Archive for the 'Bill Foster' Category

Jan 19

Sternberg May Be Concerned That The Tampa Bay Region Can’t Support Three Pro Sports Teams

Bill Foster, New Stadium, Stuart Sternberg Cork Gaines 4 Comments »

Yesterday we discussed why we should be worried about the future of the Rays after the meeting between Stuart Sternberg and Mayor Bill Foster. Now we have a reason to be worried about Mayor Foster’s sanity.

In an exclusive interview with BayNews9.com, Mayor Foster now thinks the Rays will stay in the Trop through the end of the contract in 2027…

Foster said he came out of the sometimes tense meeting confident that Sternberg and the Rays organization are prepared to honor their current contract through 2027…”They’re committed to this region, to the city of St. Petersburg and there was no indication that they had intentions of violating the terms of our use agreement at all.”

That will never happen, so let’s move on.

Foster also said that the city was prepared to fight Major League Baseball with legal action if they try to force a move.

But maybe the most telling thing we learn Read the rest of this entry »

Jan 18

Why Yesterday’s Meeting Between Sternberg And Foster Should Scare You

Bill Foster, New Stadium, Stuart Sternberg Cork Gaines 23 Comments »

Yesterday’s meeting between owner Stuart Sternberg and St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster was supposed to be a big moment in the progress towards a new stadium. While nobody expected any major developments, it was just good that the two sides finally decided to sit down and talk about the subject. But did they?

Based on the report by Michael Sasso of the Tampa Tribune, it doesn’t sound like the two sides discussed the stadium situation at all…

Sternberg said the two sides didn’t discuss potential locations for a future stadium and there was no talk of how the Rays might buy out their contract to play at Tropicana Field…Much of the discussion focused on how the city might help the team with marketing and improving upon home attendance in 2011 that was next to last, Sternberg said.

This is a huge problem.

While it is good that the two sides are discussing ways to improve attendance, this is something the two sides should be doing anyway. And it shouldn’t require the owner of the team and the mayor of the city. This is something the Rays marketing department, and members of the mayor’s staff should be able to handle.

And what does this say about Read the rest of this entry »

Jan 09

Sternberg Hopes St. Pete Mayor Wants To Do More Than ‘Normal Chatting’

Bill Foster, New Stadium, Stuart Sternberg Cork Gaines 9 Comments »

Stuart Sternberg has a meeting with St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster scheduled for January 17. And Sternberg is hoping that this isn’t just a chit-chat session (via Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune)…

“I’m going to talk to him, and if he’s got something to chat about other than normal chatting that would be great. If not, it will still be fine,” Sternberg said. “It’s always good to communicate.”

And herein lies a problem. Sternberg is content to sit back and hope that the Mayor will budge and cave to the Rays demands.

Hey, we understand. Being the aggressor and appearing desperate rarely leads to the best deal possible. And Sternberg and Co. are always about maximizing their return. But this isn’t like waiting for another team to blow the Rays away for one of their starting pitchers.

At this point, there is no reason for Mayor Foster to Read the rest of this entry »

Oct 28

Are The Rays Intentionally Sabotaging Attendance?

Attendance, Bill Foster, Stuart Sternberg Cork Gaines 16 Comments »

In a recent letter to Stuart Sternberg, our very own Jordi Scrubbings expressed concern that the Rays are not doing enough to get fans to the ballpark. And now comes word that mayor Bill Foster may have accused the Rays of intentionally sabotaging attendance to better their position for a new stadium.

In a piece penned by David DeCamp and Michael Van Sickler of the St. Pete Times, the Pinellas County Commission Chairwoman recalled a conversation she had with Mayor Foster:

” ‘I believe that they are deliberately trying to hurt the team financially by not promoting it adequately,’” Latvala recalled Foster telling her.

Foster denied this allegation calling it “stupid” and “ludicrous.” However, he does acknowledge telling the Chairwoman that “he’s not seeing enough marketing by the Rays.”

