The future of the Rays

[imref]

League nixes plan to split time between Tampa and Montreal. With no viable path toward building a new stadium, I assume they will be on the move

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/01/rays-tampa-montreal-timeshare-plans-nixed-by-mlb.html

[JCA-CrystalCity]

League nixes plan to split time between Tampa and Montreal. With no viable path toward building a new stadium, I assume they will be on the move

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/01/rays-tampa-montreal-timeshare-plans-nixed-by-mlb.html

this may be an ideal team for relocating to Charlotte because they already have Durham as their AAA team.

[imref]

this may be an ideal team for relocating to Charlotte because they already have Durham as their AAA team.

it's sad because downtown Tampa on the waterfront would be such a great spot for a baseball stadium.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

it's sad because downtown Tampa on the waterfront would be such a great spot for a baseball stadium.

they're talking Ybor City.  They say it is in Northeast Tampa.  How long of a drive would that be from Orlando?

[Natsinpwc]

they're talking Ybor City.  They say it is in Northeast Tampa.  How long of a drive would that be from Orlando?

We are at a Spanish restaurant in Ybor City last year. I can’t recall but it was probably 90 minutes.

[imref]

they're talking Ybor City.  They say it is in Northeast Tampa.  How long of a drive would that be from Orlando?

90 minutes.  I think the south end of Ybor has some waterfront areas. I don't know where exactly they were looking to put the stadium.

15th Street and Channel Side Drive, so on the water.

[Natsinpwc]

Ybor is right off the I-4 which would be convenient. 

Edit. Just checked and only 82 miles from where we are on the southeast side of Orlando.  So theoretically only an hour and fifteen minutes. However I 4 is always backed up after 417 feeds into from my experience.

They should just move the team here to Orlando. 

[Natsinpwc]

https://www.draysbay.com/platform/2021/7/28/22596457/plans-revealed-for-redevelopment-of-rays-preferred-ybor-stadium-site

[JCA-CrystalCity]

https://www.draysbay.com/platform/2021/7/28/22596457/plans-revealed-for-redevelopment-of-rays-preferred-ybor-stadium-site

link didn't work

[nfotiu]

this may be an ideal team for relocating to Charlotte because they already have Durham as their AAA team.

A team in Charlotte would probably be pretty costly to the Nats/Os in terms of losing their biggest state in their TV territory.   Probably won't matter much in 5-10 years, but for now MASN has a lot of paid subscribers in NC, even if they don't watch the teams much.

[Natsinpwc]

link didn't work

Hmm.  Works on my phone when I click on it.

[imref]

https://www.draysbay.com/2018/2/9/16994954/tampa-bay-rays-new-stadium-site-announcement-ybor-city

[HalfSmokes]

Does anyone really expect Tampa Bay to pay for a stadium?

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Marlins Park being such a spectacular success 

[imref]

Marlins Park being such a spectacular success 

Does anyone really expect Tampa Bay to pay for a stadium?

Well, it's Florida so maybe. Or they can get Disney to sponsor it.

The Miami park was built in the middle of a largely residential area. This one is in a far better location to serve as the anchor of an entertainment district.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

The city did pay for whatever we are calling the Lightning arena this week IIRC, though that was before the era of the billion dollar stadium.   

[edit: I looked it up - per wiki "The city of Tampa paid $86 million and the Tampa Bay Lightning paid $53 million for the venue's construction and infrastructure."]

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Sternberg is looking for $350 million (he'll put up $350 million, too) and the city says no way.

It's funny to compare this to Gillette for me.  That was privately financed, with just some highway improvements coming from the state.  There, Kraft had a huge property so he could develop the surrounding Patriots Place development, too, after Gillette was built out. It doesn't look like there'd be the real estate opportunity for Sternberg in that area to allow him to pocket extra bucks.  Sternberg is probably looking at the deal the Nats got, and maybe the NYY, and saying he's paying a lot more than his peers.

[HalfSmokes]

Well, it's Florida so maybe. Or they can get Disney to sponsor it.

The Miami park was built in the middle of a largely residential area. This one is in a far better location to serve as the anchor of an entertainment district.

Expect the entertainment district is already there and doesn't need an empty stadium to anchor it

[Count Walewski]

Wow what an optics crapshow in Tampa as far as the owner's public comments on this are concerned. It's not just that he doesn't care what the public thinks, he seems to aggressively want to point out that he does not care what the public thinks.

[Natsinpwc]

They were chatting on sports radio about splitting the games between Tampa and Orlando but neither city seems to have the financing.  Maybe the Rays can just rotate between some of the spring training parks in the area.  Seating seems sufficient. 

[Natsinpwc]

Well, it's Florida so maybe. Or they can get Disney to sponsor it.

The Miami park was built in the middle of a largely residential area. This one is in a far better location to serve as the anchor of an entertainment district.

By this one where do you mean.  They seem to be moving ahead with development of Ybor City without the stadium. 

[Natsinpwc]

 

A team in Charlotte would probably be pretty costly to the Nats/Os in terms of losing their biggest state in their TV territory.   Probably won't matter much in 5-10 years, but for now MASN has a lot of paid subscribers in NC, even if they don't watch the teams much.

The Nashville Cats. 

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Must be the same PR firm as WFT's

Wow what an optics crapshow in Tampa as far as the owner's public comments on this are concerned. It's not just that he doesn't care what the public thinks, he seems to aggressively want to point out that he does not care what the public thinks.

[welch]

Just move the team to Montreal. Forget Florida, a place that should never have had a major league team. Yes, I growled and spit nails when baseball expanded to Miami and then to Tampa, ignoring Washington. No reason Tampa should pay big to build a baseball park.

[Natsinpwc]

Just move the team to Montreal. Forget Florida, a place that should never have had a major league team. Yes, I growled and spit nails when baseball expanded to Miami and then to Tampa, ignoring Washington. No reason Tampa should pay big to build a baseball park.

Why put a team in a place that proves it could not support a team before. Charlotte and Nashville are much better choices.