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 […]
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Feeding frenzy begins on siting potential Rays ballpark
The Tampa Bay Rays haven’t even received permission to explore new-ballpark sites in the region, but some Hillsborough County officials are pushing alternative sites to a downtown Tampa location. Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist is already pushing a new ballpark at the former Tampa Greyhound Track site off I-275, which could also include a new […]
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it’s been a long slog toward a new home for the Rays is to underestimate the time of a long slog: Tropicana Field was outdated a decade […]
St. Pete mayor relents on Rays lease; Tampa moves to woo team
With St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster finally facing reality and softening his stance on a move of the Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa officials are already prepping a game plan to lure the franchise across the bay. In the middle of a tough reelection campaign, the hardnosed Foster — who has insisted from Day One that […]
PETA: Save the rays at the Trop
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) wants to see the Tampa Bay Rays remove a “touch tank” from Tropicana Field, saying that it puts the 30 or so rays living there in danger of bring struck by a ball. Since the touch tank was installed, two batters have managed to hit a ball […]
Sternberg: No plans to move Rays
Though he thinks Montreal would be a fine MLB market down the road, Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg says there are no plans to move the franchise anywhere, as his focus remains on a new Tampa Bay ballpark. Sternberg has been a mighty patient man when it comes to the issue of a […]
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 […]
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: […]
St. Pete ratchets up legal threats over new Rays ballpark
Just when it appears there’s some movement on a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark, St. Petersburg officials step in to throw cold water on the proceedings, threatening to sue anyone who pitches the team on a new facility. The legal threat comes from St. Petersburg City Attorney John Wolfe, sent directly to Hillsborough County attorneys […]
Rays propose ballpark talks after Trop situation worked out
The Tampa Bay Rays say they want to move ahead and consider ballpark proposals in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties — but only after addressing the future of Tropicana Field. There’s been a flurry of activity on the ballpark front for the Rays, with two new proposals (Carillon Park in St. Pete and downtown Tampa) being […]
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 […]