New teams in baseball have to pay dues before they enjoy success at the Major League level. The amount varies from team to team. For the New York Mets, it was eight years of player development and growing pains; for Houston and San Diego it was much longer. On the other hand, Florida and Arizona enjoyed relatively quick success. For whatever reason, the Tampa Bay Rays are being asked to pay a long and heavy price before they will be allowed to feast at the table of success. Up until the 2008 season Tampa Bay Rays game tickets have been the least sought after event tickets in baseball.
The rays are not only a young franchise but reside in an extremely competitive sports market. The Rays were blessed by the baseball gods and earned themselves a trip to the 2008 World Series, which was a feat in itself. The only problem with there World Series run was, for a first time World Series appearance, the local interest was lacking. The demand for Rays tickets hasn’t been there since the team came into the league, however, the Rays play at Tropicana field, and that is a site to see.
Tropicana Field is the world's only professional sports facility that features live cownose rays. The Rays Tank opened in 2006, and is located just behind the right center field wall. Through a unique partnership with the Florida Aquarium, there are over 30 rays that fans can touch and feed throughout the game. The 10,000 gallon tank is one of the ten-largest in the United States. If a player hits a home run into the tank, then the organization will donate $5,000 to charity - $2,500 to the Florida Aquarium and $2,500 to the player's charity of choice.
The early success of the rays can only point them in the right direction, and if the consistent winning continues the local and national interest in Tampa Bay Rays game tickets, is sure to improve
