July 3, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Rays sweep the Red Sox

Tropicana Field

Are those guys for real? Baseball fans across the country got to watch the Tampa Bay Rays finish their sweep of the Boston Red Sox last night on ESPN. Attendance was 36,048. Against all odds, the Rays are now in first place, with a 2 1/2 game lead. See MLB.com. The fans of the Rays have adopted a novel rally gimmick: a cowbell. Team owner Stu Sternberg got a kick out of that Saturday Night Live skit spoofing the song "Don't Fear the Reaper," (more cowbell! smile) though I'm not sure what that has to do with baseball.

In honor of the Rays' big success this year, I have updated the Tropicana Field diagram, with a second profile and other details.

The mail bag

Speaking of Tampa Bay, it seems that the public there is wary of public funding for the proposed new stadium on the waterfront, wanting a referendum before approval is granted. See the St. Petersburg Times. Hat tip to Mike Zurawski for this timely news.

Also from Mike: the proposed deal under which the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority would buy Wrigley Field (and then renovate it) has fallen through. See Chicago Sun Times.