The Tampa Bay Rays will be able to buy out their Tropicana Field lease and search for a new ballpark site in Hillsborough County under an agreement reached with St. Petersburg. (more…)
Tag Archives | bill foster
New year, new day for new Rays ballpark?
With Rick Kriseman taking over the mayoral reins in St. Petersburg, many are expecting some sort of resolution to the Tampa Bay Rays ballpark situation — whether in St. Pete or Tampa. Outgoing Mayor Bill Foster isn’t leaving behind a very strong legacy, criticized as being indecisive and inflexible on big issues, including the future […]
Foster: MLB looking for reason to flee Tampa Bay
Not only do MLB owners want to see the Tampa Bay Rays leave Tropicana Field, they want to see the team leave Tampa Bay completely, according to outgoing St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster. As mayor, Foster led a dogged fight to ensure the Rays play out their entire lease at Tropicana Field, which runs through […]
Selig: I’ll let Rays ballpark talks unfold on their own
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig won’t participate in any Tampa Bay Rays ballpark talks at this time, saying new Mayor Rick Kriseman and Stuart Sternberg will take the lead. Kriseman, who defeated incumbent Bill Foster earlier this month in the St. Petersburg mayoral race, is considered to be more open-minded about a move of the Rays […]
Residents: Let Rays buy out Trop lease, move to Tampa
A plurality of St. Petersburg residents are willing to let the Tampa Bay Rays buy out their Tropicana Field lease and pursue a new ballpark anywhere in the Tampa Bay area. This was released in a poll released this morning. The poll, conducted on behalf of the Tampa Bay Times, Bay New 9 and WUSF […]
Selig: No updates on Rays ballpark situation
There’s been no progress on a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark this fall, but MLB Commissioner Bud Selig says he plans to address the issue after the World Series. Earlier this year it appeared St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster was softening his stance that the Rays completely play out their lease at Tropicana Field. But […]
St. Pete mayor: Talks with Rays going poorly
St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster, tied up in a tight reelection battle, says talks between his office and the Tampa Bay Rays over Tropicana Field lease are not going well — and blames MLB for the impasse. In a report to the City Council, Foster took aim at the commissioner’s office as he declared talks […]
Selig: Time to resolve Tampa Bay Rays ballpark situation
Despite some recent breakthroughs in the Tampa Bay Rays ballpark situation, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig may intervene to find out “what the hell is going on.” To say it’s been a long slog toward a new home for the Rays is to underestimate the time of a long slog: Tropicana Field was outdated a decade […]
Politico: Let Rays look throughout region for new ballpark after paying fee
A St. Petersburg City Council member says the Tampa Bay Rays should be allowed to talk to other cities in the region about a new ballpark — but only after paying a $1.4 million fee, and without assurances the current Tropicana Field lease could be ended. The fee wouldn’t allow the Rays to leave the […]
Sternberg: MLB doesn’t believe in Tampa Bay
At some point this was bound to happen: Today Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg told the Hillsborough County Commission that “Major League Baseball at this point no longer believes in the Tampa Bay area.” Sternberg was invited to speak to the county commission on the subject of the team’s future — a future partly […]
Poll: St. Pete voters opposed to public financing of new Rays ballpark
We’re not sure this will change the dynamics of the discussions, but it’s worth noting: a poll of St. Petersburg voters showed heavy opposition to any public financing of a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark. The poll, from StPetePolls.com, called 1,424 registered voters on Nov. 12 to gauge attitudes on a variety of issues in […]
Foster: We won’t allow Rays to talk new ballpark in Tampa
St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster shot down a proposal by the Tampa Bay Rays to explore new-ballpark sites in Tampa, arguing that if the Rays are allowed to shop around, they could end up leaving the region. Now, the Rays ownership have shown absolutely no interest in leaving Tampa Bay, and there are no cities […]
Experts: St. Pete should worry about making Rays deal now, not damages down the road
Instead of being obsessed about laying the groundwork for damages should the Tampa Bay Rays leave the Trop, St. Pete officials should be concerned more about making a deal to keep the team in town, say experts. It’s fair to say St. Petersburg has been defensive in its dealing with the Rays about the Trop: […]