Well, that makes sense. I am in Denver on business but, was not surprised to learn that the 1-0 lead the Rays had when I left for a meeting last night turned into a loss.
At first, I was a little upset. But I turned it around fast for a few reasons. First, my meeting was at the Red Rocks Ampitheatre, a place that makes it hard to be mad about things like baseball. Second, and more importantly, I realized how unrealistic my expectations were.
Looking at it from 5,000 feet (get it?) it ocurred to me that I should never have expected this team to do things like everyone else. You expect a normal team to finish a sweep when they steal game 1 on the road and have their best two pitchers lined up for games 2 and 3. But that just wouldn’t be the Rays way, would it?
Part of the fun of the 2011 Rays is the improbable way they have solved problems. Be it the LegendofSamFuld, Matt Moore dominating game 1, or Kelly Shoppach turning into Johnny Bench. This team just isn’t going to be shackled by our interpretation of traditional baseball outcomes.
I am sure the folks in charge of baseball betting at sports betting sites are all pulling their hair out when it comes to the Rays for that very reason. Who knows what they are going to do next?
I have no idea what to expect this afternoon. I won’t even be able to follow the game because I will be on a flight and expect to land sometime around the 8th or 9th inning. I know this, regardless of the outcome, game 4 will make for a great story.
season ended a bit too early…but it was a great season nonetheless.
we outscored the rangers by 5 runs, and still lost in 4 games. that’s tough to do.
great season rays! until next season…let’s go Bucs.
Mark,
I would like first say, I am proud of the 2011 Rays! This to me has been the most memorable season in their history, more so than their World Series appearance. I am sad that the ride is over, but it was a wild and fun one. My only problem is the sour note on which the ride ended.
I know you are a huge fan of our ownership, but after fuming for a while I am ready to thank Stu for drawing nothing but negativity on the franchise at the worst possible time. He gave ESPN and every other national media outlet exactly what they wanted, more material to blast our fan base one last time this season. Instead of talking about the most amazing September story in baseball, we are again talking about the lack of fan support. The story is now, how much longer will the Rays be in Tampa? Of course, the story will very briefly mention that the team is only 13 years old and separated from Tampa by the ocean and focus mainly on relocating the team as the best solution. I understand Stu’s frustration, I really do. I can’t explain the television ratings drop, or the non-sellout game 4. I can tell you that lashing out isn’t going to fix it. Only people who are already Rays fans listen to Stu, he isn’t rallying the general population with his comments. All we hear is that we aren’t good enough, if this is the best we can do then the ‘rubber has to meet the road”. I have a suggestion, Stu needs to look across the bay and reach out to fellow sports franchise owner Jeff Vinik of the Tampa Bay Lighting.
The Lightning have been known for their wavering fan support in recent years. I never once heard Vinik make a negative comment. Quite the opposite, he made a point to say the fans here have suffered. Much like Stu, he set to making the Lightning winners. The similarities end there. Vinik didn’t like his venue either; unlike Stu he was proactive. Like most business owners, he invested in his business and completely overhauled the Times Forum. If you haven’t seen the changes, it is going to be among the nicest of all NHL venues. He has been the epitome of a great owner saying nothing but positive things of the region and the fans. He is relocating his family to Tampa and routinely reinforces that Tampa is a hockey town. The marketing is second to none as well, have you seen the “Be the Thunder” campaign? Last season they went with “All In”, then plastered it all over the city. The result of their efforts you wonder? Full season ticket sales have more than doubled.
Stu may find that if he put his time and energy to proactive ventures the results can be amazing. I hate to sound so harsh; because there are so many things that Stu does well. His positives are well documented. I wish he would turn this aspect of his ownership around. In closing: 2012>2011.
Thanks Travis. Check back tomorrow morning, I suppose I cannot pretend Stu didn’t say what he said.