Thursday, March 31, 2016

TomTom Traffic Index 2016 and the effect on baseball in Tampa Bay

Every year, TomTom.com releases traffic congestion study for the entire world. They look at traffic jams and gridlock and rate all the world's cities on a gigantic scale.

If you have driven in the Tampa Bay area, you know Tampa Bay had to make the US list somewhere. While 98th most congested in the world, Tampa is the 15th most congested city in America, slightly better than Atlanta, Boston, and San Diego, but worse than Orlando, Philadelphia, and Baton Rogue.

Here is TomTom's latest Tampa rating.




For those who don't want to embiggen the graphic, here is the important data:

Traffic in Tampa adds an additional 24% to traffic time. So if traveling 60 minutes, add an additional 15 during congested times. Highways add only 15%, but non-highway roads add 27%. The average extra travel time in the Tampa Bay area is 27 minutes per day due to traffic.

I'll be using these numbers in conjunction with the zip code distance data to figure how far fans have to travel and how long it takes them to get to baseball.

According to TomTom, the most congested day of 2015 was Wednesday, June 10th.

On June 10th, the Rays played the Angels in front of 10,088 fans. At the time, it was the third lowest attended game of the year.

Also on June 10, the Bradenton Marauders drew 558 fans to their game against the Clearwater Threshers.

But all was not terrible. The Dunedin Blue Jays held a day game that day with a Camp Day promotion. The Jays avoidance of traffic times and promotion allowed them to draw 1,327, their fifth highest attendance of 2015.

Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 33710

Continuing our deep-dive into the most populated zip codes in the Tampa Bay area. We will look at who lives there, how much money they have, what baseball teams they root for, and how far they are to baseball.

Statistics are acquired via census.gov, Facebook/New York Times study, Google Maps.

Assumptions: We are assuming two things. 1) The population of baseball fans is 50% of the total population. 2) The same ratio of fans who "like" a team on Facebook holds for the rest of the population.

Without further ado, Zip Code 33710:




The red outline is zip code 33710. The red dot is Tropicana Field.

Demographic breakdown:
  • Estimated Population: 32,780
  • Median Income: $51,277
  • Average Age: 44.1
  • White: 28,818 (87.9%)
  • Black: 1,350 (4.1%)
  • Hispanic: 2,553 (7.8%)
  • Rays fans: 9,670 (59% of baseball fans)
  • Yankees fans: 1,311 (8% of baseball fans)
  • Red Sox fans: 1,147 (7% of baseball fans)
  • Distance to Tropicana Field: 5.8 miles
  • Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 23.0 miles
  • Distance to Bright House Field: 12.9 miles
  • Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 17.5 miles
  • Distance to McKechnie Field: 30.2 miles
  • Distance to Toytown: 11.0 miles
  • Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 25.1 miles

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Tampa Bay baseball team Veteran and Military Promotions

As I have written before, Tampa Bay is a hub for military personnel. Due to MacDill Air Force Base and many retirees in the region, Tampa Bay ranks alongside San Diego, Washington DC, and Baltimore as the most military-populated baseball regions.

This year, nearly every team in the region has military-themed promotions.

The Rays have narrowed their Military Honor Pass to a Military Monday Promotion. According to the Rays website:
For all active-duty military, retired and honorably discharged veterans, the Rays will offer two free tickets for all Monday home games and eight additional bonus dates throughout the season.

The Florida State League is also heavily promoting recognition of military and veterans. The league recently announced the creation of the Charles K. Murphy Patriot Award. According to an FSL press release:

This award is named after the "longtime Florida State League president and U.S. Army veteran who passed away Feb. 21, 2015, at the age of 83. The award will recognize an individual or club for its outstanding support of military branches and level of engagement with veterans."

Bradenton Marauders are recognizing military personnel and veterans through a Military Appreciation Night on June 11th and includes a Military Heroes Baseball Card Set giveaway. Through a nomination process, fans can see their favorite local military personnel on a baseball card.

In Clearwater, the Threshers will be hosting Veterans and Military Appreciation Night on June 4.

Although the Tampa Yankees have not yet announced their promotion schedule, they have hosted Military Mondays for several years. This promotion usually allows military personnel in to Steinbrenner Field for free. This post will be updated when the Tampa Yankees promotion schedule is released.

Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 34208

Continuing our deep-dive into the most populated zip codes in the Tampa Bay area. We will look at who lives there, how much money they have, what baseball teams they root for, and how far they are to baseball.

Statistics are acquired via census.gov, Facebook/New York Times study, Google Maps.

Assumptions: We are assuming two things. 1) The population of baseball fans is 50% of the total population. 2) The same ratio of fans who "like" a team on Facebook holds for the rest of the population.

Without further ado, Zip Code 34208:




The red outline is zip code 34208. The red dot is Tropicana Field.

Demographic breakdown:

  • Estimated Population: 33,121

  • Median Income: $39,168

  • Average Age: 33.6

  • White: 20,118 (60.7%)

  • Black: 7,982 (24.1%)

  • Hispanic: 8,976 (27.1%)

  • Rays fans: 7,783 (47% of baseball fans)

  • Yankees fans: 1,987 (12% of baseball fans)

  • Red Sox fans: 1,325 (8% of baseball fans)

  • Distance to Tropicana Field: 32.0 miles

  • Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 47.7 miles

  • Distance to Bright House Field: 44.4 miles

  • Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 50.0 miles

  • Distance to McKechnie Field: 4.6 miles

  • Distance to Toytown: 38.9 miles

  • Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 46.2 miles

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Tampa Tribune praises Steinbrenner Field, says taxpayers should spendmore



There was a very puzzling editorial in the Tampa Tribune on Saturday. Entitled "A home run for the economy", the editorial praised the Yankees and the presence of Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

The premise of the article is that Steinbrenner Field was built with taxpayer money and has been a boon to the local economy, so taxpayers should feel ok with spending other tax dollars on other sports stadiums.

The article had some correct facts, some conjecture, some leaps of faith, and some downright laughable claims. And one mysterious study that goes unnamed and uncited.

Let's take this apart piece-by-piece:
When all was said and done, the county spent about $36 million on the top-of the-line stadium at the corner of Dale Mabry Highway and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. It’s been a massive success ever since. Indeed, after their Tampa spring debut in 1996, the Yankees were to go on to win the World Series.

Fact. Steinbrenner Field cost taxpayers $36 million. Also a fact, in 1991, when the Yankees were considering moving from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa, they were the most valuable sports franchise in America. The Yankees didn't pay a dime for their new spring digs. The team is now worth over $3 billion and has also received a heavily taxpayer-funded baseball palace from the City of New York.

