Tampa Bay Rays to add seats for the rest of the postseason

If you watched any of the Tampa Bay Rayshome games this season, you routinely saw thousands of empty seats. But now that the Tampa Bay Rayshave won the American League East crown and are one game away from a trip to the World Series, the team is having trouble keeping up with the demand for tickets to their playoff run.

To accommodate the huge response from fans, the Rays will be removing the tarps that cover seats in the upper level of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. By removing the tarp, the team will open up 5,762 seats for ticket buyers.

"Even before we put our first Division Series games on-sale, interest in Tampa Bay Rays postseason tickets was extraordinary," Rays President Matt Silverman said in a statement. "Although the seating capacity we established provides an optimal fan experience, Rays fans have made it very clear that they want us to make every possible seating opportunity available. We are pleased to meet that demand."

The additional seats will be first opened up for the possible ALCS Game 6 against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, October 18. If the Tampa Bay Rays win tonight in Boston, the seats will make their premiere for Game 1 of the World Series versus the Philadelphia Phillies. According to the team's official site, upper deck seats will carry a face value of $25 per ticket in the ALCS, and $100 per ticket in the World Series.

Silverman also told the Tampa Tribune that some of the newly opened seats will be obstructed by the catwalks that line the roof of the "Trop".

During the regular season, the Tampa Bay Rays were able to compile the best home record in baseball at 57-24 and have only lost once there this postseason, in Game 1 of the ALCS.

"The Rays are so young and energetic, it gives you energy and makes you want to come on board," a fan told MLB.com. "That's how I see it at least."

Rascal Flatts extend tour with support from Jessica Simpson

After a summer of sold-out concerts across the nation, being on the road "Still Feels Good" to chart-topping country trio Rascal Flatts. So with the Rascal Flattslast concert of the 2008 season just a month away, the band announced that they will extend their Bob That Head Tour into 2009 with pop singer Jessica Simpson booked as the opening act.

According to the announcement on the band's Web site, the new leg of the tour is slated to start in mid-January. Approximately 25 shows are on the books, with specific information about dates, cities and on-sales to be announced later this fall.

"There is nothing more we love about music than performing across America on tour for our fans," lead singer Gary LeVox said in the announcement.

Rascal Flatts kicked off the 2008 tour on June 13 in St. Louis, MO, with opening support from the chart-topping country newcomer Taylor Swift and songwriters Neil Thrasher and Wendell Mobley. The trek continues with an October 9 performance at Resch Center in Green Bay, WI, and wraps with the group's November 1-2 set at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.

Since their eponymous debut in 2000, Rascal Flatts has resided at the top of the U.S. album charts. The band has had four consecutive albums peak at No. 1 on the country charts and three consecutive records chart at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. With all of their albums RIAA-certified Multi-Platinum and more than a dozen Top 5 singles, the band had plenty of material for their first "Greatest Hits" volume, due out October 28.

"We dreamed some big dreams. We were looking for the rocket ride. But I don't think we ever dreamed the things that have happened to us," lead guitarist Joe Don Rooney said of the band's rise to stardom. "Everybody in the industry sees the same charts and sales figures every week, and for us to see our names at the top of those lists gives us a whole different perspective. It's gratifying and it's humbling."

Best known for her pop songs, Jessica Simpson recently released her country-crossover, "Do You Know," on September 9. Though the album received lukewarm reviews, it peaked at No. 1 on the country charts and at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The upcoming Rascal Flatts tour will be Simpson's first long-term road test for the material in the U.S., since she booked only a handful of shows late in the summer to support the release.

Last chance for Cher, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss tickets

In the final stretch of her 2008 residency at Caesers Palace in Las Vegas, Cher is just one of the major acts making her last curtain call during the week ending October 6.

The iconic and glitzy singer, who signed a 200-show deal for a three-year period at the Coliseum at Caesars Palace, is ending her 2008 run on October 5. Cher was forced to cancel the remainder of her shows last weekend after falling ill on Friday, so fans who missed out then might want to catch the final performances this week. Bette Midler will take the stage at the 4,100-seat venue following Cher's departure.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are also winding down the final leg of their 2008 Raising Sand Tour, which began its first North American jaunt in the spring. Following this run, the former Led Zeppelin frontman stated that he will take a lengthy break from the road -- no reunion tours on the books. Another powerhouse touring duo is closing a national headlining tour over the weekend. Maroon 5 and Counting Crows wrap their joint venture on October 4, though the Crows will fly on with a batch of solo performances in the U.S. and Europe.

In the wide world of sports, two NASCAR series events will take to the circuit at Talladega Super Speedway this weekend. The Craftsman Truck Series hosts the Mountain Dew 250 on Saturday, followed by the Amp Energy 500 for the Sprint Cup Series on Sunday. Ticket sales are also winding down for Sunday's WWE No Mercy bout at the Rose Garden in Portland, OR.