Twistity Sports Exclusive: HOT IN FLORIDA

 
The hottest thing in Florida right now is baseball, not that anyone seems to know.

Sure, the summer humidity drains the life from the humanity but inside a couple of air-conditioned stadiums, baseball is hot.

The Miami Marlins have won six consecutive games and nine out of 10 after shutting out the National League East-leading Washington Nationals on Tuesday night. The Tampa Bay Rays, conveniently located on the other side of the state, have also won nine of 10 and two in a row after knocking off the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.

Not that anyone seems to know. The Marlins, whose management burned fans with a selloff of top players before the 2013 season, knocked off the Nats in front of a crowd that fell short of 23,000.

The Rays, marooned in their space dome far from the mainland, drew 16,249. By contrast, the Cincinnati Reds, frost-bitten since the All-Star break, won at home Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks with 33,153 at Great American Ballpark.

The Marlins may be able to crawl back into the NL East race. They’re five games behind the Nats and Atlanta Braves, who are in a virtual tie for first. Alas, their record is 53-53 and .500 gets no one excited in Miami unless that is rainfall in inches. The Rays are 53-54 and 6 ½ games behind the American League East leaders, the Baltimore Orioles. Again, by comparison, look at the Reds. They too are 53-53 but their fans show up.

The Rays are a victim of location and a hideous stadium that lacks appeal. The commute from Tampa (that’s where the people are) is too long and arduous. The Marlins have an extraordinarily unpopular owner and a fan base energized only by winning, and lots of it.

If the Rays and Marlins can climb back into their respective races, perhaps people will turn out and actually watch them in person. Perhaps. It will take a lot of winning for both of them.

Question of the day: Is anyone out there a Marlins fan or a Rays fan? Tell us why you stay away from their games. Answers in the box below.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .