Archive for the 'New Stadium' Category

Jan 19

Let’s Speculate On Compensation For The City Of St. Pete To Ease The Pain Of Losing The Rays

Durham Bulls, New Stadium 27 Comments »

Getting out of the contract with the city of St. Pete is going to cost the Rays a lot of money. Remember, the Rays have a “use agreement” contract, not a lease. So it is more complicated than just “buying out” what is left. The city of St. Pete is also going to want to be compensated for any dent in the local economy that is caused by losing a Major League Baseball team.

We have long suggested that the Rays, the state, and possibly the city of Tampa would have to offer something tangible in return for losing the Rays.

Stephen Nohlgren of the Tampa Bay Times suggests that one way to appease the city of St. Pete would be for the Rays to move their spring training headquarters back to St. Pete.

We think Nohlgren is on the right track, but spring training may not be the answer.

First of all, the Rays like being in Port Charlotte. It expands the Rays reach into Charlotte county. But more importantly, Pinellas county already has enough spring training.

Rather, the more enticing move, one we have long been a proponent of, is to move Read the rest of this entry »

Jan 19

Will Jeff Vinik Be The Next Owner Of The Tampa Bay Rays?

Jeff Vinik, New Stadium, Stuart Sternberg 8 Comments »

Jeff Harrington of the Tampa Bay Times wrote an interesting column on Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and the possibility that he might invest in the Channelside entertainment complex near the Tampa Bay Times forum.

And in his column, Harrington brings up an old rumor with a new twist…

One recurring rumor is that a dual sports deal could occur, whereby Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg would buy the New York Mets and sell the Rays to Vinik, who would then relocate the Rays from St. Petersburg to his newly acquired Channelside territory.

So far, the Wilpon family has successfully held on to the Mets, and speculation that they will be forced to sell has quieted down. But that possibility still looms. And as we have mentioned on this site (and elsewhere), Stuart Sternberg is a favorite of Bud Selig, and would be an ideal choice to replace the Wilpons if they are forced to sell.

But selling the team to Vinik would certainly ease the blow of Read the rest of this entry »

Jan 19

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

Bill Foster, New Stadium, Stuart Sternberg 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 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 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 »

Jan 06

The 12 Days Of Raysmas: Day 12 (12 Acres In Downtown Tampa)

12 Days of Raysmas, New Stadium 18 Comments »

If you have been hanging around these parts for a while, you know that the model for this site is to tell you what the Rays have done, what they are doing and try to project what they will do based on what we have learned. Think of RI as “Tampa Bay Rays 101.”

However, for the next 12 days we will step away from the standard, and we present to you 12 “presents” the Tampa Bay Rays should give to their fans. Looking back at last year’s 12 Days of Raysmas, we see that many of our wishes came true. Many did not. If we can get a couple of more this year, the Rays might just win it all.

Without further ado…

On the twelfth day of Raysmas, the Tampa Bay Rays gave to us, 12 ACRES IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA…

1) We have no problem with the Rays staying in St. Pete or Pinellas County. But all signs point to the Rays not wanting to be in St. Pete. And while we think the Rays can survive in Pinellas we believe Tampa is the best-possible scenario for the future of the franchise.

2) If the choice is selling the team to an outside bidder (and who thinks Stuart Sternberg is going to be loyal to the area and look for a local owner or even limit the bidding on the team to local bidders? That ain’t happening), we pick Tampa.

3) Yes, other areas in Tampa/Hillsborough may work. But if the team is going to move, then let’s do it right this time. Don’t pick the second-best scenario just because it is a little cheaper or because it might also pull in Orlando people or your cousins in Ocala. Pick the spot that is best for the majority of the people in the region. And that means Channelside. Make the park iconic and scenic. Incorporate it into the nightlife and the Aquarium, and the [whatever name it is this week] Forum.

4) If a deal on a new stadium is not reached on a new stadium by the end of this year, we are all in trouble.

Dec 03

Investigation Into Marlins Stadium Could Mean Big Trouble For Rays

Matt Silverman, Miami Marlins, New Stadium, Stuart Sternberg 22 Comments »

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has opened an investigation into the deal made between the Miami (neé Florida) Marlins, the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County for the building of the Marlins new stadium.

In short, the deal called for the city and county to pay for 80 percent of the new stadium through $500 million in bond sales. By the time the bonds are paid off, the city and county will have paid $2.4 billion over 40 years for the new stadium, with the Marlins paying less than $200 million.

At the time, the Marlins claimed they were breaking even and couldn’t afford a new stadium. However, when the Marlins financial documents were leaked on Deadspin.com, it painted a different picture.

[for a more in-depth look at how the Marlins played the system, read THIS and THIS by Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports]

So, how does this impact the Rays?

The Rays want/need a new stadium. And back in 2007, when the Rays proposed the waterfront ballpark, the Rays were expected to contribute $150 million of the approximately $400 million for the new stadium.

That was a lot considering that in 2008, Matt Silverman said the Rays were losing money (his exact words were “we’re cash-flow negative”). And earlier this year, Stuart Sternberg said, “[the Rays] can’t lose money year in and year out, hand over fist.“  But like the Marlins, the Deadspin.com docs showed the Rays were actually turning a profit.

When it comes to finally getting a new stadium, we have seen glimmers of hope for the Rays in recent Read the rest of this entry »

Nov 16

Glazers Finally Decide To Help Pay For A Stadium

New Stadium, The Glazers No Comments »

The Glazer family, owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are helping to finance the construction of a new stadium for Tulane University (Avi Glazer’s wife is an alum). So if the Glazers are suddenly into financing stadiums, maybe they could help Stuart Sternberg and Company? Of course, if they ever did, it would be the first stadium they helped pay for in the Bay Area… [Joe Bucs Fan]

Oct 21

Bud Selig Is Not Optimistic About Rays Stadium Situation

Bud Selig, New Stadium 2 Comments »

Bud Selig went on Sirius XM yesterday and had some troubling words to say about the Rays struggle to get a new stadium, which we think they still want. But really, who knows at this point…

“I like Stu Sternberg a lot, as you probably know…I, too, am concerned about their attendance. I track attendance every day. He knows it. I’ve talked to him a lot. They are a wonderful organization, produced a terrific team this year and finished last in the American League in attendance. I’ll let you draw your own conclusion. That’s bad…[Selig then asked if stadium situation is a "lost cause"]…I can’t answer that yet but I’m usually an optimist and I don’t have any reason to be too optimistic.”

 

Oct 20

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

Bill Foster, New Stadium 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.

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