Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 29, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, June 29, 2015:

Total Attendance: 13,817

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 42
• Attendance: 11,802
• Starting Pitcher: Nathan Karns
• Opponent: Cleveland Indians
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Cody Anderson
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,686
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 11,802
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 14,067
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 14,107
• Promotions (if any): None
• Other local events: None

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 39
• Attendance: 539
• Starting Pitcher: Jeremy Gabryszwski
• Opponent: Fort Myer Miracle
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Kohl Stewart
• Avg Attendance to Date: 812
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 743
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 530
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 870
• Promotions (if any): None

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 37
• Attendance: 947
• Starting Pitcher: Gabriel Encinas
• Opponent: St. Lucie Mets
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: John Gant
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,708
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,060
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 844
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,256
• Promotions (if any): Military Monday

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 37
• Attendance: 529
• Starting Pitcher: Luis Heredia
• Opponent: Brevard County Manatees
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Wei-Chung Wang
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,624
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,030
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,992
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,045
• Promotions (if any): None

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 28, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, June 28, 2015:

Total Attendance: 26,021

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 41
• Attendance: 21,963
• Starting Pitcher: Chris Archer
• Opponent: Boston Red Sox
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Justin Masterson
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,757
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 17,370
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 18,839
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 16,195
• Promotions (if any): Kidz Bop Post-Game Concert
• Other local events: None

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 38
• Attendance: 438
• Starting Pitcher: Luis Santos
• Opponent: Fort Myer Miracle
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Mat Batts
• Avg Attendance to Date: 819
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 845
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 514
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 605
• Promotions (if any): None

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 36
• Attendance: 2142
• Starting Pitcher: Cole Coshow
• Opponent: St. Lucie Mets
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Kevin McGowan
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,731
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,617
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,687
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,522
• Promotions (if any): Family Sunday

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 36
• Attendance: 1,478
• Starting Pitcher: Jayson Aquino
• Opponent: Brevard County Manatees
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jorge Ortega
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,654
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,280
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,489
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,181
• Promotions (if any): Family Fun Sunday

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 27, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, June 27, 2015:

Total Attendance: 29,301

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 40
• Attendance: 23,876
• Starting Pitcher: Matt Andriese
• Opponent: Boston Red Sox
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Wade Miley
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,577
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 16,452
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 20,145
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 18,076
• Promotions (if any): Rays Retro Night
• Other local events: None

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 37
• Attendance: 1,251
• Starting Pitcher: Jeff Hoffman
• Opponent: Fort Myer Miracle
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Ryan Eades
• Avg Attendance to Date: 830
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,251
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 933
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 715
• Promotions (if any): Mascot Night

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 35
• Attendance: 3,092
• Starting Pitcher: Chaz Hebert
• Opponent: St. Lucie Mets
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Casey Meisner
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,674
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,092
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,572
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,791
• Promotions (if any): Bark at the Park

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 35
• Attendance: 1,082
• Starting Pitcher: Tyler Eppler
• Opponent: Brevard County Manatees
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Johnny Hellweg
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,659
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,082
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,623
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,307
• Promotions (if any): Baseball Bingo

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 26, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, June 26, 2015:

Total Attendance: 21,622

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 39
• Attendance: 17,508
• Starting Pitcher: Alex Colome
• Opponent: Boston Red Sox
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Rick Porcello
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,338
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 14,596
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 13,773
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 11,772
• Promotions (if any): Rays Cowboy Hat
• Other local events: None

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 38
• Attendance: 2,822
• Starting Pitcher: Victor Arano
• Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jairo Labourt
• Avg Attendance to Date: 2,677
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,106
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,103
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,206
• Promotions (if any): 90s Dance Party with DJ Sloan

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 34
• Attendance: 1,292
• Starting Pitcher: Jordan Montgomery
• Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Matt Crouse
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,674
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,887
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,653
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,292
• Promotions (if any): Social Media Friday

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 25, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, June 25, 2015:

Total Attendance: 635

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 36
• Attendance: 635
• Starting Pitcher: Murphy Smith
• Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: David Whitehead
• Avg Attendance to Date: 818
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 840
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 779
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 664
• Promotions (if any): None
• Other local events: None

No other local games played.

When #TeamTampaBay is not a team at all

Over the last few years, there has been a lot of talk about #TeamTampaBay, a marketing concept that unifies fans across all Tampa Bay sports. The Rays front office supports the Lightning, the Bucs, Storm, Rowdies, etc, and those teams support the others and every one gets along. Ideally, fans would see this cooperation and root for the local teams as a bloc as well.

Sounds good in theory.

