Rays: fans watch games, but don't go

ST. PETERSBURG - There's nothing quite like a night at the ballpark in the middle of the summer, especially to cheer on a Cinderella story team seemingly on its way to a happy ending this season.

"All my life I've always loved baseball and I'm still loving it today too," said Rays fan Patricia Sharpe.

No question the Tampa Bay Rays are loved at Tropicana Field, but also in the living rooms of baseball fans across the Bay Area. The Rays are the 7th most-watched Major League Baseball team on television, with an average of more than 100,000 Tampa Bay households tuning in.

"We watch more than what we should," said Rays fan Jim Cook. "We should be here more, but yeah, we do watch them on TV."

TV ratings for the Rays are up 72 percent since last season. It's currently the largest increase in viewership in all of baseball.

"I think it's great. I'd like to be at least 7th in actual attendance in the ballpark too," said Rays manager Joe Maddon.

The impressive TV and radio ratings confirm the fact that the team has struggled with attendance. Only 17,000 fans turned out to the Trop on Monday to witness the first no-hitter in Rays history. The rest watched from home.

"It's just more convenient and the week[day] games are hard to get here. Usually I have to leave work to get here," said Cook.

Fan Brent Hoopingarner told FOX 13 cheering on the Rays from home is "being at home…the comforts at home…with my wife, my family. It's just a good time," he said.

Nonetheless, one of the great voices of Rays baseball, Sun Sports announcer Dewayne Staats, says the Rays 7th place ratings on TV and radio are gratifying and a sign of what's to come.

"Once it starts to show up in TV ratings, I think the very next logical progression of that will be fans in the stands," said Staats.

The Rays are ahead of teams like the Yankees, Mets, and Cubs in TV ratings, but they are the 7th-worst in terms of attendance.