The Tampa Bay Rays Need For Relocation Evident After Setting Embarrassing Attendance Record While In First Place

The Tampa Bay Rays are one of the best teams in the entire MLB, and they still can’t get fans to come out to their games.

On Monday, the Rays returned home for the first time since Aug. 4. Being as their in first place in the AL East, they should have a bunch of fans coming out to support them as they enter the stretch run of the season, right? Nope.

Despite being a true contender to win the World Series, after making the Fall Classic last season, the Rays set a record for lowest attendance ever at Tropicana Field on Monday night.

Just wanted to make sure it wasn’t a late-arriving “crowd” to see 1st-place #Rays in 1st home game since Aug. 4. This is the 4th inning scene. pic.twitter.com/0VUpzAKMsu

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) August 17, 2021

Tonight's crowd of 5,460 is smallest ever for a #Rays game at Trop without COVID-related restrictions on capacity (as earlier this season). Smallest was 5,786 on May 28, 2019; had 5,855 on Aug 2 this year.

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) August 17, 2021

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The Tampa Bay Rays have been threatening relocation for many years now. And after another season where it’s clear that baseball is simply not working in Tampa, I think it’s time.

Many fans agree with me, too.

Just move to Montreal https://t.co/sVKud16CU3

— Josh Doucet (@JoshDoucet1) August 17, 2021

Tampa/St. Petersburg doesn’t deserve this team. It’s truly pathetic how a first place team can’t even get 10,000 people to come and watch their games. That stadium is a complete dumpster fire! Move the Rays to Montreal! We know Montreal fans will go to games. https://t.co/TXqbVtED3B

— Seattle Sports Diaries Podcast (@SEASportDiaries) August 17, 2021

https://twitter.com/JuicyRed0_/status/1427663724043776004

There’s no way a team that just made the World Series has dead fans like this https://t.co/lnEFOb9dgD

— Alex (@lingussv2) August 17, 2021

genuinely move this team tampa doesnt deserve an actual well run and talented MLB team like cmon they were in the world series last year and they get THIS many fans? move them to charlotte https://t.co/CkEgxCZmnB

— morrow (@garfshots) August 17, 2021

Sure, Tropicana Field is an absolute dump, and the stadium has no business hosting a professional sports team. But are we really going to let Tampa Bay build another stadium after years and years of fans not showing up to this one?

It’s beyond time that the Rays look for a new city, because it’s simply bad for the game to have a competing team with little interest from their fan base.

The Rays has somehow consistently built a successful roster with a very small payroll.

They deserve better than Tropicana Field.

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