Monday, February 4, 2013
The Major League Baseball team says it needs a new stadium to be successful in the Bay area. Some St. Petersburg leaders insist they must stay in the city. We want to hear what you think should happen.
It’s no secret that the Tampa Bay Rays have been talking with government officials outside of St. Petersburg about the need for a new stadium. They’ve gone on a road show of sorts, talking with officials on both the Hillsborough and Pinellas county commissions. Team management has made it clear that attendance numbers need to rise for the Rays to remain viable in the Tampa Bay area. They’ve also made it abundantly clear that Major League Baseball has lost its faith in Tampa Bay. While Hillsborough and Pinellas county officials want to lend a hand to restore that faith – and possibly a location for a shiny new stadium in their own backyards – St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster is adamantly opposed to letting the team out of its contract to play at …
Friday, February 1, 2013
Government and business leaders are in talks with the team about a potential move.
Despite winning consistently and investing more than $20 million into Tropicana Field stadium, Rays executives say the games continue to lag behind in attendance. "We've been winning consistently, but attendance has been trending downward," said Michael Kalt, the team's senior vice president of development and business affairs in a presentation before the Hillsbrough County Commission last week. "W’eve gone from 26th overall (in attendance) down to last in 2012, with an average of slightly over 19,000 people coming to games and that's with the extraordinary roll we've had on the field." Kalt was joined by other upper echelon members of the Rays organization, including the team's principal owner Stuart Sternberg and team president Matt …
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The Tampa Bay Rays say they need a new stadium. St. Petersburg officials say the team is contractually obligated to remain at Tropicana Field for another 14 years. What do you think should happen, Tampa Bay?
It’s a brouhaha that’s been brewing in the Tampa Bay area for years: The Tampa Bay Rays say they need a new stadium. The City of St. Petersburg holds a contract that says the Major League Baseball team is obligated to play at Tropicana Field through the year 2027. Even so, the Rays haven’t been quiet about their perceived need for a newer, better stadium. A few years back, they floated the idea of building a new stadium on St. Petersburg’s waterfront. That idea was nixed in the court of public opinion. Now, team officials are planning to meet with both the Hillsborough and Pinellas County Commissions. The Hillsborough meeting, which will be open to the public, is set up for Jan. 24. The meeting with Pinellas officials takes place Jan. 29. …
Friday, May 4, 2012
A county commissioner has floated an idea that could benefit both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, according to the Tampa Bay Times: Send the Rays across the bay in return for Tampa's cruise ship business.
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Friday, May 4, 2012
Here's an interesting plot twist in the ongoing conversation about where the Tampa Bay Rays' next home should be. Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist threw out this idea, according to the Tampa Bay Times: Send the Rays to Hillsborough County in exchange for Tampa's cruise ship business. According to the Times, the newest cruise megaships are too large to squeeze under the Sunshine Skyway bridge. Hillsborough County is trying to figure out how to accommodate them, possibly with a new terminal outside Tampa. Meanwhile, the Rays have proposed to move out of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, where they are currently contractually obligated to play through 2027. As reported in the Times, a coalition on the issue explored moving the …
Jeff Kirkpatrick
2:12 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Well....as a fan, they should stay. But thinking of it as a business choice, they should leave st pete. No one likes driving way down there to see a game. Parking is horrible, and shouldnt be more expensive than the game. And its not really the fans fault....its how expensive concessions are at the games. People know they can spend 10 bucks to go see the game....but after a beer and a hot dog, … more ›