Whoop whoop! The American League claimed home field advantage in the 2013 World Series, following the 3-0 shutout victory over the NL, in last night’s All-Star Game. The AL held the NL to only three hits, with the National League only getting into scoring position twice. Let’s focus on a few pertinent aspects of the game:
A) Matt Moore threw a 1-2-3 — nine pitch (seven for strikes) — fifth inning, inducing a pair of Carlos Gonzalez and Yadier Molina groundouts to short and second (respectively), and a weakly hit Troy Tulowitzki infield pop-out to end the inning.
B) Mariano Rivera also threw a perfect inning, throwing 16 pitches (11 for strikes) to retire the NL in order in the eighth inning.
C) Ben Zobrist wasn’t used in the All-Star Game, but try not to look too deeply into things — Not every player named to the roster plays. In fact Jason Castro wasn’t used last night either. I seriously doubt that Jim Leyland had an axe to grind with Zobrist or the Rays.
Still not convinced?
- If Leyland really had an axe to grind, why did he hand-pick BenZo in the first place?
- If Leyland really had an axe to grind, Matt Moore probably wouldn’t have been used in any capacity.
Moving forward.
In case you missed it, MLB commissioner Bud Selig again had something to say concerning the Rays attendance situation,
“It is beyond disappointing…You cannot ask a franchise to continue, when they have been so competitive and really, really done a marvelous job, in a situation that is economically not tolerable.”
Now I’m not stupid; I fully realize that Selig is largely posturing — he’s effectively said the same thing the last few years, and I can all but guarantee that he’ll continue to do so when the post-season rolls around…especially if the Rays find themselves in the playoffs. However, his candor seemed to be more desperate this time around. He went on to call the Rays’ attendance “very disappointing and very worrisome,” noting that Tampa Bay averages 17,791 attendees per game, ranking 29th in the majors (ahead of only Miami) — Well below the overall average of 30,268.
As much as I’d like to call Selig out for being complicit in scenarios that just aren’t good for baseball (PED’s, heavy handed tactics forcing the public to fund half billion dollar stadiums, etc), I’d be hard pressed to deny that he has a point.
Before any of you bring up the tired argument the Rays need a new facility in ____________, there is no evidence that a new stadium would improve the attendance. In fact, attendance is down in many markets with new or refurbished facilities: New York (both teams), Houston, Miami, Kansas City, etc. Besides, the building of a new stadium would do nothing to solve the attendance situation in the short-term.
Simply put, if you want to see the Rays attendance figures rise, make your way to the Trop!