We all know, however, that dollars are thin in small-market Tampa Bay. The Rays in particular suffer in attendance when the Lightning go deep into the playoffs. Despite being second fiddle this year, the Rays front office handled the situation gracefully. Publicly, they supported the Lightning and said all victories were victories for the area.

Everything is hunky-dory, right?

Except when it is not. Except when a Tampa Bay Lightning employee criticizes attendance for both the Rays and the Tampa Yankees.

According to his twitter bio and his LinkedIn, Matt Turner is the Digital Content Producer for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He writes for the Lightning website, creates GIFs, and probably does other forms of digital content producing. He joined the Lightning just before the playoffs and before last night never tweeted about the Rays.

Yes, the Rays struggle at the gate. They are often outdrawn by the Lightning overall and especially on weekdays. And the Tampa Yankees are not the best drawing Minor League team in the area either. Steinbrenner Field is built for Spring Training, so the Tampa Yankees usually only fill approximately 10-20% of the stadium.

These are facts. But baseball attendance is not Turner's business nor should he comment about it, even if it is a poorly worded attempt at humor. Turner is an employee of another regional team. He should be rooting for other teams to be successful, both on the field and at the gate. Unless of course these teams are now baring their fangs, throwing out the #TeamTampaBay concept, admitting they cannibalize each other, and declaring open season on local dollars.

To be honest, I hate writing these kind of articles. I've gone after local media and out-of-town sports employees for unprofessional comments on Rays attendance. But I never thought I would ever have to call out an employee of another Tampa Bay sports team. If anything, these employees are the face of the local teams. Almost more so than the players. They should be the ultimate cheerleaders for the teams and the community.

I'm also usually a huge fan of the Lightning digital and social marketing team. They are great and have been widely regarded as one of the best in the business. But I guess certain employees need to realize commenting on the business results and marketing efforts of other teams in the area is not being a good member of #TeamTampaBay.

Or maybe Matt Turner needs to follow the steps of his boss before she leaves for her next opportunity.

(Update: Of course, Turner claimed it was a "joke". He also deleted his tweet. Word of advice from someone who has done stand-up comedy: humor attacks upward. It takes the powerful down a peg. It does not attack the unfortunate, the struggling, or the downtrodden.)

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 24, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, June 24, 2015:

Total Attendance: 21,259

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 38
• Attendance: 18,469
• Starting Pitcher: Nate Karns
• Opponent: Toronto Blue Jays
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Marco Estrada
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,255
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 15,507
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 12,858
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 14,364
• Promotions (if any): None
• Other local events: None

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 36 / 37
• Attendance: 3,348 / 1,732
• Starting Pitcher: Matt Imhof / Colin Kleven
• Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Amir Garrett / Barrett Astin
• Avg Attendance to Date: 2,673
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,947
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,104
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,478 / 3,414
• Promotions (if any): Camp Day

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 32 / 33
• Attendance: 1,058
• Starting Pitcher: Rookie Davis / Gabriel Encinas
• Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Luis Santos / Jeremy Gabryszwski
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,687
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 859
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,865
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,436 / 1,318
• Promotions (if any): Kids Eat Free Wednesday

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 23, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Tuesday, June 23, 2015:

Total Attendance: 11,474

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 37
• Attendance: 11,474
• Starting Pitcher: Chris Archer
• Opponent: Toronto Blue Jays
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: RA Dickey
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,141
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 14,915
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 11,834
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 15,554
• Promotions (if any): None
• Other local events: None

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 36
• Attendance: SUSPENDED - Rain
• Opponent: Daytona Tortugas

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 32
• Attendance: POSTPONED - Rain
• Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 22, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, June 22, 2015:

Total Attendance: 12,812

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 36
• Attendance: 10,324
• Starting Pitcher: Matt Andriese
• Opponent: Toronto Blue Jays
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Drew Hutchinson
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,215
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 15,775
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 14,520
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 16,627
• Promotions (if any): None
• Other local events: None

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 35
• Attendance: 1,587
• Starting Pitcher: Ricardo Pinto
• Opponent: Daytona Tortugas
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jackson Stephens
• Avg Attendance to Date: 2,682
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,151
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,578
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,587
• Promotions (if any): Food Frenzy Monday

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 31
• Attendance: 901
• Starting Pitcher: Cale Coshow
• Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jeff Hoffman
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,709
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 810
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 824
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 901
• Promotions (if any): Military Monday

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Minor League Mid-Season Attendance Review 2015

Like Major League Baseball, most minor leagues take a break near the middle of their season for their All-Star Game. The Florida State League is no exception. This season, the Florida State League All-Star game was played in Tradition Field in St. Lucie.