But are the Rays intentionally sabotaging attendance? Probably not. But there is also evidence that they could be doing more to help.

Remember, a year ago we heard from Howard Bryant that Bud Selig “instructed Rays management not to make significant financial investments in the area until attendance indicators improve.” Marketing of the team would be one form of “investment in the area.”

This doesn’t mean the Rays are sabotaging attendance, but there are some that believe Major League Baseball has done this before. In another column by Bryant (a must read for any Rays fan), Bryant says MLB may have done the same thing with the Montreal Expos.

Talk to the people in Montreal who witnessed a careful succession of curious decisions that led to the depression and ultimate relocation of the Expos to Washington. Listen to the stories of how ownership did not market the club, how the team went as far as not providing street signage and directions to the ballpark in English as a way of discouraging attendance — an indirect strategy designed to facilitate a departure from town.

With the Rays, there is strange ticket pricing at Tropicana Field such as walk-up surcharges, complex tiered pricing, and stories of season-ticket holders being priced out of their seats despite a lack of demand.

But at the same time, the Rays may have the most extensive promotional schedule in Major League Baseball with giveaways and post-game concerts. And the team is still one of the most affordable in all of pro sports.

Like many things involving the Rays, you can probably find evidence on both sides of the issue if you look hard enough. So we will let you guys draw your own conclusions. But if the Rays are making decisions that hurt attendance, it means they are either incompetent or conniving. And it is hard to believe the Rays are ever incompetent.

Oct 20

Rather Than Discuss New Rays Stadium, St. Pete Mayor Walks Out Of City Council Meeting

Bill Foster, New Stadium Cork Gaines 9 Comments »

The St. Pete City Council met yesterday with Mayor Bill Foster, but it wasn’t long before the mayor walked out of the meeting, refusing to participate.

Before leaving, Mayor Foster stuck to his hardline stance, saying he is willing to talk with to the Rays, but only if they abandon their demands to explore sites outside of Pinellas County for a new stadium.

A presentation was then given, that covered the history of the franchise and the use-agreement between the city and the Rays. That is when Mayor Foster walked out…

“I know the history, I know the use agreement,” Foster said. “I’ve got work to do.”

Foster eventually returned at the end of the meeting, but had nothing further to say.

After the meeting, Foster said that he and Stuart Sternberg did discuss the possibility of a meeting, but that no date was set.

Foster also addressed the comments by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, in which he stated that he thought “Major League Baseball would do better in Orlando,” and that he would be interested in exploring a new stadium for the Rays east of Tampa.

When asked about the comments, Foster responded in his typical “everything is fine” manner…

“That’s Buddy being Buddy,” Foster said. “I’ll put our waterfront against his any day.”

The Pinellas waterfront is nicer. But we’ll put any stadium Orlando builds against The Trop anyday.

In the meantime, as one council member said after the failed meeting, it would be nice if both sides could have an adult conversation on the matter. But maybe that is too much to ask for.

Sep 06

St. Pete Times Calls Mayor Foster “The Minor League Mayor”

Bill Foster Cork Gaines 14 Comments »

It seems that our opinion on the Rays stadium is often just the opposite of whichever side spoke last. That is, we generally dislike anything St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster or Rays owner Stuart Sternberg says on the subject. But the St. Pete Times seems pretty clear on which side they despise more.

In an editorial that ran in Sunday’s paper, the Times calls Mayor Foster “The Minor League Mayor”…

St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster’s minor league approach to securing Tampa Bay’s future in Major League Baseball diminishes the community and the elected office he holds. What’s missing is the ambition, sophistication and creativity necessary to negotiate with the Tampa Bay Rays and build public support for a modern baseball stadium…The mayor has generally treated the Rays as a courtroom adversary rather than a significant business that contributes to the civic and economic life of the entire region.…If politics were baseball, by now the mayor would have been sent down to the Durham Bulls.

The editorial calls on “others to step up,” listing the St. Petersburg City Council, the business community, and the Rays.

