The Bowling Green Hot Rods (Low Class A; Midwest League) and the Tampa Bay Rays extended their player-development contract (PDC) through the 2014 season. “We are very pleased to continue our relationship with the Rays,” said Art Solomon, Hot Rods owner. “Tampa Bay continues to be a top-notch organization that consistently supplies us with high-character […]
Tag Archives | tampa bay rays
Tampa Bay: We’ll listen to St. Pete ballpark pitch
The Tampa Bay Rays will send reps to hear a pitch from developer Darryl LeClair regarding a new St. Petersburg ballpark, but Stuart Sternberg is still pushing a regional solution that also includes Tampa. LeClair is set to present a plan to the St. Petersburg City County for a new Rays ballpark on a 12-acre site […]
Letter: Rays can talk new ballpark — but only for St. Pete location
St. Petersburg officials have offered to release the Tampa Bay Rays from a lease clause forbidding discussions of new ballpark with others, but on one condition: talks be limited to a St. Pete location. The Rays are operating under a Tropicana Field lease that prevents them from talking with other cities about relocation while the […]
Ballpark pitch will be heard by St. Pete — but officials will not respond
St. Petersburg will hear a pitch from a developer for a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark, but the City Council won’t be allowed to speak and there will be no direct communication with any Rays employees. Developer Darryl LeClair had requested the chance to lay out his proposal for a new Rays ballpark on a 12-acre […]
The Week That Was: August 12
New homes for the Oakland A’s and Tampa Bay Rays, 8-bit follies, a laser pointer at Busch Stadium and new-ballpark efforts in Wilmington and Hillsboro. The most popular stories of the past week on Ballpark Digest, measured by page views. MLB committee meets with Oakland, San Jose officials about future of A’s Fan arrested at […]
Parking huge issue for proposed Rays ballpark site
A proposed Tampa Bay Rays ballpark site in St. Petersburg’s Carillon Business Park may have one fatal flaw: the total lack of parking in the mostly developed 432-acre complex. On the plus side, the site sits near an exit from the Howard Frankland Bridge, the almost-five-mile bridge connecting St. Pete and Tampa and could provide a nice view […]
Pinellas County, private investor want to pitch Rays, St. Pete on ballpark plans
Pinellas County and a private developer are adding their voices to the groups looking to talk with the Tampa Bay Rays about a new ballpark, as interest in a facility is heating up. Tuesday saw the Pinellas County Commission step in and request a meeting with the Rays and St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster about the future of the team, […]
The Week That Was: August 5
The World Baseball Classic, El Paso, new Yankee Stadium and the future of the Tampa Bay Rays were on the minds of Ballpark Digest readers this week. The most popular stories on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views. Israel preps for WBC PCL approves El Paso purchase of T-Padres New Yankee Stadium less intimidating? […]
Rays: We’ll talk new ballpark with Hillsborough County
Tampa Bay Rays ownership says they’ll sit down with Hillsborough County to discuss a new ballpark — even as St. Petersburg officials hint at legal action to keep the team at Tropicana Field. Yesterday Hillsborough County commissioners voted 5-2 to invite the Rays ownership, as well as reps from St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, for […]
Hillsborough County: Nothing legally bars us from talking new ballpark with Rays
Despite the insistence from St. Petersburg officials that the Tampa Bay Rays are barred from talking new ballpark with anyone else, Hillsborough County legal staff says they can enter talks whenever they want. The legal decision really comes down to some basic contract law: since Hillsborough County (which includes Tampa) isn’t a party to the […]
New Yankee Stadium less intimidating? ESPN thinks so
The old Yankee Stadium was regarded by opposing players as one of the toughest places to compete. Today, it seems, the new Yankee Stadium is less than intimidating. In the old ballpark, fans could affect the outcome of a game, even when they lacked the ability to throw batteries from the right-field seats. Some well-placed […]
Newly available land parcel could bring downtown Tampa ballpark — maybe
It’s not as though there are plenty of downtown Tampa land parcels suitable for a new ballpark, but the potential move of a large flour mill could get things rolling for a new Tampa Bay Rays facility. A mill owned and operated by ConAgra is a major presence in downtown Tampa in many ways: besides […]
The Week That Was: July 15
Tampa Bay attendance woes, MLB TV contracts, a new El Paso ballpark and spring training made news this week. The most popular stories of the past seven days on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views. Selig: Rays attendance is “inexcusable” NBC vying for piece of MLB media-rights pie? El Paso: Let’s sell Cohen Stadium […]