CBS Radio’s ’98.7 The Fan’ Launches Campaign to Save Rays Baseball

Talkers.com ^ | 9/12/13 | Talkers

[raccoonradio]

Losing a Major League Baseball franchise would be a blow to CBS Radio’s drive to build a successful sports talk station in the market. But MLB commissioner Bud Selig has stated the league is not happy with the support the market is giving the Tampa Bay Rays in terms of attendance despite the club fielding successful teams. The league states, “Last year, the 30 Major League clubs averaged nearly 2.5 million in total attendance; the Rays, who finished with a 90-72 record, drew 1,559,681, which ranked last in the game.” So WHFS-FM “98.7 The Fan” is launching “Save Tampa Bay Baseball,” a multi-tiered campaign to help keep the Rays in the region.

But because St. Petersburg mayor Bill Foster has said Major League Baseball does not “seem interested in a cooperative effort to keep the Rays in the Tampa Bay region for the long term,” the station is taking action. The campaign involves launching the website www.SaveTampaBayBaseball.com to raise awareness that the Rays may be in danger of leaving Tampa Bay, as well as a petition drive to let Major League Baseball know that the Rays belong in Tampa Bay.

The “98.7 The Fan” Street Team will canvass the downtown area offering Save Tampa Bay Baseball window stickers to all local merchants who support the Rays. In addition, “98.7 The Fan” will host an official Save Tampa Bay Baseball Rally on September 12 at Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill – home of the 98.7 The Fan “Fan Cave” – before the Rays vs. Boston Red Sox game.

WHFS-FM program director John O’Connell states, “At ‘98.7 The Fan,’ we strongly believe it’s in the best interest of the Tampa Bay community to keep Major League Baseball here. We will support our hometown Rays every way we can, and encourage Rays fans and the Tampa/St. Petersburg community to join us.”

[raccoonradio]

site

>>It’s unfathomable to think that Tampa Bay may soon be without a major league baseball team, but it’s a VERY real possibility – and one we won’t accept.
Major League Baseball is making demands and so are we! If you’re a Fan or a local business owner who wants to show your support, sign the petition below and do your part to help keep the Rays where they belong, right here in the Bay area.

---

How about going to the games?

In past years the Giants and Jays were rumored to be going to Tampa Bay; now TB may be having a tough time keeping its team. This year seemed promising but the team's been fading lately...(also Montreal supposedly wants baseball back. Good luck; I think Tor. may play some "home games" at Stade Olympique)

GOOD SEATS STILL AVAILABLE

[driftdiver]

The stadium is severely dated, located in a ghetto, and very difficult for most of the area to get too.

Otherwise its great fun to go to the game. Kinda scary getting home though.

[massgopguy]

How many of the 1.5 million “fans” are Red Sox fans?

[driftdiver]

The rays rank very high in tv viewers.

[raccoonradio]

another poss.: relocate to Tampa from St Pete:
>>ST. PETERSBURG — Mayor Bill Foster has reached the reluctant conclusion that keeping the Tampa Bay Rays in the region means he has to let them cross the bay to explore a new stadium. Three years ago, Foster adamantly refused a team request to look at stadium sites in Hillsborough County — citing a contract that binds the Rays to Tropicana Field through 2027.

But tepid attendance over the last few years has changed his thinking, Foster said in a remarkably candid interview Monday with the Tampa Bay Times editorial board. 2050, you have to let them look in Tampa," Foster said.

Attendance might not improve markedly at a Hillsborough site, Foster said. "I think there is a big question mark as to whether or not Tampa Bay is a major league region.''

[raccoonradio]

Heard game on radio the other day from the Tampa Bay stadium—you could hear loud cheers when the Sox did well. (Similar
thing happened when I saw an Orioles-Yankees game at Camden Yards some years ago—so many Yankee fans were there it was Yankee Stadium south. I went back to Camden Yards for an Aug 2 game vs. Mariners. A Fri night, team doing well...Camden Yards was half-full. On a Fri night.)

