Series against Yankees draws big crowd to the Trop on Monday, but will they stay through the end?

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays were in the national spotlight Tuesday night in a big game against the New York Yankees. The Rays are making another run for the playoffs, but once again the team is struggling to fill the stands.

Series like this one against New York may be what city officials look back to as they get ready to discuss a possible future home for the team.

Monday's day-game with the Yankees drew more than 28,000 to the Trop, about 8,000 above the team's average. The Yankees routinely draw big crowds at Tropicana Field.

As of Tuesday, out of all 30 major league ballparks, Tampa Bay is ranked dead last in total attendance.

"It's really sad that people don't support the Rays and they're doing really good," said Venus Armstrong, a big Rays fan who was getting ready to head into the ballpark on Tuesday.

Later this month, the St. Petersburg City Council will hear a presentation from a local developer who has been privately working on plans for a new ballpark within the city of St. Petersburg. That meeting has been scheduled for September 28.

Fans never shy away from weighing in.

"I don't think that has anything to do with location at all," said Kristin Wright, a die-hard fan since 1998. "I think fans are fans and they'll go when they can whether that's St. Pete or Tampa."