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Rays ballpark brawl: Tampa versus St. Pete

The discussion about a new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays has descended into a war of words between Tampa and St. Pete officials — and it's only just beginning.

The discussion about a new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays has descended into a war of words between Tampa and St. Pete officials — and it's only just beginning.

Thwarted in their efforts to build a new ballpark in downtown St. Pete, the Rays turned to a coalition of community leaders to scope out the best locations for a new facility; that group (A Baseball Coalition, or ABC) came up with three sites: two in Tampa and one in St. Pete. Since then other sites, such as a location between downtown Tampa and Ybor City, have been thrown out, while a private developer is exploring a site at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

The premise behind ABC was that a community group could transcend politics and come up with what's basically a compromise location. But so much for compromise: shortly after the recommendations, St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster pulled the city out of ABC discussions and proclaimed that St. Pete would do its best to keep the Rays to its current Tropicana Field lease, which runs through 2027. Ballpark discussions were fine, he declared, as long as they reminded fans that Tropicana Field wasn't going away.

Perhaps. Teams get out of leases all the time, and in the case of the Trop there's probably a clause saying the facility must be kept to Major League standards. Given all the improvements in MLB ballparks in recent years, there's a compelling argument Tropicana Field is not on a par with other MLB facilities — especially with the Metrodome and Sun Life Stadium leaving the MLB ranks. 

So Foster is playing a dangerous game here: he runs the risk of losing the Rays and being stuck with the bond payments on the place. Other ballpark plans, including the proposal for a new downtown St. Pete ballpark, called for the bonds to be repaid as part of the deal. We've chatted with Hillsborough County officials eager to bring the Rays into a new ballpark located either in downtown Tampa or somewhere near Raymond James Stadium; the county certainly has the bonding and taxing wherewithal to build a new Rays facility. 

RELATED STORIES: Three Rays ballpark sites recommended by committee; New Rays ballpark discussion shifts to Tampa; Group: Any new Rays ballpark needs retractable roof; Group: Renovating Trop isn't option in keeping Rays; Rays task force may have prelim recommendations by June — but no site; Rays propose Carillon Town Center site for ballpark

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