And is the Tampa Tribune insinuating the reason the Yankees won the World Series was that they started play in Steinbrenner Field?

Another fact: in 2006, the Yankees received another 7.5 million in tax dollars to help expand Steinbrenner Field. At the time, the Yankees were worth 1 billion dollars.

Another fact: in 1992, the expansion Florida Marlins pushed the minor league Miami Miracle and the Fort Lauderdale Yankees from their homes. According to MLB Territorial Rule 52, MLB teams have to compensate Minor League teams before forcing them out of their location. According to the NY Times, the minor league teams wanted too much and the Marlins never paid.

(Foreshadowing the possibility of a Rays move closer to Steinbrenner Field?)

The Fort Lauderdale Yankees ended up in Tampa and the NY Yankees moved their spring training a few years later. The Yankees also claimed it was because they did not have enough room for their desired facilities in Fort Lauderdale.

Let's continue with the Tribune editorial:
The spring games routinely sell out and attract Northern visitors who come specifically to see their favorite team.
What is routinely? This season, the Yankees have sold out four of 14 games. That's 29%. While more than the Rays, it is far less than the Lightning. Additionally, the Yankees four sell-outs have been against the following teams:
  • Mets - attracting additional Tampa area NYers
  • Phillies - attracting tourists staying in Clearwater
  • Blue Jays - attracting tourists staying in Dunedin
  • Rays - attracting locals who root for the local Major League team

Steinbrenner Field does not routinely sell-out due to Yankees fans. While it routinely averages over 10,000 fans per game, sell-outs happen mostly because of the additional fanbases of other local teams.

The Tribune continues:
An economic impact study estimated the total direct expenses by attendees at Yankees’ spring training games in 2015 was $95.5 million, with most of that coming from out-of-state visitors who stayed overnight in the region.

The study estimated the overall economic impact at $162 million.

What economic study? I've never seen these numbers in my three years of writing this blog. If the Tribune editors are going to write "an economic study", they should cite who wrote it. Was it from a consulting firm, an academic, or was it from the Steinbrenners? It could have been from a Tribune intern for all we know.

What the Tribune also doesn't mention is the in-state visitors who come to see the Yankees. They are conveniently forgotten. Nevermind the fact that the Yankees are the most popular team from Orlando eastward. Are they all really out-of-staters or might some be in-staters from other counties?

In 2014, Jeff Ostrowski of the Palm Beach Post eviscerated the idea that Spring Training is good for local economies. According to Ostrowski,
In Florida markets that have no spring training or lost teams, tourism spending jumped 21 percent from March 2008 to March 2013, according to a Palm Beach Post analysis of data from the state Office of Economic & Demographic Research. In the metro areas that host the Grapefruit League’s 15 teams, tourism spending rose only 15 percent during the same time.
and
But Tampa Bay, home to the state’s richest concentration of spring training with three teams, saw March tourism spending rise a mere 9 percent over five years.
Ostrowski also wrote about the impact on local hotels.
Hotel data from research firm STR showed an even more pronounced trend. Combined hotel revenue for Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Naples jumped 30 percent from March 2008 to March 2013. Revenue for Tampa, Orlando and Palm Beach County, three markets that host a combined seven Grapefruit League teams, increased only 7 percent.
After citing how awesome Steinbrenner Field is for the local economy, the Tribune editors then bash academic studies that claim taxpayer funding for stadiums is a bad idea.

What the Tribune doesn't realize is that trust in the media is 51% and trust in academics is 70%, according to the Edelmann Trust Barometer. Good luck fighting that fight.

Then there are these two highly irrelevant statements:
Any arguments about economic numbers ignores the reality that professional sport facilities can make the region more interesting and fun. And it is worth noting that the Steinbrenner family supports countless good causes throughout the region.

Tampa Bay has beaches and amusement parks and aquariums and movie theaters and Major League sports facilities. How much does a Spring Training complex that hosts 10 games for one month a year contribute to the overall "interesting and fun" measurement of the 20th largest metro area in the US?

Pull some numbers out on that. I'll wait.

And yes, the Steinbrenners have been great for charity causes in Tampa Bay. There is no doubting that. It is an irrefutable fact. But do you know who else has been a great contributor to local charities?

The Tampa Bay Rays.

Therein lies the biggest problem with the editorial: it completely ignores the region's Major League team. How are the Rays supposed to be the region's team when the local newspaper celebrates the presence of other teams in the region? If the Yankees Spring Training is such an great economic driver, why should fans go to Rays games? According to the Tribune, they should spend their money on the Steinbrenner product.

Isn't the premise of the article to soften fans on the idea of spending public dollars on a new stadium? Wouldn't that stadium be for the Rays? So the premise is using the Yankees' success as a reason to spend money on the Rays.

Of course, fans that do spend their money at Steinbrenner Field are not spending their money at Tropicana Field. And the Rays struggle with attendance, which the Tampa Tribune has written about several times - even quoting me on occasion.

Money spent on another product is money not spent on the Rays. Even if it is tourists. Instead of coming down to Florida in March, could the same New York family visit Tampa Bay in from April to September to see Yankees visit Tropicana Field or Stadium X when it gets built?

Maybe the importance of Steinbrenner Field and the reason the Tribune wrote about the stadium is in this quote about George Steinbrenner by longtime Tribune writer Tom McEwen:
“When George arrived here, he aligned himself with the old Tampa people,” said Tom McEwen, a sports columnist with the Tampa Tribune and a longtime friend of Mr. Steinbrenner. “Lawyers and judges and mayors-people of influence and people of substance, longtime Tampa families. They’re friends of his.”

Money and power still hold sway.

Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 33619

Continuing our deep-dive into the most populated zip codes in the Tampa Bay area. We will look at who lives there, how much money they have, what baseball teams they root for, and how far they are to baseball.

Statistics are acquired via census.gov, Facebook/New York Times study, Google Maps.

Assumptions: We are assuming two things. 1) The population of baseball fans is 50% of the total population. 2) The same ratio of fans who "like" a team on Facebook holds for the rest of the population.

Without further ado, Zip Code 33619:



The red outline is zip code 33619. The red dot is Tropicana Field.

Demographic breakdown:
  • Estimated Population: 34,581
  • Median Income: $32,868
  • Average Age: 33.9
  • White: 17,395 (50.3%)
  • Black: 13,147 (38%)
  • Hispanic: 10,096 (29.2%)
  • Rays fans: 9,164 (53% of baseball fans)
  • Yankees fans: 3,112 (18% of baseball fans)
  • Red Sox fans: 1,210 (7% of baseball fans)
  • Distance to Tropicana Field: 30.4 miles
  • Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 13.0 miles
  • Distance to Bright House Field: 26.9 miles
  • Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 32.4 miles
  • Distance to McKechnie Field: 39.8 miles
  • Distance to Toytown: 22.8 miles
  • Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 8.0 miles

Monday, March 28, 2016

Tampa Bay Minor League Teams announce promotion schedules

As we get closer to the end of Spring Training, we are inching closer and closer to the beginning of the start of the Florida State League season. The start of Minor League Baseball seasons means promotions - days and nights of interesting promotions.

