Published 6/26/2009
by JC De La Torre
at Bleacher Report - MLB
For the past three nights, the Tampa Bay Rays brought back memories of the 2008 World Series—a series they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies.
On Tuesday night, the Phillies returned to Tropicana Field for a rematch and Rays management expected a filled house to greet them. There were plenty of factors to assume this. First, no World Series rematch had ever drawn less than 37,000 fans.
Second, the Phillies have long trained in Clearwater—a short distance away from Tropicana field, creating a huge following.
Third, Tampa Bay was a common location for transplants from the city of brotherly love. Then there's the Rays fans, whom management expected would be thrilled to see the Phillies once again.
The attendance at the Trop?
Game One: 19,608.
Game Two: 18,862.
The majority were Phillies fans and worse, I dare you to believe that the figures presented represented actual butts in seats.
They don't.
Say what you will about the bay area's small market status—but a ...
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