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Daniel Ruth: Noise at Rays games spoils Tropicana Field fan experience

 
Published Feb. 11, 2016

In an effort to put more keisters in the seats at Tropicana Field this coming baseball season, the Tampa Bay Rays have announced a variety of perks and promotions.

It seems the team has left almost no demographic group behind. There are programs offering two free tickets to active military and veterans attending Monday games. On Tuesdays, kids 14 and younger will be able to get into the ol' ballpark for a mere $2. Wednesdays will offer $2 hot dogs, and Thursdays will be dedicated to admitting those 60 and older for a mere $15 per ticket with a similar deal extended to students 18 and older on Fridays.

And season ticket holders also will be feted with their own hospitality area. It's all very nice. Although winning 90-plus games would also do wonders to lure more customers.

To be sure, the Rays marketing and promotions staff deserves a pat on the back for trying to create a more fan-friendly environment. But they are not quite there yet.

On the way into the Trop for a Rays game the Bombshell of the Balkans and I once lamented why we didn't attend more games in person. After all, we are baseball fans, although there is a lingering White Sox-Cubs schism in the household, which has yet to be resolved. And we do avidly root for the Rays. We have our obligatory Rays baseball caps, shirts and other assorted paraphernalia. Yes, we both agreed, we should attend more games.

And then we got to our seats. Uh-oh.

Both of us plead guilty to being traditional baseball fans. We enjoy the timeless pace of the game and its more pastoral ambiance despite the fact the Rays play in an enclosed Quonset Hut with a gland problem.

So while we settled into our seats we were quickly reminded why we attend so relatively few games. Memo to Rays marketing-promotional geniuses: Can you please, please, please just shut up?

Apparently the creative folks in the Rays front office are of the opinion its fan base suffers from attention deficit disorder. How else to explain the constant between innings cacophony of ear-shattering blasting sound? Why? Why must fans be subjected to abuse right out of The Manchurian Candidate? It's baseball. It's not supposed to be the Boys of Guantanamo.

You know there is such a thing as conversation. It occurs between people, perhaps a husband and wife who would actually like to talk with one another but can't at a Rays game because management has decided to subject everyone to a decibel level akin to having Metallica sitting next to them.

Now if you think this is nothing more than a rant coming from an old coot, well you're absolutely right.

At the same time, if the Rays are going to designate certain days to appeal to different groups of fans, could we please have an entire section of Tropicana Field set aside for the shameless, falling down schnockered, stupified fans?

Look, I'm all in favor of adult beverages and there is something about a baseball game that certainly makes the beer taste even better. Fine. No problem.

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But there ought to be a special zone for the baseball customer who gets so wasted they begin to sound as if they are speaking Vulcan. This no fun, especially when Otis, the Tropicana Field official drunk, is sitting directly behind you.

To the Rays marketing-promotional experts, thanks for $15 old fogey Thursdays. Much appreciated. The two-buck hot dog Wednesdays are swell, too. Now, how about ear-muff Mondays? Or perhaps breathalyzer Saturdays?

Oh and let us not forget the 90-plus wins.