Just 19,704 fans were at Tropicana Field to watch the Tampa Bay Rays fall to the Texas Rangers 4-0 in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series. Here’s what you need to know:

  • The last time a postseason game drew so few fans (in a non-COVID year) was Game 7 of the 1919 World Series, a best-of-nine series involving the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds. That series is infamous for the betting scandal that led to the lifetime bans of eight members of the White Sox (including pitcher Eddie Cicotte, who tossed a complete-game victory that afternoon at Redland Field).
  • Tuesday’s game began at 3 p.m. ET, and those who came did not get a good show from the home team. Tampa Bay played sloppily in its sixth straight postseason loss, recording four errors and managing just one extra-base hit despite an all-right-handed lineup against Texas lefty Jordan Montgomery. Rays starter Tyler Glasnow worked into the sixth inning, walking five and allowing a run-scoring wild pitch.
  • Game 2 will be played in St. Petersburg on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET. With one more loss, the Rays’ season will end before the divisional round for the second year in a row.

How Tuesday’s game compared to other Rays’ games this year

The Rays had 31 regular-season crowds larger than Tuesday’s, but it was, at least, a bigger crowd than usual. The Rays averaged 17,781 fans per game this season, their highest average attendance (in a season not impacted by Covid) since 2014. They ranked 27th among baseball’s 30 teams in attendance this season, ahead of the Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins and Oakland A’s. — Kepner

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Read more: As Rays are swept off the field, their empty seats hint at a much bigger problem

Tampa Bay’s ongoing crowd struggles

This is the Rays’ ninth postseason appearance in the last 16 seasons, yet the team has always struggled to draw fans to its ballpark, which has the only roof in MLB that does not retract. Even so, it’s a quirky, fun place to watch a game — actual rays swim in a tank above the center field wall — but its location in St. Petersburg makes it a chore for many fans on the Tampa side of the Bay to attend a game. The team hopes to build a new ballpark, but it would also be located in St. Petersburg. — Kepner

What happened in 1919?

According to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), Game 7 of the 1919 World Series drew only 13,923 fans because the Reds required fans to buy tickets in three-game blocks, and Game 7 was their fourth home game of the series. Along with a miscommunication regarding the individual ticket sales for Game 7, there were also long lines at the Reds’ ticket office that turned away the crowds.

What they’re saying

“The (fans) that were there made it pretty loud, I feel like,” Rays shortstop Taylor Walls said. “It’s always nice when the seats are full, but at the same time, the people that did come showed up and showed out. Hopefully tomorrow we can pack it in a little bit more and the atmosphere will be what it was today or a little bit better.”

Required reading

(Photo: Mike Carlson / MLB Photos via Getty Images)