For this site, the Florida State League All-Star break provides time to look at Minor League attendance trends and patterns. With Tampa Bay Rays attendance considerably lower than 2014 and at it's lowest point since 2007, we can explore whether the same buying habits exist at the local Minor League level.

Of course, one big difference is marketed passion. While the Rays are targeting "hearts and minds" and want fans to be invested in the team, Minor League teams in Tampa Bay and beyond promote a good time for a low cost. They are generally accepting of fans who aren't concerned with the team, the players, or even the score.

Here is a snapshot of Tampa Bay Minor League Baseball attendance at the 2015 mid-season point:

While there is some decline in two teams, no team is seeing a huge drop in attendance. Further exploration would reveal if teams with declines have played more weekday games or had fewer promotions in 2015 than at the same point in 2014.

For better insight, let's look at attendance for each team at the same "Games Played" point since 2007.

As we saw, there isn't much difference between 2014 and 2015 attendance. For most teams, there isn't much difference between 2013 and 2014 either. The Threshers saw a slight increase at the mid-season point from 2013 to 2014 and the Tampa Yankees saw a steep drop in mid-season attendance from 2013 to 2014.

Pundits like to discuss how the Tampa Bay Lightning affect the Tampa Bay Rays, but perhaps Lightning playoff runs also affect the Tampa Yankees, albeit on a much smaller scale.

Each of these teams have an array of promotions scheduled for the second half of the season. Promotions and fireworks have a huge effect on Minor League attendance.

As we begin the second half, there is one storyline in particular that I am watching.

Will the Clearwater Threshers break the Florida State League attendance record?

The record for team attendance in the Florida State League was set by the 1989 St. Petersburg Cardinals who drew 202,383 fans. Last year, the Threshers drew 195,063, finishing with the second highest total in league history. In order to break the record, the Threshers would have to average 3,030 fans per game over their final 39 games. That is not an unfeasible goal considering their scheduled post-game concerts and fireworks nights.

Now that I have finished pulling attendance data from every Tampa Bay area Minor League boxscore since 2007, this will only be the beginning of the many posts we will have on area Minor League attendance trends and patterns.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 21, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, June 21, 2015:

Total Attendance: 0

No area games scheduled (Rays in Cleveland and Florida State League All-Star Break).

Attendance Review: 2013 Bradenton Marauders

Welcome to our fifth attendance review of the Bradenton Marauders. This post continues our series of looking back at trends in Tampa Bay area fan behavior since 2007. Today we look at the home attendance of the 2013 Bradenton Marauders.

Overview: The Bradenton Marauders began play in the Florida State League in 2010. The Marauders play their home games at McKechnie Field. McKechnie Field is also the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2013, the population of Bradenton was 51,763.

Bradenton Marauders 2013:

Home Games: 66

Total attendance: 109,845 (up 8.19% from 2012: 101,528)

Per Game Average: 1,772 (up 16.96% from 2011: 1,515)

Highest attended game: 6,557 on Sunday, August 31st vs Fort Myers

Lowest attended game: 661 on Wednesday, May 22th vs Tampa

Double headers: 4 (June 2, June 21, July 19, August 13)

Cancellations: 3 (Also two games moved to other locations)


Notable rehab assignments: None

Other notable appearances: None

Breakdown:

(red highlight = below annual average of 1,772)

Overall:

By Month:

The following graph depicts the average attendance by month.

By Day of the Week:

Marauders attendance increased 1% on the weekends compared to their average Monday through Thursday attendance.

• Mon-Thurs average attendance: 1,763
• Fri-Sun average attendance: 1,781
• Increase: 1%

The following graph depicts the average attendance by day.

The following chart shows how often each day outdrew the game prior.

By Opponent:

By Starting Pitcher:

The following chart depicts how attendance reacted from one starter to the next. If a pitcher is a great draw, the percentage between he and the prior starter should be higher.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 20, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, June 20, 2015:

Total Attendance: 0

No area games scheduled (Rays in Cleveland and Florida State League All-Star Break).

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 19, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, June 19, 2015:

Total Attendance: 0

No area games scheduled (Rays in Cleveland and Florida State League All-Star Break).

