Despite yet another impressive season, boasting a remarkable 99-63 record—ranking fourth best in MLB this year—the Tampa Bay Rays continue to grapple with a lack of fan support.
The Rays drew the lowest attendance of any postseason baseball game for Tuesday’s Wild Card game since the 1919 World Series (Black Sox scandal).
There were just 19,704 people at The Trop.
Pretty embarrassing, even for a 3pm local start time. pic.twitter.com/tTbR7E64rW
— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) October 3, 2023
During Game 1 of their AL Wild Card series against the Texas Rangers, the Rays struggled to fill their stadium, with only a paltry 19,704 fans in attendance. This marked the lowest attendance for a non-COVID playoff game since 1919.
19,704 fans showed up for the 99 win Rays first home playoff game in 2 years.
The lowest attendance at Coors Field all year for the 103 loss Rockies was 18,511.
pic.twitter.com/VMTwt6UOfM— MLB Metrics (@MLBMetrics) October 4, 2023
The last postseason game with a smaller crowd occurred during Game 7 of the 1919 World Series in Cincinnati, a year marred by the “Black Sox” scandal in which eight Chicago White Sox players were accused of game-fixing.
Throughout the 2023 season, the Rays ranked fourth lowest in total attendance, with just over 1.4 million fans. Remarkably, the team has consistently been among the bottom four in attendance for more than a decade.
There's a blue-plate special in Tampa, so some are bailing to beat the massive 19K traffic jam.#RaysUp #GoAndTakeIt pic.twitter.com/d6PxBGw5yY
— Stefan Stevenson (@StefanVersusTex) October 3, 2023
Despite this attendance challenge, the Rays announced their ambitious plans for a new $1.3 billion stadium in St. Petersburg last month. The new facility, boasting a seating capacity of 30,000 and the potential for up to 35,000 for other events, is set to open its doors in 2028.
Unfortunately, the Rays faced a disheartening loss in front of their modest home crowd on Tuesday, falling 4-0. The game was marred by four errors, extending their postseason losing streak to six games, dating back to 2021.