Thanks to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' dramatically improved performance since the All-Star break, game-winning runs by the team are no longer a rarity. But one thing that remains scarce are fans in the seats at Tropicana Field.
An attractive ticket discount the team is offering could help - if only anyone knew about it.
Since late April, members of the American Automobile Association have been eligible for a $5 discount on all Rays tickets at the Trop that cost at least $9, except for the ballclub's pricey Kane's Club seats directly behind home plate. The discount brings down the price of an upper-reserve seat to just $4, a buck less than the bleacher seats in the left-field Beach section. The offer is good through the 2003 season. (Annual AAA membership dues are $56 for first-time members and $45 for renewals.)
Although this year's Rays could become the first American League team since 1985 to draw fewer than 1-million fans, the team has delegated all promotion of the offer to AAA. But because of budget constraints, AAA typically doesn't send out news releases or advertising to get the word out on new membership perks and hasn't done so for the Rays ticket discount, says Bill Latta, vice president of financial services and member benefits for AAA Auto Club South in Tampa.
All of which means more room at the Trop for the Rays fans who do show up.
