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Manfred on Rays: Stadium 'is the key issue' behind lack of fan support

Kim Klement / USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Rays will continue to be a tough sell as long as they play at one of the league's most outdated stadiums. 

Despite averaging 90 wins over the past seven seasons, the Rays have finished dead last in attendance the last three years, and commissioner Rob Manfred addressed their need for a new stadium on Thursday. 

"You have to conclude that the stadium issue is the key issue because the Rays have put a great product on the field consistently for a really long period of time,'' Manfred told reporters. "It's not a situation where you can blame a lack of support on the fact you don't have a good product. (Baseball operations president) Matt (Silverman), (principal owner) Stu (Sternberg), the whole Rays team has done a fantastic job in really difficult circumstances putting a competitive product on the field.''

Sternberg has shown a commitment to keeping the team in Florida, but Manfred acknowledged that he's going to need help to get a new stadium built. 

"From our perspective it is very difficult to get a new stadium done without cooperation, help, assistance from local government,'' Manfred said. "We're hoping - we're hoping - that Stuart gets that kind of help so that they can get a facility that will keep the Rays and keep them competitive for the long term.''

Manfed pointed out that not only is it in the best interest of the Rays to have a facility that is up to major-league standards, it's also beneficial to the visiting teams.

"Obviously there are 30 teams and it's in everyone's best interests to have 30 strong franchises, and our markets have to participate in making sure that we have major-league quality facilities everywhere.''

The Rays have averaged 18,585 fans a game over the past three seasons. 

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