Rich’s on-field interview with Riggans ended with Riggans making a plea for people to come out to support the team. I’m paraphrasing, but he commented on how they should be drawing more than 15,000 for the team that has been in first for 3/4 of the season. Rich asked if the team fed off the big crowds, and Riggans said they do. On the postgame show, there were a few callers that brought up the poor attendance,and Rich got on his soapbox and called out the transplants from NY, Bos, etc. to have pride in the team in the area where they now reside. They need to root for the Rays or go back to where they came from. Once I got home and flipped on Bay News 9, I got to hear more from Rock Riley and Roxanne Wilder on the subject and they showed a pre-game interview with Kaz where he called the turnout dissapointing, especially after coming back from a successful series in Chicago. Apparently other players like Floyd and Balfour stated the turnout is dissapointing and they supposedly also commented on how the team feeds off the crowd.

Rays fans or not, fans of baseball should be going to these games. I started going in 2005 after moving to the area, and my girlfriend and I made it to about 20-25 games at the Trop, and I was a friggin’ Red Sox fan. I was a fan of baseball first, though, and I wanted to see Major League baseball live. I didn’t care that I was watching the worst team in baseball, and I enjoyed myself everytime I went. I was one of those “I’m a Devil Rays fan except for when the Red Sox are in town” guys. By the end of 2005, I found it hard to not support the home team full time, and my Sox hat had become my dirty, stinkin’ yard hat. I replaced it with a few new Devil Rays hats, and I proudly wore them all the time. I have been a (Devil) Rays fan ever since. There are only 30 f’n teams in the whole country. We in this area and the areas surrounding the other 29 teams are privileged to have the opportunity to go to games. If you are a baseball fan, do yourself a favor and drag your ass out to the games. I’m not asking people to change their loyalties at this point. I’m asking people to come out and enjoy GOOD Major League baseball LIVE. We have millions of people in this region, yet apparently we only seem to have 12,000-40,000 baseball fans who enjoy watching live games on a regular basis. With the population we have in this region, I see no reason why this team should have less than 25,000/game in the stands. I understand that there are people living in caves that still haven’t caught on to the fact that this team is entertaining and is worth the trip to the Trop to see in person. I understand that the season ticket numbers are low for this year and that increased attendance doesn’t really occur until after a team starts winning. The team has been winning all season, and there’s no excuse for low attendance in the midst of the best Rays season ever in the toughtest division in baseball. Tickets are dirt cheap. Parking is cheap or free if you are resourceful. You can bring your own food. Blah, blah, blah. This has all been said before on this board, but I don’t know if it sinks in. People, spread the word to the non-believers. The team is great. The Trop is great. Baseball is great. It doesn’t matter that your team is not the Rays. Come out to the games!!! If you like baseball, you will not be disappointed.