For the most part, promotions are the lifeblood of Minor League Baseball attendance. Fans go to games for the casual environment. Wins aren't as important at the Minor League level and rarely are big names - whether a rehabbing MLB player or a hyped minor leaguer - a draw in the Florida State League.

Over the last few weeks, most of the Florida State Leagues in the Tampa Bay area have released their promotion schedules. This post does not include each ballparks' daily promotions which include $1 days, thirsty Thursdays, family Sundays, etc.

Bradenton Marauders

This year the Marauders are promoting an all-you-can-eat ticket package. The team is offering different three different five game plans that include a hat, a bobblehead, the five games, and all-you-can-eat at the ballpark. Each plan covers different additional promotions such as Military Appreciation Night, Super Hero Night, or Star Wars Night.

Individual promotions on the Marauders schedule include:
  • Fireworks: April 9th, May 27th, July 2nd, Aug 27th
  • Fan Appreciation Day: May 27th, Aug 27th
  • Military Appreciation Night: June 11th
  • Star Wars Night: July 23rd

Clearwater Threshers

The Threshers typically have the most extensive promotions schedule. They often feature post-game concerts and frequent fireworks nights. This year, they open with a promotion celebrating their 2 millionth fan.

Individual promotions on the Threshers schedule include:
  • Opening Night / 2 Millionth Fan Promotion on April 8
  • Star Wars Night on April 23
  • Super Hero Night on August 20.
  • Pitch for Pink on July 23
  • Prostate Cancer Awareness Night on September 2
  • Faith and Family Night with a concert by The Afters on May 20
  • Motorcycle Night by Cycle Springs on May 21
  • Veterans and Military Appreciation Night on June 4
  • Independence Day Fireworks on July 2 and 3

Dunedin Blue Jays

The Dunedin Blue Jays usually have the smallest promotion schedule and rarely schedule the daily promotions other local teams do. But they often have the most creative promotions, such as Turn Back the Clock Day and Guinness World Record attempts. The D-Jays also often partner with local breweries and food trucks.

Individual promotions on the Dunedin Blue Jays schedule include:
  • Mascot Night - April 9th
  • Food Truck Rally - May 14th
  • Superhero Night - May 28th
  • Princesses and Pirates Night - June 11th
  • Post-game Fireworks - July 3rd
  • Beer, Bacon, and Fireworks - July 15th
  • Back to School Fireworks - Aug 27th
  • Fan Appreciation Day - Sep 1st

Tampa Yankees

To date, the Tampa Yankees have no yet released their promotions schedule. They have released their season ticket package. This post will be updated when the Yankees promotions are announced.

Friday, March 25, 2016

Yankees Spring Game Outdraws 25% of Rays Games, Includes Jameis Winston



Last night, the Yankees hosted the Rays in a spring training match up at Steinbrenner Field. The Rays won the contest 6-2, thanks in part to an Evan Longoria home run and two RBIs by Logan Morrison.

But the bigger stories from a business perspective are how well the game did in the seats and what famous draw was present. We will start with the attendance perspective and then talk about the first pitch.

Thursday's game at Steinbrenner Field drew 11,159 fans. Last year, the Yankees averaged 10,113 per spring training game, so the game against the Rays was higher than their previous average. More importantly or unfortunately (depending on your perspective), in 2015, the Rays Thursday attendance was 11,211 - a difference of only 52 fans. On Thursday, May 14th 2015, the Rays hosted the Yankees at the Trop in front of 11,977 fans - a difference of 818 fans.

So in these cases, the difference between a Major League game and a Spring Training game between the same teams in the same market on the same day of the week is less than 1,000 fans.

Last night's game at Steinbrenner Field also had a higher attendance than 20 Rays home games in 2015. Since the Rays played 81 games at the Trop (not including the relocated Orioles games), the Rays vs Yankees at Steinbrenner Field outdrew 25% of the Rays home games in 2015.

The Rays are the only team in Spring Training where a team goes closer to their home ballpark for a road game. Such the oddity that is the Tampa Bay baseball market.

Now as for who was present ...

Last year, I wrote about Jameis Winston's admission of Yankees fandom. I said it was not the best PR move if he were drafted by the Bucs. I also wondered if the Rays would invite Jameis to throw out the first pitch at Tropicana Field on FSU Day.

Although Jameis did catch the first pitch throw by FSU Head Coach Jimbo Fisher, he did not throw out the first pitch at a Rays game, despite being the Tampa Bay Bucs first overall pick in the NFL Draft. While other top draft picks threw out first pitches for their local teams, Jameis was conspicuously absent.

At the time, I worried that the Rays would miss out on Jameis. At the time, I wrote:
What if the Rays wait too long and Jameis receives an invite to throw out the first pitch for the Tampa Yankees, Clearwater Threshers, Dunedin Blue Jays, or Bradenton Marauders? These teams usually don’t do “alumni nights”, but the allure of Jameis Winston might be unavoidable for Minor League marketers. A worst case scenario might be if the Rays don’t invite Jameis at all this season, and the Yankees invite him next spring training. Jameis surely won’t turn down an invite to socialize with his favorite team.

Sure enough, the Yankees invited Jameis to throw out the first pitch in a game against the Rays. Whether they admit it or not, this is a slap in the face for the Rays, who can't win the heart of the starting quarterback of their own region. While Tampa Bay Lightning players have thrown out the first pitch, Bucs coaches have thrown out the first pitch, and even other Bucs players have thrown out the first pitch at Tropicana Field, the Rays lost the most popular Bucs player to the team that trains in their market.

That's second fiddle.

So much for "Team Tampa Bay".

(Photo credit from TBO.com)

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Why Jeter joining the Rays ownership group is a bad idea



When the announcement was made that retired Yankees star Derek Jeter was joining MLB and the Rays on their trip to Cuba, I cringed. While Derek Jeter is a great ambassador for the game and will be a first ballot Hall of Famer, he did not need to go to Cuba. There was no reason for him to be there. It would only reduce the Rays attention and exposure and hinder Cuban baseball fans from focusing their attention on Rays players. In an attempt to create a bond between the Cuban people and the team from Tampa Bay, Derek Jeter - Yankee immortal - would only get in the way.

