Mixed Emotions

Hi again everyone. Just got back to Sweden from a month on the beach on Trasure Island, St. Pete. We went ot quite a few games and of course watched the rest on the tube. As I told you all before we left my kid was going to the Rays Camp, and here is the results of our experience.
My brother took the kid to the first 4 days of camp which was well staffed and efficiently run. I came in on the last day when they had the competitions and the awards. I had almost convinced myself that Iwasn't going to brag but now I can't help myself. My son won the Golden Glove, his group and Best Sportsman of the camp! Ben Zobrist came in and was the keynote speaker, which was huge for all the kids. He did a pretty good job and then signed autographs and took countless photos with them all. That was super!!!
My beef was with the inner office of the Rays who answered NONE of my emails, and presented a very us and them atittude throughout the experience. For a new team trying to build a fan base it seems that they don't really have a good grip on just how to do it. It was more like dealing with a beuraucratic institution then my local team. All the coaching staff were extremely friendly, no problems there, but the office personnel should have probably stayed in the office. Having a job for the Tampa Bay Rays doesn't put you in a league with Mick Jagger. All of the parents concerns and questions were handled with impersonal answers and a careless atittude. None of the critiques were written down. It was just moving the cattle through the pen. That could have easily been handled better and costs nothing.
The new charges for parking came as a surprise, though I could have found them out in advance if I had checked. Last time we went 4 in a car got in free- period. Now 5 in a handicap vehicle free on Sundays except for gold games and above, blah, blah, blah. It felt like talking to the IRS just getting in the gate.
The Rays tank was closed for 2 of the games we went to, one attendant told us it closed at the top of the 7th, we went back the last day and it closed 2 hours after the first pitch. On our 5th game this season my 7 year old still hadn't seen the tank, I mean come on, use some common sense. The young kids attention span wanes as the games continues, that is when they should have their diversions.
All in all I think that my personal impression of the Rays experience suffered on this trip, and although they are my team and I gotta watch em, it seems the Magic has worn off, the uniquity is gone and this franchise is suffering from a middle level mismanagement. Maybe upstairs at the top they are making great moves and have a good strategy for staying competitive on a backpacker budget, but we are their revenue, so I would recommend spending more time and energy satisfying the ones that ARE coming instead of complaining about the ones that aren't.

I hope we don't lose you as a fan! We need all we can get!

That being said, the FO is amazing at making deals on a low budget and really balancing a team but terrible at making a fan base happy. It's been like that for a while now, they didn't handle their success well and instead of being more involved with the fans while winning and as their fan base has grown they've done more of what you just experienced. I understand how you feel, and never have liked the FO very much other than by the great deals they've made, but that's just something we deal with. I try not to get involved with owners and things too much, as it's the players on the field I am watching not them. But I completely understand how you feel, and hopefully things will change, but I hope it doesn't send you off!

On a better note, that is great how well he did! A golden glove already! Now if he can just get a real one you'll be doing real well! Glad you had a good time for the most part though, and hopefully the bad experience with the FO can just be shrugged off. Wishing you a better experience next time!