A regional ballpark authority with the ability to collect taxes could be the key in the Tampa Bay Rays landing a new ballpark — but it’s far from clear whether all cities in the area would want to participate. There’s one given when it comes to public funding of large projects: by increasing the number […]
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Mayor, Council differ on approach to Rays ballpark issue
St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster is committed to keeping the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field through all legal means possible, but the City Council is aggressively questioning that absolutist approach. The split between the city and the council was apparent at a workshop for the council yesterday. Normally, a City Council workshop means a […]
Tampa: We could have $100M for new Rays ballpark
Money currently generated by a downtown Tampa TIF district to pay down convention-center bonds could be used in 2015 and beyond for a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark, according to city officials. The tax-increment financing district currently generates some $13.5 million a year, and the Tampa Convention Center bons are slated to be paid off […]
Houston new Voice of the RiverDogs
Sean Houston is the new Voice of the Charleston RiverDogs (Low Class A; Sally League), hired as the club’s new director of broadcasting and media relations. A 2008 graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in Telecommunication-News, Houston replaces Danny Reed, who held the position for 2½ years before leaving in August to […]
Measuring the 2011 financial winners and losers in MLB
How well did MLB teams spend their money this season? Here’s a look at how well or how poorly teams did with their payrolls this season in an attempt to translate dollars into wins — and why the Houston Astros, even with a low payroll, overpaid their players this season. With the 2011 season completed, […]
Yet another group seeks to break Rays ballpark logjam
Yet another group of influential local businesspeople have stepped up to find a Tampa Bay Rays ballpark solution — but St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster continues to oppose any development that calls for the team to leave the increasingly decrepit Tropicana Field. The group, the Clutch Hitters, was formed to encourage businesses to buy season […]
The Week That Was: July 24
More fireworks from the independent North American League, possible ballpark changes in Tucson and debates over the future of Tropicana Field highlighted the most popular stories of the past week on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views. Fielders’ Zaman quits on the air Tucson revoking Toros lease for Hi Corbett; Wildcats, T-Padres to follow? […]
St. Pete mayor: There’s nothing wrong with the Trop
The simmering debate over the worthiness of Tropicana Field as the home of the Tampa Bay Rays continues, as broadcaster John Kruk and manager Joe Maddon all take shots at the place, with St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster declaring it fit for MLB. The latest incidents: a bank of lights went out Monday night, causing […]
Tampa Bay, St. Pete business leaders combine forces for new Rays ballpark
Realizing there’s a lot of at stake if a regional approach isn’t used, business leaders from both Tampa and St. Petersburg have joined forces on a Baseball Stadium Financing Caucus, charged with finding funding mechanisms for a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark. The caucus is a joint effort from Chambers of Commerce in both cities. […]
Could Rays declare bankruptcy to escape Trop lease?
Though there’s been no indication by the Tampa Bay Rays ownership that bankruptcy is an option, the City of St. Petersburg is wary enough of the potential lease-ending legal move that it’s looking at hiring bankruptcy counsel to counter any possible action by the team. Declaring bankruptcy to avoid a lease isn’t exactly unknown in […]
Oakland, Tampa Bay on cusp of contraction? Not so fast
Forbes Magazine continues to beat the drum for the possible of contraction of the Oakland A’s and Tampa Bay Rays by 2015, but Mike Ozanian may be proving to be a useful idiot for Major League Baseball, as baseball pulls out a familiar tool to push municipalities for new ballparks. In this video and this […]
Now at Al Lang Field: The International Baseball Series
Hungry for some baseball at Al Lang Field? Then check out the St. Pete International Baseball, where teams from around the world — including the Blue Jays, Phillies and Rays — compete at the historic spring-training facility now through March 13. The tournament, sponsored by the St. Petersburg Sports Alliance, hasn’t been publicized very well, […]
Rays go with new turf for ’11 season
The playing surface at Tropicana Field will be upgraded for the 2011 season, as the Tampa Bay Rays announce the impending installation of a American-made, 1.1-million-square-foot AstroTurf field. “The AstroTurf fiber and in-fill systems contain the very latest technology and will provide our players the best playing surface available,” said Rays President Matt Silverman. “Our […]