A few days later, Cork Gaines of Rays Index wrote a post that rekindled the old rumor that Derek Jeter might eventually want to buy into the Rays ownership group. Cork wrote that Jeter joining the Rays contingent would add to the speculations and the rumor. Cork was right.

Yesterday, Buster Olney of ESPN wrote a piece on ESPN.com putting the Jeter-Rays rumors on the national stage. According to Olney,
After it was announced that Jeter would be part of Major League Baseball's entourage to Cuba, there was a fair amount of buzz within the industry that this might be the latest indication that Jeter will eventually but inevitably join the Tampa Bay Rays' ownership group.

This rumor needs to die. It needs to die a slow, agonizing, torturous death. It needs to be sent to the Great Pit of Carkoon, home of the almighty Sarlaac, and slowly digested for a thousand years.

It is a horrible, horrible idea that serves no purpose other than to promote the career of Derek Jeter. It will not help the Tampa Bay Rays in any local fashion.

While Derek Jeter has made his home in Tampa, he has no affiliation with the Tampa Bay Rays. He has never played for the Rays, nor was he ever been part of the Rays organization.

Derek Jeter is a Yankee. He will always be affiliated with the Yankees. The Yankees, of course, are division rivals with the Rays. The Yankees also happen to spring train in the Rays market. So where will Jeter's loyalties be? Will he attend Yankees spring training games?

Will he denounce his Yankees background?

That has zero chance of happening.

Jeter will also do nothing to win over new Rays fans. Yankees fans whose fandoms are generational will not root for the Rays because Jeter owns them. To think that is foolish. What is the motivation? Tampa area Yankees fans will still go to Tropicana Field or Stadium X when the Yankees visit and root against the Rays. Because that's what they do as Yankees fans.

As a matter of fact, Jeter's affiliation with the Rays could have an opposite effect. It could turn off Rays fans who dislike the fact that the Rays had to piggyback on the Yankees identity in order to forge their own. That the Rays had to make themselves the Tampa Bay Yankees led by a Yankee great.

It's bad enough the Rays host the Ted Williams Museum, a museum that is a tribute to perhaps the greatest Boston Red Sox player ever. To affiliate themselves with an all-time Yankee would be to tie themselves to another team's legacy.

Olney writes that Jeter would be a great fit "in the same way that Magic Johnson was the right guy to be part of the Dodgers' new ownership group in L.A.", but there is a big difference. Derek Jeter did not play his career in Tampa Bay. Magic Johnson is perhaps the most popular player in Lakers history. By this logic, Jeter should join the Steinbrenners in Yankees ownership.

What if Jeter had retired to San Diego? Would Olney, et al talk about him buying the Padres?

Some may bring up Steve Yzerman's relationship with the Lightning as proof Jeter to the Rays makes sense. But Yzerman had been retired for nearly four years and held several front office positions before joining the Lightning as GM. The Lightning also only play the Red Wings at home twice a season. The Rays play the Yankees at least nine times. The Red Wings also don't train in the Tampa Bay area.

Imagine if the Red Wings trained in Clearwater, over 30% of Tampa residents were from Detroit, and local media covered the Red Wings ownership as if they would locals. In that case, the hiring of Steve Yzerman would have been interpreted differently.

Others may point to Don Mattingly managing the Florida Marlins as an example of bring the Yankees prestige to another team. But there is a big difference. Yankees fans in South Florida could root for Mattingly to do well in the National League while they root for their Yankees in the American League. The two teams hardly ever cross paths.

The Tampa Bay Rays have had enough trouble forging their own identity and creating a fanbase. Affiliating themselves with Derek Jeter would be a huge mistake. If the Rays are going to sell ownership stake to a local athlete, they would be better off selling to Hulk Hogan.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 32403

Continuing our deep-dive into the most populated zip codes in the Tampa Bay area. We will look at who lives there, how much money they have, what baseball teams they root for, and how far they are to baseball.

Statistics are acquired via census.gov, Facebook/New York Times study, Google Maps.

Assumptions: We are assuming two things. 1) The population of baseball fans is 50% of the total population. 2) The same ratio of fans who "like" a team on Facebook holds for the rest of the population.

Without further ado, Zip Code 34203:



The red outline is zip code 34203. The red dot is Tropicana Field.

Demographic breakdown:
  • Estimated Population: 34,682
  • Median Income: $46,676
  • Average Age: 44.1
  • White: 26,996 (77.4%)
  • Black: 3,322 (9.5%)
  • Hispanic: 7,610 (21.8%)
  • Rays fans: 7,495 (43% of baseball fans)
  • Yankees fans: 2,440 (14% of baseball fans)
  • Red Sox fans: 1,394 (8% of baseball fans)
  • Distance to Tropicana Field: 30.3 miles
  • Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 49.9 miles
  • Distance to Bright House Field: 46.6 miles
  • Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 52.2 miles
  • Distance to McKechnie Field: 5.9 miles
  • Distance to Toytown: 37.2 miles
  • Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 50.7 miles

Monday, March 21, 2016

Tampa Tribune article details Tampa Cuba baseball connection



While the Rays travel to Havana to play the Cuban National Team and most of the focus is appropriately on the warming of relations between the US and Cuba, Paul Guzzo of the Tampa Tribune wrote a great article that looked internally at the baseball connection between Cuba and Tampa.

From the earliest days of Tampa baseball in the 1890s to the 1950s, baseball teams traveled from Tampa to Cuba and back. These games drew thousands in both cities. When the Castro government took over, baseball between Tampa and Cuba ended.

While stories about the game and explorations of Havana are important, this was the type of article I was hoping to see. As I have mentioned in a previous post, "some zip codes in Tampa are nearly 20% Cuban. and according to Wikipedia, over 80,000 Cubans live in Tampa. That’s 2.8% of the Tampa Bay population of 2.8 million".

Check out Paul Guzzo's article "Tampa, Cuba have a history that was forged on baseball diamond" for a great insight into history.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Has Rays Corporate Support Decreased?

Corporate support to professional sports teams is essential for the long term success of franchises. Some teams do very well in this area. According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the Tampa Bay Lightning are one example:

The team's strategy of focusing its sponsorship efforts on a smaller number of partners better aligned with the team's brand has paid off, with sponsorship revenue up 40 percent since 2013. The overall number of sponsors has been cut in half since Jeff Vinik bought the team in 2010.

The Lightning said Tuesday that it has signed 23 new sponsors this season and renewed 21 from last year. The team has a total of 120 sponsors, down from 240 five years ago, said Bill Abercrombie, executive vice president of sponsorship.
"We’re in a good place," he said. "You’re always looking to be better, but I couldn’t be more pleased with the local support."