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 18, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, June 18, 2015:

Total Attendance: 2,548

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 34
• Attendance: 1,699
• Starting Pitcher: David Whitehead
• Opponent: St Lucie Mets
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Logan Taylor
• Avg Attendance to Date: 2,717
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,830
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,160
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,953
• Promotions (if any): Thirsty Thursday
• Other local events: None

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 34
• Attendance: 849
• Starting Pitcher: Cody Dickson
• Opponent: Tampa Yankees
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Chaz Hebert
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,676
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,813
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 823
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,045
• Promotions (if any): Thirsty Thursday

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 17, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, June 17, 2015:

Total Attendance: 1,843

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 33
• Attendance: 1,221
• Starting Pitcher: Yacksel Rios
• Opponent: St Lucie Mets
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Miller Diaz
• Avg Attendance to Date: 2,751
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,873
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,197
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,977
• Promotions (if any): Silver Sharks Club
• Other local events: None

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 33
• Attendance: 622
• Starting Pitcher: Luis Heredia
• Opponent: Tampa Yankees
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jordan Montgomery
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,702
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,134
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 885
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,149
• Promotions (if any): Marauders Fan Appreciation Day

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 16, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Tuesday, June 16, 2015:

Total Attendance: 15,381

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 35
• Attendance: 11,491
• Starting Pitcher: Alexander Colome
• Opponent: Washington Nationals
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Tanner Roark
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,326
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 10,854
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 11,894
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 10,624
• Promotions (if any): None
• Other local events: None

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 32
• Attendance: 3,116
• Starting Pitcher: Matt Imhof
• Opponent: St Lucie Mets
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: John Gant
• Avg Attendance to Date: 2,803
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,199
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,148
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,544
• Promotions (if any): $1 Tuesdays

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 32
• Attendance: 774
• Starting Pitcher: Jayson Acquino
• Opponent: Tampa Yankees
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Rookie Davis
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,735
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,891
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 853
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,132
• Promotions (if any): 2-for-1 ticket Tuesday

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 15, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, June 15, 2015:

Total Attendance: 16,505

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 34
• Attendance: 10,216
• Starting Pitcher: Erasmo Ramirez
• Opponent: Washington Nationals
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Gio Gonzalez
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,410
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 10,216
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 15,570
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 13,549
• Promotions (if any): Professional Women's Night
• Other local events: Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Watch Party - Amalie Arena - Attendance: 16,000

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 31
• Attendance: 1,282
• Starting Pitcher: Colin Kleven
• Opponent: St Lucie Mets
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Michael Gibbons
• Avg Attendance to Date: 2,792
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,792
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,576
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,835
• Promotions (if any): Bacon Night/Feeding Frenzy Monday

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 31
• Attendance: 5,007
• Starting Pitcher: Steven Brault
• Opponent: Tampa Yankees
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Gabriel Encinas
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,766
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 5,007
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,608
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,454
• Promotions (if any): Free Ticket Night

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 14, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, June 14, 2015:

Total Attendance: 19,928

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 33
• Attendance: 17,962
• Starting Pitcher: Nathan Karns
• Opponent: Chicago White Sox
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Chris Sale
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,537
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 17,219
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 18,215
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 13,851
• Promotions (if any): Father - Daughter Day / Rays Etch-A-Sketch Day
• Other local events: None

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 30
• Attendance: 1,453
• Starting Pitcher: Mark Leiter
• Opponent: Brevard County Manatees
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Johnny Hellweg
• Avg Attendance to Date: 2,848
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,244
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,595
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,736
• Promotions (if any): Brunch at the Park

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 35
• Attendance: 513
• Starting Pitcher: Luis Santos
• Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Locke St. John
• Avg Attendance to Date: 823
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 919
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 529
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 626
• Promotions (if any): None

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 30
• Attendance: 1,531
• Starting Pitcher: Tyler Eppler
• Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Stephen Gonsalves
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,658
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,129
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,492
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,531
• Promotions (if any): Family Fun Sunday

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 13, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, June 13, 2015:

Total Attendance: 24,123

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 32
• Attendance: 20,248
• Starting Pitcher: Chris Archer
• Opponent: Chicago White Sox
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jeff Samardzija
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,430
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 20,248
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 19,399
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 16,065
• Promotions (if any): Lee Brice post-game concert
• Other local events: Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Final (Amalie Arena) attendance: 19,204

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 28 / 29
• Attendance: 3,023
• Starting Pitcher: Victor Arano / David Whitehead
• Opponent: Brevard County Manatees
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Wei-Chang Wang / Brandon Woodruff
• Avg Attendance to Date: 2,902
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,442
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 4,497
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,256 / 1,989
• Promotions (if any): Fireworks / Pirate Night

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 33 /34
• Attendance: 852
• Starting Pitcher: Murphy Smith / Jairo Labourt
• Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Trent Szkutnik / Matt Crouse
• Avg Attendance to Date: 832
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,020
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 870
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 707 / 802
• Promotions (if any): JAY-Rassic Park Night

