Tampa Bay Rays: Apathetic Fans Are a Blessing and a Curse

The Tampa Bay Rays may not have the passionate fans they want, but they have the apathetic fans they need.

Perhaps a team that is 13 years young with limited payroll is better served with a fair-weather and less intense fan base for the time being. The exact thing that the team and city has been criticized nationally for might just be the secret to this young team's ability to handle adversity and remain competitive in the hardest division in baseball.

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox don't have the ability to develop young talent and allow their manager the latitude to make the outside the box decisions Joe Maddon is able to.

Carl Crawford has probably been booed more times by his home crowd this season with the Red Sox than in his entire career with the Rays.

This is where the fans come into play.

It is hard enough to handle the pressures of playing at the professional level without the added stress of the fans and media that large market teams and players have to deal with. The Rays, to this point in their franchise’s history, are reaping the benefit of low expectations despite their recent success.

It has been seen over and over again in sports as teams emerge from surprise or “Cinderella” seasons then struggle to maintain the same level of success and accomplishment.

The Rays continue to break that model.

After their surprise season in 2008, they returned to the top of the American League East in 2010 and are now knocking on the postseason door again.

This is a credit to Andrew Friedman’s work in the front office, Joe Maddon’s leadership in the dugout, the players’ performance on the field, and maybe even the empty seats in the crowd.

Jamal Wilburg is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow his thoughts, insights, and ramblings on Twitter @JWilburg