1. Tampa Bay
We’ll never know if baseball could have made it in Tampa-St. Pete. From the beginning, the Devil Rays have had the worst owner and the most bumbling general manager in the game. Maybe fans wouldn’t have come out anyway. But these guys all but hung a “No reason to come here” sign.
2. Atlanta
Unlike some other cities in this list, Braves fans can’t say: “I’ll care again when they get good.” The Braves have been really good for a long time, and even though they draw 2 million fans, they draw the most apathetic 2 million fans in sports. They tell you they’ll care again when the Braves mix in another championship with all those division crowns. But they won’t.
3. Miami
Baseball in South Florida was a terrible idea. The Marlins say they need a new ballpark, but in truth, fans don’t really care about the game. They prefer the tracks, jai alai and the Dolphins.
4. Pittsburgh
Don’t say fans don’t care because the team stinks. Fans in Pittsburgh never have cared. They didn’t care much in the Roberto Clemente years, and they didn’t care in the Barry Bonds years. They care about their Steelers. Baseball is an occasional diversion.
5. Phoenix
Someone convinced someone that baseball in Phoenix was a good idea. Someone was wrong. Fans came for a couple of years, but then the new wore off. They haven’t come back.