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 12, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, June 12, 2015:

Total Attendance: 14,940

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 31
• Attendance: 13,448
• Starting Pitcher: Matt Andriese
• Opponent: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: John Danks
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,242
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 13,448
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 13,026
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 18,727
• Promotions (if any): MLB Network Reusable Tote Bag / Pride Night
• Other local events: Tampa Bay Storm arena football game (Amalie Arena) attendance: 12,602

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 28
• Attendance: POSTPONED - Doubleheader scheduled 6/13
• Opponent: Brevard County Manatees

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 33
• Attendance: POSTPONED - Doubleheader scheduled on 6/13
• Opponent: Lakeland Flying Tigers

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 29
• Attendance: 1,492
• Starting Pitcher: Luis Heredia
• Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Chih-Wei Hu
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,663
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,492
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,702
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,280
• Promotions (if any): Post-game fireworks

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 11, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, June 11, 2015:

Total Attendance: 13,298

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 30
• Attendance: 10,779
• Starting Pitcher: Alexander Colome
• Opponent: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Garrett Richards
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,268
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 10,828
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 11,179
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 10,408
• Promotions (if any): None
• Other local events: None

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 29 / 30
• Attendance: 1,218
• Starting Pitcher: Jordan Montgomery / Rookie Davis
• Opponent: Jupiter Hammerheads
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Chris Narveson / Chris Sadberry
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,737
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 910
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,125
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,218 / 1,499
• Promotions (if any): Throwback Thursday

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 28
• Attendance: 733
• Starting Pitcher: Jayson Acquino
• Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Colin Kleven
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,703
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 646
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 815
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,204
• Promotions (if any): Thirsty Thursday

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 32
• Attendance: 568
• Starting Pitcher: Jeff Hoffman
• Opponent: Charlotte Stone Crabs
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Chris Kirsch
• Avg Attendance to Date: 832
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 792
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 803
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 536
• Promotions (if any): None

No other games scheduled

Attendance Review: 2012 Bradenton Marauders

Welcome to our fourth attendance review of the Bradenton Marauders. This post continues our series of looking back at trends in Tampa Bay area fan behavior since 2007. Today we look at the home attendance of the 2012 Bradenton Marauders.

Overview: The Bradenton Marauders began play in the Florida State League in 2010. The Marauders play their home games at McKechnie Field. McKechnie Field is also the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2013, the population of Bradenton was 51,763.

Bradenton Marauders 2012:

Home Games: 69

Total attendance: 101,528 (down 0.9% from 2011: 102,491)

Per Game Average: 1,515 (down 0.98% from 2011: 1,530)

Highest attended game: 5,126 on Monday, June 18th vs St Lucie

Lowest attended game: 537 on Wednesday, May 30th vs Fort Myers

Double headers: 2 (July 14th, Aug 28th)

Cancellations: 1


Notable rehab assignments: None

Other notable appearances: None

Breakdown:

(red highlight = below annual average of 1,515)

Overall:

By Month:

The following graph depicts the average attendance by month.

By Day of the Week:

Marauders attendance increased 11.5% on the weekends compared to their average Monday through Thursday attendance.

• Mon-Thurs average attendance: 1,441
• Fri-Sun average attendance: 1,607
• Increase: 11.5%

The following graph depicts the average attendance by day.

The following chart shows how often each day outdrew the game prior.

By Opponent:

By Starting Pitcher:

The following chart depicts how attendance reacted from one starter to the next. If a pitcher is a great draw, the percentage between he and the prior starter should be higher.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 10, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, June 10, 2015:

Total Attendance: 11,973

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 29
• Attendance: 10,088
• Starting Pitcher: Erasmo Ramirez
• Opponent: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jared Weaver
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,389
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 10,853
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 11,736
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 14,382
• Promotions (if any): None
• Other local events: Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Watch Parties

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 29
• Opponent: Jupiter Hammerheads
• POSTPONED - Rain - Doubleheader scheduled for 6/11/2015

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 27
• Attendance: 558
• Starting Pitcher: Steven Brault
• Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Colin Kleven
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,703
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 558
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 937
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,944
• Promotions (if any): Marauders Fan Appreciation Day

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 31
• Attendance: 1,327
• Starting Pitcher: Jeremy Gabryszwski
• Opponent: Charlotte Stone Crabs
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Buddy Borden
• Avg Attendance to Date: 840
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 866
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 771
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 953
• Promotions (if any): Kids' Day

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 9, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Tuesday, June 9, 2015:

Total Attendance: 16,640

Tampa Bay Rays:

