The Devil Rays "are starting to put some effort into
marketing tickets," after "doing little" to bring in fans
for the first half of the season, according to Kyle Parks of
the ST. PETERSBURG TIMES. Fan-friendly gestures include:
"Honorary player contracts" for fans who catch a foul ball;
Awarding fans who catch a home run ball by having it signed
by the player who hit it; and allowing children to go on the
field to run the bases following day games. Promos include
two Beanie Babies nights and a "Shirts Off Our Back" night,
where players will give their jerseys to randomly selected
fans. Parks notes that the Devil Rays are "struggling" on
the field, and are "taking criticism" for the price of a day
at Tropicana Field. Parks: "At the same time, the Rays have
done little to promote themselves to the community, and many
fans don't realize they can buy outfield seats for as little
as $3 each." Attendance at Tropicana "is inching up,"
currently at 32,112 per game from 31,605 in early May, but
Parks attributes some of the increase to visits by the
Braves and Yankees (Kyle Parks, ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 7/15).