Even with their great corporate support, the Lightning are still ranked towards the bottom the NHL, according to Jim Andrews of IEG Research.

If the Lightning are doing well and still nowhere near the top of their league, imagine the plight of the Tampa Bay Rays.

In 2009, the ABC Coalition reported that the Rays corporate support was the mirror opposite of the average Major League team. According to the Tampa Bay Times,

In most major league markets, businesses buy two-thirds of the season tickets. The Rays won't release specific figures, but say businesses buy only one-third of their season tickets.

This 66% public to 33% private ratio was the accepted line for years.


Yesterday, however, the Tampa Bay Times reported a different figure. According to Richard Danielson,

Typically, Major League Baseball teams get about 70 percent of their support from businesses and 30 percent from individuals.

In the Tampa Bay area, that ratio is reversed.
Where did Danielson get the new number from? Granted, 33% to 30% is only a decrease of 3%, but when you are accounting for millions of dollars, 3% makes a difference. Especially when the team has reported 33% for seven years.

If Danielson is correct, then the Rays are now claiming corporate support has decreased between 2009 and 2016.

But then why did Stu Sternberg say two weeks earlier that the ratio was still 66/33? Is 70/30 part of the Rays new strategy to plead their case for a new stadium location? Or was it a rounding error by the Tampa Bay Times?

It is very possible the Rays have lost corporate support in a seven year span. Here is where we might see the toxic environment of the stadium situation looming over the Rays.

Currently, the Lightning are the "in" sports team and Bucs are an established presence. But what about the Rays?

Why would corporate sponsors and corporate season ticket holders want to be involved with the Rays? From a devil's advocate perspective, the team plays on the fringes of the Tampa Bay area with low attendance numbers and the specter of relocation looming overhead. Additionally, the Yankees, Tampa Bay Storm, and even Clearwater Threshers provide advertising and sponsorship alternatives. Last but not least, doing business with the Lightning may mean chumming with Jeff Vinik and his vision of a new downtown. Stu Sternberg still lives in New York.

Think about the Lightning strategy - small number of partners more aligned with the team's brand. Can the Rays do that? In the battle for sponsors, the Rays seem to be scrambling with several other entities for what they can get.

Like growing the fanbase, there may be a lack of incentive to do business with the Rays.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Bright House Field sets Spring Training Attendance record

Yesterday, the Tampa Bay Rays visited Clearwater to play the Phillies in a St Patrick's day matinee at Bright House Field. In attendance were 11,222 fans - a new Spring Training record for Bright House Field. The facility's previous record was 10,724 set on March 22, 2010 in a 2009 World Series rematch between the Phillies and the Yankees.

The Clearwater Threshers regular season record attendance is 9,966, set on July 3, 2015.

Last year, the Rays also visited the Phillies on St Patrick's Day. That game drew 9,572, 1,650 fewer fans than 2016. The Phillies average spring training attendance last year was 7,967, 1,605 fewer than their St. Patrick's Day attendance.

Through 3/17, the Phillies Spring Training average attendance was 7,931.

We can expect Phillies Spring Training games against the Rays to draw better than games against almost any other team, as the Rays' regular season fan base is in Clearwater and the surrounding Tampa Bay metro area. Rays fans, like other fans, are eager to see baseball, and will spend their money to root on their favorite team, even if they are the road team.

It's good to have some positive attendance news coming out of the Tampa Bay baseball market. Not surprised the news involves Clearwater, where the single game record was broken in 2015 and the team finished second in all-time Florida State League attendance in 2014.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Tampa Yankees add Cuban Legend to coaching staff

A few years ago, I wrote about a TBO.com article describing the arrival of legendary Cuban baseball player Antonio Pacheco to Tampa. Pacheco was a member of multiple Cuban National Teams and a two-time gold medal winner.

Since retiring from the field, Pacheco moved to the coaching side of the game.

In my 2014 article, I discussed how hiring Pacheco would be a great move for one of the local teams.
If the Rays don’t invite Pecheco to Tropicana Field, the Tampa Yankees should definitely seize the opportunity, as they are the closest team to Ybor City and the Cuban-American community.

Sure enough, I was right. Last season, the Yankees signed Pacheco to work with their Gulf Coast Yankees instructional team. This year, he has been promoted to the coaching staff of the Tampa Yankees.

Not only does Pacheco bring years of baseball knowledge to the Tampa Yankees, he is also an attraction for the Cuban community. With relations starting to warm, and the Rays playing an exhibition against the Cuban National Team next week, the baseball connection between Tampa and Cuba is growing strong again.

I'm curious how the Yankees will employ Pacheco. Will he be only a coach or will he be an ambassador for the team?

Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 33604

Continuing our deep-dive into the most populated zip codes in the Tampa Bay area. We will look at who lives there, how much money they have, what baseball teams they root for, and how far they are to baseball.

Statistics are acquired via census.gov, Facebook/New York Times study, Google Maps.

Assumptions: We are assuming two things. 1) The population of baseball fans is 50% of the total population. 2) The same ratio of fans who "like" a team on Facebook holds for the rest of the population.

Without further ado, Zip Code 33604:




The red outline is zip code 33604. The red dot is Tropicana Field.

Demographic breakdown:
  • Estimated Population: 35,485
  • Median Income: $32,224
  • Average Age: 36.8
  • White: 21,802 (61.4%)
  • Black: 9,519 (26.8%)
  • Hispanic: 11,275 (31.8%)
  • Rays fans: 9,226 (52% of baseball fans)
  • Yankees fans: 3,016 (17% of baseball fans)
  • Red Sox fans: 1,242 (7% of baseball fans)
  • Distance to Tropicana Field: 27.5 miles
  • Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 5.7 miles
  • Distance to Bright House Field: 24.0 miles
  • Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 29.5 miles
  • Distance to McKechnie Field: 50.8 miles
  • Distance to Toytown: 19.8 miles
  • Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 5.5 miles

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 33578

Continuing our deep-dive into the most populated zip codes in the Tampa Bay area. We will look at who lives there, how much money they have, what baseball teams they root for, and how far they are to baseball.

Statistics are acquired via census.gov, Facebook/New York Times study, Google Maps.

Assumptions: We are assuming two things. 1) The population of baseball fans is 50% of the total population. 2) The same ratio of fans who "like" a team on Facebook holds for the rest of the population.

Without further ado, Zip Code 33578:



The red outline is zip code 33578. The red dot is Tropicana Field.

