Fourteen wins in 15 games bring more than 25,000 to Tropicana Field.
By CATHERINE E. SHOICHET
Published June 26, 2004
[Times photo: Cherie Diez]
Fans crowd around Devil Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli during Friday's rally at BayWalk in St. Petersburg. Rays shortstop Julio Lugo also attended the rally, which drew several hundred people.
ST. PETERSBURG - Mary Boyette felt bad for the team, and annoyed with fellow spectators, when she started attending Devil Rays games in 1998.
"People used to come and boo them," said Boyette, 61, of Spring Hill.
Now, she speculated, some of those same people are probably back in the stadium and cheering for the Rays.
"I think it's going to start filling up," she said. "I think a lot of people wait until they get better and then they come."
And Friday night, they came. After the most successful road trip in franchise history, the Devil Rays returned home to a crowd of 25,157 fans who watched them take an exciting 2-0 win over the Florida Marlins. Hundreds of fans were still lining up outside to buy tickets an hour after the 7:15 p.m. start. Team officials said it was the largest walk-up crowd in the team's history.
James Carr, 59, of Plant City was one of those 7,162 walk ups.
By 8 p.m., Carr had been waiting in line for 30 minutes to buy a ticket.
"I'd like for them to win the World Series," said Carr, who said he decided to come after watching the Rays' successful run on the road. "I'll be coming more often now."
The Rays have finished last every season since their inception, and have always ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance.
But ticket sales have increased this year, said senior vice president of business operations David Auker.
An average of 13,070 fans attended games at Tropicana Field last year. This year, that number was more than 16,000 per game entering Friday's contest. And this season's home opener was the first sellout since the team's first game in 1998.
"The fans are great," Auker said. "A lot of them have come out to welcome home the team."
Friday night, fans were optimistic the home team had turned over a new leaf.
Kristin Byrd of Tampa brought boyfriend Greg Mesolella and daughters Montana and Makayla - along with four cans of Starkist tuna.
As part of a promotion benefiting Metropolitan Ministries, the cans of fish were good for four $5 tickets in the upper deck.
"We're big sports fans, and we've been so impressed with the Rays," she said. "I think everyone's still on a bit of a high from the Stanley Cup."
Mark Fox, 49, of Seminole - who wore a Lightning Stanley Cup shirt as he cheered from the upper deck - said more people have been asking for Devil Rays shirts this week at the sporting goods store where he works.
The home team enthusiasm was evident earlier Friday as several hundred Devil Rays fans rallied for the team at the BayWalk shopping center.
As members of the crowd waved homemade signs and fanned themselves with masks of Devil Rays senior adviser Don Zimmer, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker led them in cheers of "Hip, Hip, Hoo-Rays."
"As of about 13 games ago, we got a new ball team in St. Petersburg," Baker said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
On Wednesday, the Toronto Blue Jays ended the Rays' 12-game winning streak - the longest in the team's history. But the Devil Rays beat the Blue Jays 19-13 Thursday night, setting a team record for runs scored.
At the rally, players Rocco Baldelli and Julio Lugo thanked fans for their support.
"I never really expected so many people to be out there supporting us. We really appreciate that," Baldelli said at the rally.
"I am surprised that it took this long, because we have all this young, great talent," said Gene Oliver, 62, of St. Petersburg.
"I'm just delighted to see so many people get excited. So many people are out here who weren't here before," said Oliver, a season ticket holder.
Charlene Dzierzawski, 54, of Dunedin said she wasn't surprised to see the Rays' record improve.
"We've been following them since their first day. We've just been waiting," she said. "We always knew that they were a good team."