Hey, we hate how Read the rest of this entry »

Aug 31

Did Mayor Foster Just Loosen His Stance On Moving The Rays, Or Dig In Deeper?

Bill Foster, fight!, New Stadium, Stuart Sternberg Cork Gaines 18 Comments »

During a City Council meeting recently, St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster, raised some eyebrows when he suggested that he had a “detailed plan” to keep the Rays in St. Petersburg. What was curious about Mayor Foster’s plan was that despite his vow to be open and honest with the people, he refused to speak with the media about the plan.

But now, Mayor Foster has written a guest column for the St. Pete Times in which he reveals his “plan”…sorta.

Foster’s column says a lot of things. It gives us a definition for “plan.” It tells us that there is no plan for a new stadium. And it tells us the “strategic elements” of the plan…

  1. Ensuring that the legal integrity of the city’s agreement with the Rays is not compromised.
  2. Supporting private sector efforts to retain the Rays as a regional asset without compromising the city’s agreement with the Rays.
  3. Continuing to support and promote the Rays as a professional sports franchise in west-central Florida.

Mayor Foster goes on to say that with the “investment of hundreds of millions of dollars by the people of St. Petersburg and Pinellas,” and with 16 years remaining on the Rays contract, “one would be naive to believe that the city did not have a detailed plan to ensure that the Rays remain in St. Petersburg…” But as best we can tell based on the contents of this column, the actual details of the plan only consist of one goal (protecting the interests and investment of the citizens of St. Pete and Pinellas) and one vague action (supporting groups in the private sector that are looking for a solution for the Rays).

On the other hand, the second part does appear to be a step, albeit a small step, in the direction of compromise. Twice Mayor Foster refers to the Rays as a Read the rest of this entry »

Aug 24

Mayor’s Secret Plan For New Stadium Isn’t His, Or A Secret

Bill Foster, New Stadium Cork Gaines 17 Comments »

During a City Council meeting last week, St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster, raised some eyebrows when he suggested that he had a “detailed plan” to keep the Rays in St. Petersburg. While Foster wouldn’t elaborate on the plan, he did say that the plan may not involve a new stadium.

After some question about whether there actually is a secret plan, Foster added another twist. He now says the plan is not his or the city’s, but rather it is just a plan that he has heard about.

“He said there are individuals working on some plan,” Jeff Danner said of his 20-minute meeting with Foster on Monday afternoon. “There are discussions going on with interested parties, and they’re focused on keeping the Rays here. He didn’t name any names”…Foster was emphatic that the plan wasn’t his. “He pounded home the idea that it’s not a city plan, that it’s not initiated by him or city staff,” Danner said.

Got that? Mysterious “individuals” and “interested parties” working on “some plan” because these mystery people really, really, really want to keep the Rays in St. Pete.

But then Foster seemed to contradict his own Read the rest of this entry »

Aug 11

[THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss A Shortstop Shuffle, Cobb’s Surgery, And A Comeback For The Ages

Alex Cobb, Bill Foster, Hak-Ju Lee, Justin Ruggiano, Reid Brignac, Tim Beckham Cork Gaines 12 Comments »
Click Here For Boxscore
Rays 8, Royals 7 (click image for boxscore)

The GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe.

THE GOOD: Comeback For The Ages. Wow. Just wow. 9th innings don’t get anymore exciting than that. When the 9th inning started, the Rays had a 1.5% chance of winning the game. But like any great comeback from a big deficit, the players need to remember there are no 5-run home runs. And the Rays singled and doubled the Royals to death. When Evan Longoria doubled home the first run we sat up a little straighter. But then two infield groundballs scored the next two runs, the second by Casey Kotchman who hasn’t run that fast since he was 18, and all of a sudden we were getting exciting. Still only 1 out, we were skeptical with BJ Upton and Sam Fuld due up. Upton was either going to hit a walk-off home run or strikeout. He did the latter. That left Fuld and we’ll admit, we were just praying for a walk. With Elliot Johnson on first base, typically you would want the runner stealing second with 2 outs to get into scoring position. But with that canon behind the plate, Johnson might as well have been wearing cement shoes. So he was stuck at first. And that meant our best hope for Fuld was just to get Johnson into scoring position and prolong the inning. He went several steps further, driving a ball into the right-center gap which you knew would tie the game. What you didn’t know was that the throw to third would get by the bag, and Fuld, running slower than we have ever seen, found enough gas to scamper home and dive in ahead of the tag. That, that was fun.