• Team Home Game #: 28
• Attendance: 11,617
• Starting Pitcher: Nathan Karns
• Opponent: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Matt Shoemaker
• Avg Attendance to Date: 14,542
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 11,617
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 11,975
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 13,263
• Promotions (if any): None
• Other local events: None

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 28
• Attendance: 723
• Starting Pitcher: Gabriel Encinas
• Opponent: Jupiter Hammerheads
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jarlin Garcia
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,757
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 756
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,090
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,383
• Promotions (if any): 2-for-1 Tuesday

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 27
• Attendance: 3,564
• Starting Pitcher: Mark Leiter
• Opponent: Bradenton Marauders
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Frank Duncan
• Avg Attendance to Date: 2,897
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,962
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,154
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,756
• Promotions (if any): $1 Tuesdays

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 30
• Attendance: 736
• Starting Pitcher: Luis Santos
• Opponent: Charlotte Stone Crabs
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Matt Moore
• Avg Attendance to Date: 824
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 636
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,472
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 642
• Promotions (if any): None

No other games scheduled

Using Game 27 trends to predict Tampa Bay Rays attendance

In the past, I looked at where the Rays were in their schedule as part of the monthly attendance reviews. However, with Game 27 the 1/3 point of the home schedule, I wanted to make this data it's own post. I think it is important enough to stand on it's own.

Here is the Rays average attendance through Game 27 of the 81 game home schedule.

The following graph depicts the chart.

Of course, when we look at the May attendance post, and we see how bad attendance was in May 2015, this is not surprising. But let's take this one step further, shall we?

Let's look at how Rays average attendance at Game 27 fares against annual average attendance. In other words, does attendance go up or down in the final 2/3 of the home schedule?

Outside of 2007 and 2008, there is very little change in Rays average attendance over the last 54 games of the home schedule. This may negate the well-worn "attendance goes up when kids are out of school" narrative. Attendance may go up in June, July, and early August, but it goes back down in late August and September, unless the Rays are in contention, which they were in 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2013.

Coincidentally, the same years attendance went up in the final 54 home games.

The following graph depicts the above chart.

Attendance at Game 27 seems to be a good indicator for what the final average attendance will be. Given this information, we can create a range of final expected average attendance for the Rays in 2015.

(Caution: not for the faint of heart.)

The highest post-Game 27 increase came in 2013. Using that 2.9% increase:

• 14,651 x 102.9% = 15,076
• 15,091 x 81 games = 1,221,156

The lowest post-Game 27 decrease came in 2014. Using that 3% decrease:

• 14,651 x 97% = 14,211
• 14,211 x 81 games = 1,151,129

A 3% decrease would be worse than Cork Gaines's recent prediction of 1.16 million. Either way, we are looking at a "best case" and a "worse case" difference of only 70,000 fans, depending on if the Rays are in contention for a playoff spot.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 8, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, June 8, 2015:

Total Attendance: 3,685

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 27
• Attendance: 789
• Starting Pitcher: Ivan Nova
• Opponent: Jupiter Hammerheads
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jose Adames
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,796
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 789
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 805
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 789
• Promotions (if any): Military Monday
• Other local events: Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup game watching party (Curtis Hixon Park)

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 26
• Attendance: 2,360
• Starting Pitcher: David Whitehead
• Opponent: Bradenton Marauders
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Cody Dickson
• Avg Attendance to Date: 2,869
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,360
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,674
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,817
• Promotions (if any): Wing Fest

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 29
• Attendance: 536
• Starting Pitcher: Jairo Labourt
• Opponent: Charlotte Stone Crabs
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: German Marquez
• Avg Attendance to Date: 827
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 536
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 528
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 792
• Promotions (if any): None

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Rays May 2015 Attendance Review

Welcome to our second monthly review of the Tampa Rays 2015 attendance. This post will look at attendance in games played from May 7, 2015 to May 27, 2015.

• Total May 2015 Tampa Bay Rays home attendance: 185,033
• May 2015 Home Games: 15
• Average attendance per game: 12,335
• Highest attendance: 20,943 on May 9th
• Lowest attendance: 8,701 on May 7th
• Average May game time (9 inning games only): 2 hours, 50 minutes
• Highest attended series: 55,869 vs Rangers, May 7-10
• Lowest attended series: 30,394 vs Mariners, May 25-27
• Competing events:
  
  • Tampa Bay Lightning home games: May 7, 12, 22, 26
  • Tampa Bay Storm home game: May 23
• Total Tampa Bay Minor League Baseball May attendance: 96,646
• Tampa Bay Minor League attendance per game: 1,895 (51 games)

Since 2007, average May attendance has been 10% below the annual average (18,174 vs 20,145). By average, May is the Rays worst drawing month.

