And now, another example of why it’s important to look before you tweet.
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price put his foot in his Twitter account Monday when he used the word “embarrassing” to describe the meager crowd (12,446) at Tropicana Field.
To be fair, the Rays were a win away from clinching a playoff spot. They’ve been in a dead heat with the Yankees since the beginning of summer and the home attendance all season has been spotty. Price vented because he and his teammates are winning in front of empty seats.
Still, Price’s comment brings some factors back into the spotlight: Tropicana Field is a dump. Pro baseball teams in Florida — which have won three pennants and two World Series since 1997 — have never drawn well. And the state of Florida, already home to a huge number of retirees with fixed incomes, also has the fifth-highest unemployment rate (11.7 percent) in the country.
Add up all those factors and it’s a recipe for bad attendance. Price is frustrated, but this is about where the Rays play, not how good they are playing.