THE BAD: Sam Fuld. Yes. Super Sammy. Before he won the game in the 9th, he represented the tying run on third base in the 8th and got picked off by the catcher. Sometimes these things happen, but it can’t happen then. And it can’t happen after the same catcher had already demonstrated his lethal arm several times in the game…Jake McGee. McGee faced three batters striking out 1, walking 1, and giving up a 3-run home run which seemed to seal the Rays fate. So, of course he would get the win.

THE TELLING: Justin Ruggiano was placed on the DL and Reid Brignac was recalled from Durham. Interesting. So a player who has made one start in 3 weeks and who is out of minor league options, suddenly goes on the DL with knee bursitis? Of course he does…Tim Beckham was promoted to triple-A and Hak-Ju Lee was promoted to double-A. Interestingly, Derek Dietrich was not promoted to Charlotte to replace Lee.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: If you get a chance to watch the replay of the pile at home plate, look for Robinson Chirinos. During the entire scrum he is circling the pile looking for a way in, the whole time doing it with a big ole smile on his face. It’s adorable. Like a little kid that wants to play with the big boys…If the Rays sweep the Yankees this weekend, things could start to get interesting. But anything less than a sweep will just be status quo…Look for Tim Beckham to get a nice long look in spring training next year. But we would still be surprised if we see him in the big leagues before August.

THE JUNKYARD DOGS WEBTOPIA…

  • If you missed it last night, there has been an arrest in the burglary of the spring home of Evan Longoria, David Price, and Reid Brignac. [RaysIndex]
  • Like we speculated, Alex Cobb will be shut down for the rest of the season. He is set to have surgery on his hand, but is expected to be ready for the start of the 2012 season. [TBO.com]
  • Mayor Bill Foster and Stuart Sternberg haven’t spoken since early May. [TampaBay.com]
  • The Rays failure to send a representative to the Read the rest of this entry »
Jul 20

Maddon Can’t Help Himself, Trashes The Trop While Fans Defend It

Bill Foster, Joe Maddon, New Stadium Cork Gaines 47 Comments »

The Rays have an attendance problem. The Rays may even be having a TV ratings problem. And of course the national media is unable to create an original thought, so all they do is bash the Rays, their stadium, and the fans, any chance they can get.

And who defends the Rays, and their stadium? The fans do. But why should we continue to fight the talking heads and fans of every other team in baseball, if the front office won’t defend them (or us). And especially if Joe Maddon is just going to agree with what the national media is saying?

Asked about criticism of Tropicana Field by ESPN broadcaster John Kruk and others, Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon joined the chorus…”He’s right. We do need a new ballpark. He’s absolutely right. And he’s right, this ballpark is improper for Major League Baseball. He’s right. I can’t deny that…You shouldn’t play with all these obstructions [ed. note: you mean like the ivy at Wrigley, or the ladder on the Monster, or the hill at Minute Maid, or...you get the point], and all these caveats. Of course not. It’s runs it’s course. It was here for a moment. It served it’s purpose. And now it’s time to move on. Absolutely it is. And to deny that, everybody has just got their head in the sand, period.

This is the same guy that would find a way to praise Elliot Johnson even if he literally pooped his pants in the 9th inning while trying to lay down a bunt only to hit himself in the face with the bat. And yet, when the franchise and the stadium need defending, he is right there with the resident genius John Kruk, the guy that inferred the Trop was unsafe by saying he wouldn’t want to be in that building if it was struck by lightning.

Mayor Bill Foster responded, and for the first time, we are starting to warm up to his side… Read the rest of this entry »

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