Comparing May 2015 with previous years

The following chart compares May 2015 average attendance to average May attendance in recent years.

May 2015 per game average attendance was 29% worse (5,039 fans per game) than the May 2014 per game average. May 2015 was the worst May per game average since 2005 (11,469 per game).

Weekdays vs Weekends

Let's now look at the Rays May attendance on weekdays (Mon-Thurs) and weekends (Fri-Sun). As I have pointed out before, the Rays usually have one of the biggest differences in Major League Baseball in regards to weekday versus weekend attendance.

This chart shows the Rays average weekday attendance in May since 2007.

After a spike in 2010, Rays weekday attendance in May has decreased every year. Weekday attendance in May 2015 was the lowest it has been since 2007.

(May 2010 featured only six Rays home weekday games and three were against the Boston Red Sox when the Red Sox were a considerable draw.)

Despite the decrease, Rays May weekday attendance since 2010 is almost identical to Rays April weekday attendance since 2010, which as we saw in the April attendance review, has been very consistent.

• 2010-2015 Rays May Weekday avg attendance: 14,084
• 2010-2015 Rays April Weekday avg attendance: 14,037
  
  • (Does not include Opening Day.)

The following chart shows Rays average weekend attendance in May since 2007.

Rays 2015 average weekend attendance is considerably lower than their average weekend attendance since 2008. The 2015 average weekend attendance is the worst since 2006, when the team averaged 13,856 on weekends in May.

Prior to the 2015 decrease, Rays average May weekend attendance since 2008 was 23,403.

A predominant theory I have discussed here is the effect of the Tampa Bay Lightning games on Rays attendance. However, when we compare May 2015 to May 2011 - the last time the Lightning made a considerable run in the NHL Playoffs - we see the Rays did not suffer the same effect four years ago.

Rays May 2011 weekend attendance (average: 21,728):

Rays May 2015 weekend attendance (average: 15,066):

Similar amount of games, similar promotions, similar opponents, similar outside effects, yet far less fans in the seats. Perhaps there are immeasurable intangibles at play, such as frustration with the politics of the stadium situation, etc.

Conclusion:

As to be expected, the Tampa Bay Rays May attendance was low. How low it went was unexpected. Attendance in June should be greater than May attendance.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 7, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, June 7, 2015:

Total Attendance: 0

No area games scheduled.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 6, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Saturday, June 6, 2015:

Total Attendance: 3,460

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 26
• Attendance: 3,460
• Starting Pitcher: Jonathan Holder
• Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Victor Arano
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,837
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,446
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 2,468
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 3,211
• Promotions (if any): Fireworks / Food truck rally
• Other local events:
  
  • Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Final - Amalie Arena - Attendance: 19,204
  • Tampa Bay Rowdies - Al Lang Stadium - Attendance: 4,961

No other area games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 5, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Friday, June 5, 2015:

Total Attendance: 2,487

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 25
• Attendance: 1,553
• Starting Pitcher: Chaz Hebert
• Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Yacksel Rios
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,769
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,044
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,725
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,141
• Promotions (if any): Derek Jeter keychain giveaway
• Other local events: None

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 26
• Attendance: 1,254
• Starting Pitcher: Jayson Acquino
• Opponent: Fort Myers Miracle
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Chih-Wei Hu
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,747
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 875
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,744
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,321
• Promotions (if any): Free shirt/ Happy Hour Friday

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 4, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Thursday, June 4, 2015:

Total Attendance: 1,254

Tampa Yankees:

• Team Home Game #: 24
• Attendance: 1,254
• Starting Pitcher: Rookie Davis
• Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Colin Kleven
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,778
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 916
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,094
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,555
• Promotions (if any): Throwback Thursday
• Other local events: None

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 3, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Wednesday, June 3, 2015:

Total Attendance: 1,324

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 28
• Attendance: 615
• Starting Pitcher: Luis Santos
• Opponent: Clearwater Threshers
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Brandon Leibrant
• Avg Attendance to Date: 838
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 880
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 585
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 626
• Promotions (if any): None
• Other local events: Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Finals - Amalie Arena - Attendance: 19,204

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 25
• Attendance: 709
• Starting Pitcher: Frank Duncan
• Opponent: St Lucie Mets
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Kevin McGowan
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,780
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,672
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,032
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,860
• Promotions (if any): Marauder's Fan Appreciation Day

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 2, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Tuesday, June 2, 2015:

