[新聞] Longoria, Price call small crowd 'em …
http://tinyurl.com/2csy2kw
ST. PETERSBURG -- Monday’s crowd of 12,446 for a game in which the Tampa Bay
Rays could have clinched a postseason berth was a major disappointment.
Rays All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria became the center of attention
after Monday’s 4-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, even though he didn’t
play because of a strained quad muscle.
In a heartfelt address in which he wasn’t prodded, Longoria said Monday’s
crowd of 12,446 at Tropicana Field for a game in which the Rays could have
clinched a postseason berth was "embarrassing" and "disheartening."
All-Star pitcher David Price also had his say about Monday’s attendance on
his Twitter page, @DAVIDprice14.
"Had a chance to clinch a post season spot tonight with about 10,000 fans in
the stands ... embarrassing," he wrote, then later posted, "If I offended
anyone I apologize I did not think it was gonna turn into this ...."
Longoria said Rays players are "confused" about why a team that has played
outstanding baseball for the last three seasons doesn’t draw better.
"... You’d pretty much like to think that a team in a playoff hunt, with an
opportunity to clinch, that you could at least get 30,000 in here to cheer
you on," Longoria said.
"We play 155 games of really good baseball, and it’s kind of like, what else
do we have to do to get fans into this place? I mean, it’s actually
embarrassing to us."
Monday’s crowd was the fourth smallest of the year, larger then only the
10,825 and 10,691 gatherings for a pair late-April games against Oakland and
11,968 for a June 2 game against Toronto.
The Rays entered Monday with the best record in the majors and a half-game
lead over the Yankees in the AL East. Had they won or had the Red Sox [team
stats] lost at Chicago, they would have clinched at least the wild-card berth.
And yet most people chose to stay home and watch on TV.
"It’s disheartening," Longoria said. "It’s something I’ve been wanting to
say for a long time. It’s not a jab at the fans. It’s not a kick below the
belt, but it’s something we’d like to see. Obviously we want to bring a
championship to Tampa. We’d like more than 12-to-15,000 to know about it."
Longoria, who has assumed an expanded role as a team leader and spokesman
this year, but generally chooses his words carefully, also chided fans for
booing reliever Dan Wheeler during a recent tough outing.
"For us, it was like, can you see what he has done for us over the course of
three years? I know it’s like, ’what have you done for us lately?’ But
this guy has been an integral part of our team.
"Someone had to stand up on his behalf, because he’s not going to say it,
but for him to get booed off the mound over one or two bad outings I didn’t
think was respectful for him.
The Rays entered Monday ranked 23rd in the major leagues in attendance,
averaging 23,047. With the two home games remaining, they are on place to
finish with a lower average than last year’s 23,147.
Longoria had more to say about the attendance.
"And the other thing about the fans is that we’ve been playing great
baseball all year. Since I’ve been here in ’06, the fans have wanted to
watch good baseball -- they’ve wanted to watch a contender. For us to play
good baseball for three years now, and for us to be in a spot to clinch again
and go to the playoffs, we’re all confused with 15-to-20,000 in the
building."
"I don’t think there’s any more time for rationalizations. We figured if we
have a chance at the beginning of September, maybe the fans will come. Now it
’s the end of September and it’s almost October, and we’re still looking
up in the seats and going, ’Where is everyone?’
"We’ve still got some more time, so hopefully it starts to fill up. If no
other time, maybe the postseason."
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◆ From: 221.124.56.189
※ 編輯: catsondbs 來自: 221.124.56.189 (09/29 00:25)
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