I've often written about how great fireworks is as a promotion. People love fireworks. Fireworks are a fun end to a baseball game. Especially when that game is on July 4th weekend. Fireworks and baseball on the Fourth of July is as American as apple pie, Mom, and political gridlock.
When the Rays announced their 2016 schedule, I noticed they were finally playing July 4th weekend. This is a rarity. Since 2007, the Rays have only played on July 4th three times (2008, 2012, and 2016). My theory on this is because there is a lack of potential revenue when the Rays play at home on July 4th. If the Rays were to play on the road at a non-dome stadium, the home team can have a fireworks post-game extravaganza which would draw more fans and make that team more money. Major League Baseball is not in the business of making less money, hence the Rays typically play on the road on the Fourth of July.
The Rays lack of fireworks capability hurts them at the gate when they are home for Fourth of July weekend. Not only are Tampa Bay residents going to beaches and bar-b-ques all weekend, they are also going to local Minor League games where post-game fireworks on the Fourth of July are a regular tradition.
Tampa Bay area Minor League teams usually draw very well on July fourth. For most teams, it is their highest attended game of the year.
This year, from July 1 to July 4th, Tampa Bay area Minor League teams drew a combined 31,863 fans. The Rays drew 59,056 fans over the same dates. Minor League Baseball drew 47% of Rays attendance over the weekend. Over the course of a season, that ratio is usually closer to 33% (avg of 5,000 MiLB total to 15,000 avg for the Rays).
Minor League success and Rays poor potential on July the fourth weekend opened up the possibility of the Rays being outdrawn by Minor League teams. This occurrence does not happen often - only twice in the past ten years.
But it happened again.
On Sunday, July 3rd, Tampa Bay area Minor League Baseball outdrew the Tampa Bay Rays. While the Rays drew 13,126, local Minor League teams drew a total of 13,179, exceeding Rays attendance by 53 people.
- Rays: 13,126
- Clearwater Threshers: 9,012
- Dunedin Blue Jays: 4,167
Both the Threshers and the Blue Jays featured fireworks promotions on July 3rd. Both teams took to the road and played at another stadium on July 4th.
Reminder: This does not happen in any other market. No other MLB teams have to worry about being out-promoted by an alternate baseball venue. Fireworks are a Minor League park happened to the north of the Rays (Dunedin), NE of the Rays (Clearwater), East of the Rays (Tampa), and south of the Rays (Bradenton). Wherever fans lived, there was a fireworks display at a baseball game close by.
With Rays tickets cheaper than they have been for years, this is a problem of proximity and the lack of capabilities of Tropicana Field. Perhaps one day if Tampa Bay gets a new baseball centralized stadium and a new highways, byways, and mass transit to get people there, the Rays will see sell-outs on July 4th as other teams do and the idea of seeing 4th of July fireworks at a Minor League Baseball game will be less of an option.