Total Attendance: 2,713

Clearwater Threshers:

• Team Home Game #: 25
• Attendance: 2,055
• Starting Pitcher: Mark Leiter
• Opponent: Dunedin Blue Jays
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jairo Laubert
• Avg Attendance to Date: 2,891
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 3,163
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,072
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 2,993
• Promotions (if any): $1 Tuesday
• Other local events: None

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 24
• Attendance: 658
• Starting Pitcher: Cody Dickson
• Opponent: St Lucie Mets
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Rob Whalen
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,825
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,864
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 873
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,077
• Promotions (if any):

No other games scheduled

Rays giving away tickets while Lightning are in Stanley Cup Finals

As I have written before, the Rays are getting pummeled in the market by the continued success of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Here is an updated look at Rays attendance as the Lightning continued in the NHL playoffs.

• Rays avg attendance prior to NHL Playoffs (pre-April 16): 19,506
• Rays avg attendance during NHL Playoffs Round 1 (April 16-29): 16,891
• Rays avg attendance during NHL Playoffs Round 2 (May 1-15): 12,601
• Rays avg attendance during NHL Playoffs Round 3 (May 16-Present): 12,032

A few weeks ago, the Tampa Bay Times reported the Rays were selling tickets for $7 each for the remaining games of their last May homestand. This of course did not include the Rays horrible "walk-up" fee, which is part of their equally poor "dynamic pricing" ticket model. The walk-up fee was an additional $3, unless fans bought their ticket five hours before the game.

(Note: I can't write enough how utterly ridiculous and disappointing the dynamic pricing concept is. Personally, I like to pay cash at the ballpark. I don't buy my ticket until I get there. So last week I was penalized a 30% markup because I decided at the last minute to join 9,600 other people at Tropicana Field.)

To my knowledge, the Rays are no longer offering $7 tickets. But once their June 9th homestand begins, they will be giving certain tickets away. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times:

The team on Monday launched a summer-long Rays Up for Our Community campaign that includes PSA and player/manager participation to help community agencies and partners.

As part of the program, the Rays also will potentially give away in excess of 22,000 free tickets, providing each of the approximate 5,600 Pinellas County high school seniors who graduate at the Trop this week with a voucher for four tickets during the June 9-16 homestand.

That means, given the eight game homestand, the Rays will give out 2,750 tickets per game. If these students were not planning to go to Tropicana Field prior to receiving tickets, they are now included as additional attendance.

Of course, the Tampa Bay Lightning are also playing in the Stanley Cup Finals from June 3 to June 17. The Rays and Lightning both play on Saturday, June 13. That will be Game 5 of the NHL finals, so there is a chance of series victory.

If the Rays equal their lowest attendance of the year, 8,701 on May 7th, with the additional 2,750, that would mean 11,451 tickets sold or distributed. Although the Rays say they don't care about attendance, they may be embarrassed when attendance is under 10,000. Giving away 2,750 tickets per game ensures the Rays attendance will be over 10,000 per game while the Tampa Bay Lightning are playing for hockey immortality.

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - June 1, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Monday, June 1, 2015:

Total Attendance: 942

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 27
• Attendance: 442
• Starting Pitcher: Murphy Smith
• Opponent: Tampa Yankees
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jonathan Holder
• Avg Attendance to Date: 846
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,139
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 526
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 671
• Promotions (if any): None
• Other local events: None

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 23
• Attendance: 500
• Starting Pitcher: Luis Heredia
• Opponent: Jupiter Hammerheads
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Jose Adames
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,875
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,100
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 3,141
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,210
• Promotions (if any):

No other games scheduled

Tampa Bay Baseball Attendance Report - May 31, 2015

Tampa Bay baseball attendance for Sunday, May 31, 2015:

Total Attendance: 2,365

Dunedin Blue Jays:

• Team Home Game #: 26
• Attendance: 453
• Starting Pitcher: Jeff Hoffman
• Opponent: Tampa Yankees
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Chaz Hebert
• Avg Attendance to Date: 861
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 1,278
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 533
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 521
• Promotions (if any): None
• Other local events: None

Bradenton Marauders:

• Team Home Game #: 22
• Attendance: 1,912
• Starting Pitcher: Jayson Acquino
• Opponent: Jupiter Hammerheads
• Opponent Starting Pitcher: Scott Lyman
• Avg Attendance to Date: 1,938
• Avg Attendance vs Opponent: 2,420
• Avg Attendance per Day of the Week: 1,482
• Avg Attendance for Starting Pitcher: 1,450
• Promotions (if any): Family Fun Sunday

No other games scheduled