They get corporate interest, the same attendance as the other two Tampa-based teams, more fan interest, and more money to work with. Details remain to be worked out over the next several years, including how to finance the project among the Rays, the city, Pinellas County and other entities. While this proposal has some ground, its one that needs to become more concrete, and works better for an expansion franchise. The Rays current contract with Charlotte County runs through the 2028 spring training camp.. And even if the Rays create a mini-dynasty and win four of the next five championships, the current situation (crappy stadium, poor attendance, terrible local access) at a consistent rate will cause the owners and operators to question the viability of a Tampa franchise. Why? They also need a home for their minor-league teams to train. "We are solely focused on the Sister City plan and keeping the Rays in Tampa Bay for generations," said Rays' president Brian Auld. The Trop was built as a hockey arena, and even the Lightning found it wasnt as suitable for it, moving to the Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa. On that historic night, there were only over 12,000 fans at the ballpark and, from my point of view, a lot of them were Orioles fans. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Rays are relocating their spring base for 2023 due to extensive damage to team training facilities caused by Hurricane Ian. The Titans and Predators have no issues with attendance and are immensely popular in the region, while Nashville also had the highest economic growth of any American city in 2021. They had 35 years with very little success (one NLCS appearance and the best record in baseball in 1994. Lets be real. Disney World visitors would pounce on the opportunity for other entertainment, similar to how the Golden Knights of the NHL built up their attendance by pouncing on bored Vegas visitors who had run out of shows to see and money to gamble away. | Powered By: Web Seo Wiz. Daily updates aggregating the stories and spin from more than 600 outlets across the globe. "This team is the best partner for this generational endeavor, and now the next phase of work begins to bring this dream to reality for everyone in St. Petersburg," Welch said in a speech on the steps of City Hall. I think MLB view cities like Montreal, Portland, Nashville, Charlotte and possibly Mexico City as possible expansion cities. Insert the Rays into Memphis, and you have a city on the rise with two very young franchises thriving on the baseball diamond and hardwood. 2021 Half Street High Heat A Nationals Podcast, Nats Parks New BetMGM Sportsbook is Great. Nashville's pursuit of an MLB franchise might be gaining steam, if a Tampa City Council member is to be believed. The previously released exhibition schedule is expected to be revised. Rays Could Still Move To Tampa After St. Pete Redevelopment Bid Memphis is the 19th-largest city in the United States and features the Memphis Grizzlies, whose rise from the cellar of the NBA is much similar to the Rays'. Why are the Rays in St Pete? We are thankful for Disneys willingness and ability to accommodate our unexpected Spring Training needs, Rays president Matt Silverman said in a statement. The Montreal thing has come up a number of times the past few years. and our Manager Joe Maddon helped guide the youthful Rays to their first playoff appearance in 2008, and they proceeded to upset the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS, but they were eventually defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. Earle Kimel primarily covers south Sarasota County for the Herald-Tribune and can be reached at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. The Rays have trained in Port Charlotte, which is about 90 minutes south of St. Petersburg, since 2009. PETERSBURG -- Due to damage caused by Hurricane Ian, the Rays will not be able to hold Spring Training in Port Charlotte next year. At first, it seems like an odd move for the Tampa Bay Rays to abandon one of the cushiest spring-training setups in baseball and leave scenic Al Lang Field in downtown St. Petersburg for a spring-training site once abandoned by the Texas Rangers. Ticket information for the Rays Spring Training games will be released in January. "Folks want to be here. ST. PETERSBURG -- Unable to use the Charlotte Sports Park complex due to damage caused by Hurricane Ian, the Rays will hold the first phase of their Major League Spring Training camp at Disneys ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex before hosting most of their Grapefruit League games at Tropicana Field. December 1, 2022. The Raleigh-based Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) have also begun to sputter. Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said last year that there is a "sense of urgency" for the Rays to resolve their stadium issue and that MLB wants the team to remain in the Tampa Bay area. Team Puerto Ricos scheduled exhibition game against the Rays on Thursday, March 9 will now be hosted by the Atlanta Braves at North Port. Sure, the Expos had their legal fights, and they have their legal fans, but does a Tampa franchise struggling with attendance and stadium issues want to go back to the same problem but this time in a country that might be indifferent? In the case of the Tampa Bay Rays, relocation and contraction have been words that have plagued the franchise, both through years and years of frustrating on the field struggles and during a still-running streak of division winning success. Charlotte Sports Park - Wikipedia However, there's no . This scenario seems perfect for an in-state move. The 2020 season was cancelled because of COVID-19 