[Texas Eagle]

Who is Ray and if he can’t keep track of his baseball we shouldn’t keep bailing him out.

[driftdiver]

There are a lot of transants in the tampa area who remain faithful to their old team. You see it in all the major sports here.

Their old town wasnt good enough to live in but they won’t give up the team.

[raccoonradio]

ha, well they used to be the Devil Rays but dropped the first word--I suppose "Rays" could mean "sun rays" too

[1rudeboy]

win!

[Vigilanteman]

I've always been of the opinion that, once spring training is over, baseball does not belong in Florida.

Their pathetic attendance, despite fielding reasonably good teams and building state of the art stadiums, proves my point.

Maybe they could use those stadiums to join a Latin American winter league.

I used to think the same thing about Arizona, but the D-Backs actually sell seats, including those in a swimming pool.

[raccoonradio]

True, I think there are some who move to other parts of the country but keep allegiance, or retirees:

—People who went to college in Boston area become Red Sox fans; might move to California and go to Angels games when Red Sox play in Anaheim

—Retirees...New Englanders might settle down in Florida
and stay Red Sox fans, attending TB vs Red Sox games,
or spring training (Jet Blue Park, Ft Myers)

[MinuteGal]

Too hot to sit there during the day....too scary to return home late at night.

Leni

[Vigilanteman]

I’ll correct my post #12. Tampa Bay doesn’t have a state of the art stadium. But Miami certainly does. How’s that working out for them?

[raccoonradio]

>>building state of the art stadiums

big money for Marlins stadium and they're, what, in last place? and don't draw well

---------------------------
8/2/13:
>>What has moving to Miami brought the Marlins? About 100 extra fans per game. That’s the current gap between this year’s attendance and the average gate count for the Marlins’ last season at Sun Life Stadium, the football field that owner Jeffrey Loria blamed for the team’s long-standing attendance and revenue woes.
Those problems ended up following Loria to the government-owned Marlins Park, which is on track to face the worst fan rejection of a new baseball stadium in at least a generation.

Miami Marlins attendance reverts to old Sun Life Stadium levels

[Tupelo]

Major League Baseball, like the NFL has too many teams.
This dilution of talent is, in my opinion one of the factors in the doping scandle(s.
Contract back to 20 or even 16 teams and watch the game improve.
The leftovers can form a ‘Not quiet major league’ league as a feeder league. Same as Triple A today, only better.

[raccoonradio]

True but teams and the players union would be opposed to it.

>>one of the factors in the doping scandle
Interesting point.

There have been rumblings about contraction over the years.
The Twins were one candidate but then went on to win a World Series or do well afterwards. Some teams moved rather than
folded: MLB took charge of the Expos for awhile till finally they found a home in Washington D.C.—the third go-around for a D.C. MLB team

[Vigilanteman]

Have you ever been to the new Marlins stadium? I've visited on-line and must say I'm bedazzled-- retractable roof, aquarium, swimming pools, the whole nine yards. If I ever make it to Miami, it is on the top of my must see list.

Yeah, the Marlins may perform pathetically on the field now, but they've won in the past.

But only an extra 100 fans per game? I think it should be 10,000, at least in the first couple of years just to see that marvel of engineering.

I'm sure Tampa Bay is looking and making note. Moving is far less costly than building a state of the art stadium which gets comparable results to Miami. But where? Montreal has already proven they can't support a baseball team. Next candidates are places which have NBA, NHL and/or NFL team without MLB. Indianapolis? Maybe. Portland? Salt Lake City? San Antonio? All probably too small. Edmonton or Calgary would be better bets than any of these, but no sure thing either since the only thing they have going for them is no competing franchise within hundreds of miles and reasonably good support at the minor league level.

[Dilbert San Diego]

In the early years of Camden Yards, the Orioles used to sell out just about every game. What happened?

I’ve heard somebody say that some years ago, going to baseball games at new parks such as Camden Yards became a popular social event with yuppie and corporate types. But, now people have moved on to other things. These people were never big baseball fans to start with.