Demographic breakdown:
  • Estimated Population: 36,693
  • Median Income: $56,027
  • Average Age: 33.2
  • White: 24,893 (67.8%)
  • Black: 6,989 (19%)
  • Hispanic: 7,866 (21.4%)
  • Rays fans: 9,357 (51% of baseball fans)
  • Yankees fans: 3,486 (19% of baseball fans)
  • Red Sox fans: 917 (5% of baseball fans)
  • Distance to Tropicana Field: 38.0 miles
  • Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 20.5 miles
  • Distance to Bright House Field: 34.5 miles
  • Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 40 miles
  • Distance to McKechnie Field: 32.7 miles
  • Distance to Toytown: 30.3 miles
  • Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 15.6 miles

Monday, March 14, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 34698

Continuing our deep-dive into the most populated zip codes in the Tampa Bay area. We will look at who lives there, how much money they have, what baseball teams they root for, and how far they are to baseball.

Statistics are acquired via census.gov, Facebook/New York Times study, Google Maps.

Assumptions: We are assuming two things. 1) The population of baseball fans is 50% of the total population. 2) The same ratio of fans who "like" a team on Facebook holds for the rest of the population.

Without further ado, Zip Code 34698:



The red outline is zip code 34698. The red dot is Tropicana Field.

Demographic breakdown:
  • Estimated Population: 37,240
  • Median Income: $47,291
  • Average Age: 52.7
  • White: 34,139 (91.7%)
  • Black: 1,187 (3.2%)
  • Hispanic: 2,165 (5.8%)
  • Rays fans: 9,124 (49% of baseball fans)
  • Yankees fans: 3,016 (16% of baseball fans)
  • Red Sox fans: 1,117 (7% of baseball fans)
  • Distance to Tropicana Field: 25.0 miles
  • Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 20.3 miles
  • Distance to Bright House Field: 8.1 miles
  • Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 2.4 miles
  • Distance to McKechnie Field: 48.8 miles
  • Distance to Toytown: 18.3 miles
  • Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 25.8 miles

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 33624

Continuing our deep-dive into the most populated zip codes in the Tampa Bay area. We will look at who lives there, how much money they have, what baseball teams they root for, and how far they are to baseball.

Statistics are acquired via census.gov, Facebook/New York Times study, Google Maps.

Assumptions: We are assuming two things. 1) The population of baseball fans is 50% of the total population. 2) The same ratio of fans who "like" a team on Facebook holds for the rest of the population.

Without further ado, Zip Code 33624:



The red outline is zip code 33624. The red dot is Tropicana Field.

Demographic breakdown:
  • Estimated Population: 37,457
  • Median Income: $62,141
  • Average Age: 40.2
  • White: 29,924 (79.9%)
  • Black: 3,045 (8.1%)
  • Hispanic: 10,655 (28.4%)
  • Rays fans: 8,990 (48% of baseball fans)
  • Yankees fans: 3,746 (20% of baseball fans)
  • Red Sox fans: 1,124 (6% of baseball fans)
  • Distance to Tropicana Field: 30.5 miles
  • Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 9.4 miles
  • Distance to Bright House Field: 23.6 miles
  • Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 20 miles
  • Distance to McKechnie Field: 54.9 miles
  • Distance to Toytown: 23.1 miles
  • Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 14.2 miles

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 34655

Continuing our deep-dive into the most populated zip codes in the Tampa Bay area. We will look at who lives there, how much money they have, what baseball teams they root for, and how far they are to baseball.

Statistics are acquired via census.gov, Facebook/New York Times study, Google Maps.

Assumptions: We are assuming two things. 1) The population of baseball fans is 50% of the total population. 2) The same ratio of fans who "like" a team on Facebook holds for the rest of the population.

Without further ado, Zip Code 34655:



The red outline is zip code 34655. The red dot is Tropicana Field.

Demographic breakdown:
  • Estimated Population: 38,464
  • Median Income: $54,503
  • Average Age: 47.3
  • White: 35,954 (93.5%)
  • Black: 616 (1.6%)
  • Hispanic: 2,403 (6.2%)
  • Rays fans: 8,847 (46% of baseball fans)
  • Yankees fans: 3,654 (19% of baseball fans)
  • Red Sox fans: 2,116 (11% of baseball fans)
  • Distance to Tropicana Field: 33.9 miles
  • Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 25.3 miles
  • Distance to Bright House Field: 19.4 miles
  • Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 19 miles
  • Distance to McKechnie Field: 57.6 miles
  • Distance to Toytown: 26.2 miles
  • Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 34.4 miles

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

USF baseball draws big crowd for game versus FSU

I don't look at college baseball that often on this site. The biggest problem with exploring the trends of college baseball is that most of the tickets are given to students for free. So what is the effect of an opponent, a promotion, or starting pitcher when the ticket is free?

Despite the lack of analysis, I do track the overall attendance of the University of South Florida. I think it is necessary when the Bulls draw only 50 people on average less than the Dunedin Blue Jays. People are making a baseball-related choice when they attend games at the USF Baseball Stadium.

Which brings us to last night. As they did in 2014, the Florida State Seminoles visited Tampa to play the USF Bulls. And again the Seminoles attracted a big crowd of visiting fans. In 2014, the FSU vs USF game set a new high attendance record of 3,615 fans. Last night, attendance was slightly lower, only 2,431 fans.

So far in 2016, the Bulls are drawing more fans than they did in 2016 through their first 11 games:
  • 2015: 763
  • 2016: 866
That's a good sign for the up and coming program.

USF games against the Seminoles or the Gators of the University of Florida are a good reminder that fans are rarely likely to put aside their original rooting interests just because they move to a new city. Fans who developed a fandom in Tallahassee or Gainesville are not going to start rooting for the Bulls just because they live in Tampa. This is important when Tampa area sports fans bemoan fans from out of town for rooting for their hometown baseball, hockey, or football teams.

Like the Rays, the Bulls have a very difficult climb in making Tampa a Bulls-centric city. With some many alumni from other Florida schools in Tampa, college loyalties will always be divided. But as USF grows in attendees and alumni, and as it grows in prestige and reputation, perhaps it will become more ingrained in the rooting fabric of the city. Maybe then we will see folks in Tampa wearing green and gold who did not attend USF. That would be a welcome shift from the current phenomenon of folks who attend USF wearing another university's colors.

Much has been written about the USF Sports Marketing Department. Winning the hearts and minds of Tampa might be the department's biggest challenge.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Jason Notte tries to write about Rays attendance, plagiarizes himself

A few years ago, freelance sports writer Jason Notte wrote an article entitled "5 Biggest TV Markets Without Major League Baseball Teams". In the article, he discussed several mid-sized cities and why MLB should consider them as new homes for the Rays or A's. I didn't like the article and thought Notte was misinformed. As I replied in my rebuttal, he never actually dissected the Tampa Bay TV market. In the article, he discusses Rays attendance as the only cause for relocation.

