In Tampa, Charlie Frago reports some commission members of the local "Baseball Forever" effort aimed to keep the Rays in St. Petersburg "have privately grumbled that the campaign isn't moving fast enough to pitch the city's case before the Rays make up their minds about where to build a new stadium." Florida state Sen. Jack Latvala this week "blasted the committee for being too St. Pete-centric in both its membership and focus." But Kevin King, the Chief of Staff for St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman yesterday "urged calm." King: "We've got a great deal of time. The Mayor's philosophy is to get it right" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 4/28).
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? In DC, Barry Svrluga noted the Nationals have yet to pick up a two-year contract option for President of Baseball Operations & GM Mike Rizzo and asked, "Why do the [team Owner] Lerners make easy things so difficult so often?" The decision by now "must have been made, or close to it. If Nationals Principal Owner Mark Lerner and Managing Principal Owner Ted Lerner "were evaluating Rizzo on the composition and performance of this 2016 team ... then what are they waiting for?" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 4/26).
BLUE JAY WAY: In Toronto, Scott Wheeler noted despite “rising ticket prices and a relatively slow start, the Blue Jays have drawn a larger increase in attendance than any other team” in MLB this season. The club is fourth in average attendance “averaging nearly 40,000 fans per game.” The Blue Jays were 21st at this point last year, drawing “just 25,102 fans on a game-by-game basis.” The attendance increase “represents the largest growth to start a season in franchise history” (TORONTO SUN, 4/26).
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM: In Atlanta, Mark Meltzer noted the Braves through 13 home games rank 21st of 30 teams with a "per-game average of 25,516 tickets sold." The Braves last year finished with their "worst home attendance in 25 years," drawing a total of 2,001,392 paid fans for 80 home dates. At their current pace, the Braves "will finish with paid attendance of 2,066,796 for 81 home dates, just slightly ahead" of '15 (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/27).