pandemic concerns. In 2018, he listed Nashville, along with Las Vegas, Charlotte, Montreal, Portland and Vancouver as potential . Nashvilles high interest makes them the most attractive of the out of state relocation options, but again, a desire for a new team and a lack of a temporary stadium make this difficult when they collide with the Rays lengthy lease and their TV deals in Florida. Obviously the Rays would need a new ballpark built, but the remaining fanbase in Tampa Bay is already calling for a new stadium, so this is somewhat of a moot point. The Spurs were consistently in the top half of the NBA in attendance pre-pandemic, showing that San Antonio can gather fan interest, while Austin would be a fun experiment. Overall, Welch said, the idea is to create a destination for people who come to Rays games, as well as build a new community. dedicated to making a push for their own Major League Baseball team. ", Plan outlined for new Rays park, redevelopment, Harper may return Tue., 160 days post-TJ surgery, Rangers ace deGrom 'frustrated' to land on IL, Twins will shut P Mahle down for at least 4 weeks, Cards broadcaster, 2-time champ Shannon dies, Giants' Yastrzemski (hamstring) likely IL-bound, Yankees to evaluate Judge's hip strain Monday, Mexico City's uphill climb toward landing an MLB franchise. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Rays are relocating their spring base for 2023 due to extensive damage to team training facilities caused by Hurricane Ian. Well have to play the wait-and-see game to see where that goes and we know their agreement here goes through 2028, so we hope to at least have them through then, but wed love to renew that agreement.. The Rays are locked into a lease at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg through 2027, while the lease for spring training in Port Charlotte runs through 2028. MLB is a significant step closer to expansion, which will bring two more franchises into the big leagues while also necessitating the creation of eight new minor-league teams around the country. The city has a very high population and has quite a large media market as well, which would help promote the Rays and perhaps sell out more than just one game per year. 'Believe in the power of cheese': How a group of rookies helped give the Brewers the best vibes in baseball, Fantasy baseball: Load up on San Diego bats this weekend. Id be on the road for leisure travel sales and when I mentioned I was from the Port Charlotte area, before the Rays came on, a lot of time Id get stares, because people didnt know where we were located, said Doherty who started with the bureau in 2005 as the sports marketing manager. The team's lease with their Spring training facility in Port Charlotte runs through 2028. In Charlotte, the team would be missed, Doherty said, but admitted that the loss of the Stone Crabs proved to be a dress rehearsal for that possibility. The Rays have averaged roughly between 22,000-23,000 fans per game in attendance, but the Trop seats 34,078 people and could hold 42,735 fans if they were to remove the tarp from certain sections in the stadium. Tampa Bay Rays will use Disney, Tropicana Field as temporary spring training locations. For more information, please see our The Rays home game against the New York Yankees on Tues., Feb. 28, will now be played at The Stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney. Get notified on your phone in the morning with the latest forecast and news to start your day. Charlotte County spokesman Brian Gleason said via email that Charlotte County has enjoyed partnering with the Tampa Bay Rays on their spring training camp and player development program since 2009. That being said, lets get to it! Because they play somewhere accessible for the greater Tampa Bay area. Timely, daily updates provide the latest developments and news relied upon by industry leaders. stories and Draft takeaways; The premise behind Wasserman Ventures; Tony Ressler's grand vision for Atlanta and early schedule highlights from an expanded CFP. The Rays will likely not be able to use TD Ameritrade Park though because of the minor league teams in the city, plus it can only fit around 24,000 fans. It did help with putting us a little more on the map with travelers and tourists, he added. According to the Tampa Bay Times, "As the Montreal plan took shape, Rays officials said it was their 'only' option and dismissed any chance of getting a new full-time home in the Tampa Bay . SBJ I Factor presented by Allied Sports features an interview with Navigate founder A.J. On a personal note, I am a Rays fan living outside of Florida (though born and raised in Tampa, represent!) The 2023 Tampa Bay Rays season is the 26th season of the Tampa Bay Rays franchise and their 16th as the Rays. We are thrilled to be bringing Major League Baseball back to Walt Disney World Resort, Faron Kelley, vice president of Disney Sports, said in a statement. Doherty noted that while the Stone Crabs offered some family friendly fun, the county was successful in attractingyouth tournaments to recoup some tourism dollars. Population: 676,640 (19th among U.S. cities), Other Professional Sports Teams in the City: Memphis Grizzlies. Legacy: The Portland Beavers have been a AAA affiliate (or minor league affiliate in some capacity) since the beginning of the 20th century. St. Petersburg is a hike from Tampa, and most of the ways to get between the two cities are clogged during weekday rush hour. But, lets say the Rays come to town. "This selection validates all the hard work," Auld said. With this trade to re-acquire Javy Guerra, Tampa Bay is adding an intriguing arm to their group of relievers.
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