Joe Maddon And Carlos Pena On Rays Fans

Bill Chastain has these quotes from Manager Joe Maddon and Carlos Pena on Rays fans this season:

"After what we did last year, the folks are really showing up," Maddon said. "Furthermore, I like the idea that they're wearing our stuff. They know our guys. They're giving them a cheer every time they step up to do something or even when they walk out of the dugout prior to the game. They're acknowledging what they did last year. We feel the same way about the fans, too. It's great to have them on board, and we just want to keep them there for years to come."

Carlos Pena noticed the heavy dose of Rays fans at the spring home opener Wednesday. "It was awesome walking out, and people responded very well," Pena said. "That is so cool. We cherish that. We appreciate that. We feel fortunate to have the fan base that we have today and know that it has grown. There are a lot of Rays fans that were there when we were losing, and they stuck it out. And now they're enjoying a team that is a winning team."
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"We've sold a lot more season tickets," Maddon said. "And I really think the folks are going to show up based on what we did last year. Now by continuing to play well this year, I think it's going to be pretty full all the time. So I'm anticipating really big crowds all year."