A Wild Pitch    

   Read these comments from a Tampa Bay Rays star pitcher, 
then stick around for the umpires' ruling.

   Normally a starting pitcher, he missed much of this season
due to injuries and was limited to bullpen duty during the Rays'
playoff series against Houston. He wasn't a fan of watching the
game from the bullpen.  
  >  "That's not for me. I'm not going to lie. It was weird. I walked out with them. I just followed their whole bullpen routine. It was like where do I sit? 

   "Yeah, I mean it was weird; it's just super boring. That's the truth. It's boring. There's not a lot to do. You just kind of look around.

   (As a starting pitcher) "I get the advantage of I sit in the dugout and it's right there in front of me." (In the bullpen) "I'm looking at the game so far away, it's like you're in la la land.

   "It's not for me. I don't like it. Watching the game, a little boring." 
 

- Blake Snell, last year's American League Cy Young winner.

   The umpires gather around. What's the correct call?

It's not a strike.   It's not a ball.   It's a WILD PITCH!

   Young Mr. Snell just excused the lowest attendance in baseball. No need to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame in St. Pete, folks.  

   Fortunately for the ballclub, 10 to 12 thousand fans (per game) don't find it as dull as Snell did. And most of them sit much farther away. And pay to see it.  

       Jimmy

Extra inning: Some teams enjoy far greater attendance for the same show. Most of them won fewer games this year than the Rays (99). Our self worth in Florida isn't linked to baseball glory as it is in several other cities.