Here is a screenshot of what Notte wrote on 5/16/2014:




After this article, I tried reaching out to Notte on twitter, but was blocked.

A few days ago on March 7, 2016, Notte found another place to publish his views. This time on MarketWatch.com in an article entitled "Opinion: Major League Baseball, like the NFL, asks taxpayers for free money". In this article, Notte is again misinformed about the Rays stadium situation.

But even worse, Notte copied his material WORD-FOR-WORD from his past article.




Only the final sentence of that paragraph is different. Otherwise, it is 100% the same.

I'm not sure how legal that is. Nor am I sure how much editors care. But if I was MarketWatch.com paying Notte for original opinion, I would be pretty upset.

I know freelancing is a tough gig. It doesn't pay well at all. But when journalists copy and paste their material from one article on to another on a different website, it gives the profession a bad name.

Next time, Jason Notte, reach out. I'm here to help.

Local newspapers profile Rays Senior Vice President of Strategy

Over the weekend, both the Tampa Bay Times and the Tampa Tribune profiled Melanie Lenz, the Rays Senior Vice President for Strategy and Development. While there were some similarities, reading both articles gives a good picture into one of the key members of the Rays front office.

She has a big league vision for a new Rays stadium - Tampa Bay Times

Rays exec fields dreams, drives lofty ambitions for next-generation ballpark - Tampa Tribune

Definitely read both. They are both good.

Both articles focused on Lenz's success in building the Spring Training facility in Port Charlotte and both discussed the cost benefit of the complex. However, neither asked her why they built there. If it was for the reason of expanding the fanbase, has the strategy worked? According to last year's New York Times/Facebook "like" map, the zip code that is home to Charlotte Sports Park is 29% Rays fans, 20% Yankees fans, and 16% Red Sox fans.

If we take the entire population of Port Charlotte (54,392), assume half the people are baseball fans, and then take 29% of them, we see Port Charlotte has 7,887 Rays fans. It is very possible people from Tampa Bay are driving down to Port Charlotte to see the Rays, especially from the Sarasota/Bradenton area. Does Lenz think that is a good thing? Or would she rather they spend their money on tickets at Tropicana Field? Does she think Port Charlotte is cannibalizing the Tampa Bay market?

Would the Rays have been better off building a new complex in Orlando, where they could have increased their fanbase in a larger major metro area and the biggest metro area in the US without baseball? Or could they have stayed in St. Pete at Al Lang Field, which might have prevented the Rowdies from becoming a local phenomenon?

Does Lenz consider the Port Charlotte complex a marketing success as much as financial one? I think that question should have been asked.

I also found this line in the Trib article interesting:
But she is also working with consultants on detailed market analyses of Tampa Bay’s business centers, exploring socio-economic and demographic data to help the team identify the best location for a new stadium.(emphasis mine)

If you have been reading this site for any amount of time, that is exactly where I am leading. The attendance stuff is nice, but analyzing the market is more fun. Lately, I have posted several zip code posts and there are several more on the way. Those, in conjunction with my Fangraphs posts on distance and population are designed to give readers insight into what the Rays are doing from a strategy perspective.

But there is one thing missing in the above quote: marketing data. The Tampa Bay area is more divided than any other area in the nation in regards to fan loyalty. Building a new stadium near a population center might not be effective if a majority of the nearby population supports the Yankees, Red Sox, Braves, Phillies, or Blue Jays. Does Lenz believe a new stadium will affect fan loyalties?

And the bigger question: if they build a stadium within 15 miles of another local stadium, will the Rays attempt to change the MLB territorial rights rules to include Spring Training? Doing so would have a major effect on the Yankees, Phillies, and possibly Blue Jays.

The most obvious gain would be those local fans who now spend their money at Steinbrenner Field or Florida Auto Exchange Stadium for Spring Training would have to wait a month or two until their favorite team visits Tampa Bay and spend their money at the new Rays park. That's increased revenue for the Rays.

According to Mindtools.com,
"Strategy at the business unit level is concerned with competing successfully in individual markets, and it addresses the question, "How do we win in this market?""

MLB is constantly competing in every market it is in. It is competing against the NFL, NHL, NBA, Netflix, museums, amusement parks, aquariums, restaurants, bars, the beach, and the mountains. Winning each market requires a different strategy. Which is why Strategy Officers are incredibly important.

I've said this before: the Rays cannot win the Tampa Bay market trying to win fans in a similar method as the Yankees, Cubs, Red Sox, or Dodgers. The Tampa Bay baseball market is one of the most difficult in all of sports. It was difficult in 1998 and due to neglect, it was more difficult in 2006 when Melanie Lenz joined the Tampa Bay Devil Rays front office.

It's great to see local media focus on the minds behind the Rays. While winning is great and the on-the-field decisions are what fans root for, knowing the franchise as a business is in good hands is almost as, if not more important.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 33610

Continuing our deep-dive into the most populated zip codes in the Tampa Bay area. We will look at who lives there, how much money they have, what baseball teams they root for, and how far they are to baseball.

Statistics are acquired via census.gov, Facebook/New York Times study, Google Maps.

Assumptions: We are assuming two things. 1) The population of baseball fans is 50% of the total population. 2) The same ratio of fans who "like" a team on Facebook holds for the rest of the population.

Without further ado, Zip Code 33610:



The red outline is zip code 33610. The red dot is Tropicana Field.

Demographic breakdown:
  • Estimated Population: 39,222
  • Median Income: $30,036
  • Average Age: 31.0
  • White: 12,394 (31.6%)
  • Black: 23,256 (59.3%)
  • Hispanic: 6,083 (15.5%)
  • Rays fans: 10,786 (55% of baseball fans)
  • Yankees fans: 2,942 (15% of baseball fans)
  • Red Sox fans: 1,373 (7% of baseball fans)
  • Distance to Tropicana Field: 30 miles
  • Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 12.2 miles
  • Distance to Bright House Field: 26.1 miles
  • Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 31.6 miles
  • Distance to McKechnie Field: 46.1 miles
  • Distance to Toytown: 23.0 miles
  • Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 8.3 miles

Friday, March 4, 2016

Tampa Bay Baseball Market Zip Code Analysis: 33617

Continuing our deep-dive into the most populated zip codes in the Tampa Bay area. We will look at who lives there, how much money they have, what baseball teams they root for, and how far they are to baseball.

Statistics are acquired via census.gov, Facebook/New York Times study, Google Maps.

Assumptions: We are assuming two things. 1) The population of baseball fans is 50% of the total population. 2) The same ratio of fans who "like" a team on Facebook holds for the rest of the population.

Without further ado, Zip Code 33617:



The red outline is zip code 33617. The red dot is Tropicana Field.

Demographic breakdown:
  • Estimated Population: 41,443
  • Median Income: $37,407
  • Average Age: 33.0
  • White: 21,790 (52.6%)
  • Black: 14,849 (35.8%)
  • Hispanic: 7,279 (17.6%)
  • Rays fans: 11,190 (54% of baseball fans)
  • Yankees fans: 3,523 (17% of baseball fans)
  • Red Sox fans: 1,451 (7% of baseball fans)
  • Distance to Tropicana Field: 31.1 miles
  • Distance to Steinbrenner Field: 11.2 miles
  • Distance to Bright House Field: 27.8 miles
  • Distance to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium: 33.4 miles
  • Distance to McKechnie Field: 50.8 miles
  • Distance to Toytown: 23.7 miles
  • Distance to Tampa Park Apartments: 9.1 miles

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Exploring the Rays Popularity Through Polling: 2016

(This is an update to posts in 2014 and 2015.)

Since 2001, Public Policy Polling has conducted surveys to track the opinions of the American people. While most of their polls are political, they sometimes ask sports-related questions.

Beginning in 2011, and continuing in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and now 2016 the folks at PPP asked Florida residents about their preference of baseball teams, to include the Rays.

This chart depicts the percent of people who favor the Rays over any other team.




Other teams receiving votes in 2016 included the Braves (13%), Marlins (12%), Yankees (10%), Red Sox (9%), Cubs (7%), Mets (5%), Phillies (4%), and Other/Not a Baseball Fan (27%).

While there doesn't seem to be a correlation between sample size and popularity, Rays popularity did increase 2% and the sample size increased 9% in 2016.

The following segments will explain how the Rays fared in PPP polling in various demographics.

Rays Popularity by Gender

The following chart depicts the Rays popularity among women and men who prefer the Rays over any other team:




The following graph depicts the previous chart:




The biggest news here is that the Rays are now more popular among women than men. While male preference for the Rays declined only 1%, the Rays saw a considerable 5% increase in popularity among women from 2015 to 2016. This is may be "The Kevin Kiermaier Effect". Having a dreamboat in centerfield can only help attract many casual female fans.

Among men, the Rays are still struggling to get back to their 2011 and 2012 levels. Perhaps a deep dive into what drives local male fandom could be done.

Rays Popularity by Political Party

The following chart depicts the percentages of people who prefer the Rays segmented by political party.




The following graph depicts the previous chart:




In 2016, the Rays saw increases from both Republicans and Democrats. That's great. You know why? Because the Rays are winners. I've talked to several prominent business people. Very successful people. Winners. And although they don't see eye-to-eye politically, they all like going to see the Rays. Great ballclub. These people, they aren't spending their money anywhere else. They're spending it here, in Tampa Bay. Baseball is a great game. You could buy a team if you had enough money. I don't. But you could. Then you could get all the Republicans and Democrats in one stadium and tell them to agree. And they'll do it. Because baseball bridges gaps and brings people together.

But you know what I saw yesterday? I saw that beer prices are double inside the stadium. Double. For what? The same beer. We gotta change that. We'll do that.

(End bad Trump impression.)

Rays Popularity by Race

The following chart depicts the percentages of people who prefer the Rays segmented by race.





The following graph depicts the previous chart:




Another segment of great news. While the Rays popularity among Whites went up 1%, it increased considerably among Hispanics and African-Americans.

According to the Pew Research Center, there are also over 4 million Hispanics in Florida and Hispanics make up 23% of the state population. In 2016, the Marlins had a 10% gain in fandom among Hispanics. The Rays increased 5%. Meanwhile, the Yankees decreased 13% to only 9%. That is considerable as the two Florida teams try to win local and more importantly, 2nd generation fans from transplanted Northerners.

Last year, I said the Hispanic demographic was "a steep hill to climb for the Rays". This year, they look a lot better. However, a small sample size caveat: as we know, Yankees fan footholds are in the Orlando area and the east coast of Florida. A preponderance of surveyed Hispanics might have been from the Miami or Tampa Bay area.

While the Rays are still lacking in highly marketable Hispanic players, perhaps playing the Cuban National Team in Havana will help the Rays capture more of the Florida Hispanic fanbase. On the field, the Marlins still have the advantage with superstar pitcher Jose Fernandez.

Among African-Americans, perhaps we can explain the increase in fandom as "The Chris Archer Effect". Although David Price was a more established star on the field, he was not as a prominent in the community as Chris Archer is. From his hairstyle to his appearances and his volunteer work, Chris Archer has become the face of the franchise. That he is from a segment of the population baseball is struggling to maintain is a great opportunity for the Rays and Major League Baseball as a whole.

There is more work to do, especially in regards to the "Others" group, but the 2016 results are very promising for the Rays.

Rays Popularity by Age Group

The following chart depicts the percentages of people who prefer the Rays segmented by age:




The following graph depicts the previous chart:




First, the good news: the Rays increased in popularity among the 45 and older demographics. Although still not where they were in 2012, there are slight increases in those the 45-65 and 65 and up age groups.

The bad news: the PPP poll decided to combine the 18-29 and 30-45 age groups. I'm not sure why, but that makes life difficult. Perhaps they didn't get enough respondents to the poll, so they combined the data to get a decent measurement. So in order to not drastically change the chart, I used the 18-45 response for both the 18-29 and 30-45 category. Hence, 18-29 decreased and 30-45 increased. There is a very good chance these groups are polling the same as 2015.

Hopefully the 2017 responses will break these groups back out again.

Gains/Losses since 2015

The following chart shows the Rays gains or losses for several demographic segments reported between 2015 and 2016.




The Rays gained in popularity among 10 segments and four segments had decreases. Beginning with the declines, the 1% decline in Men is not a big deal, the 5% decline in Independents might be explainable due to our highly polarize political climate, and the 2% decline in 18-29 year olds is again due to the fact that the PPP combined the 18-29 and 30-45 demographic this year.

The rest of the results are great news for the Rays. They gained considerably in two very important segments: Women and Hispanics. And they also gained considerably in African-Americans. Gaining across both political parties is also good to see as no matter how volatile our politics, we can all go enjoy a ballgame.

Public Policy Polling data shows the Rays are tied with the Braves as most popular team in Florida. Diving into the data shows the Rays made significant gains in several key demographic segments. Whether this is due to the randomness of polling or to the work of the Rays marketing or player outreach cannot be determined. But the bottomline is that results of the 2016 PPP polling are very good news for the Rays.