Tampa Bay Rays. PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. The Tampa Bay Rays will be on the move when Spring Training 2023 arrives. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. I need not remind everyone theres no team between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Rays are relocating their spring base for 2023 due to extensive damage to team training facilities caused by Hurricane Ian. However, the key stat here, is the Rays television audience. Tampa Bay Rays will use Disney, Tropicana Field as temporary spring training locations. The previously released exhibition schedule is expected to be revised. Rays Could Still Move To Tampa After St. Pete Redevelopment Bid The Grizzlies were 27th in NBA attendance, but this is largely due to their struggles during the regular season. Tampa Bay Rays Looking At Possible Move To Nashville Charlotte County supports the Rays efforts to secure alternative accommodations for 2023 spring training. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Leaders Group. This is the ONLY place the Rays need to go. The community is in the thoughts and hearts of the Rays, and the team will continue to support recovery efforts. Get notified on your phone in the morning with the latest forecast and news to start your day. The Rangers and Astros have been centerpieces of MLB for decades. Rays ownership still has a proposal for a $700 million stadium in Ybor City at their feet, and with the split-season proposal with Montreal shot down, the idea is gaining traction. That being said, lets get to it! The Rays would have to build a new ballpark, but there is no reason not to believe it would not be revered by baseball fans in the area. To see a team that appears on the decline (at least from the perspective of two 90 win seasons in the last few years) go to a new city and perhaps, stink, may give San Antonio pause. Why are the Rays in St Pete? There isnt really an issue with this proposal. They have a lease that runs through 2031 after recent extensions, according to the Port Charlotte Sun. There is an obvious solution as to where . Tampa residents Dennis Gallagher and his daughter Kate wait for the start of the Tampa Bay Rays final home spring training game last season. The Indiana Pacers are floundering at the moment, which would provide the Rays with an opening to win over the Indianapolis fanbase. They would have a fan base and really wouldnt effect the St.Louis Cardinals. Because they play somewhere accessible for the greater Tampa Bay area. Keep in mind I mostly avoided cities that were too far away from St. Petersburg, because many of those scenarios are far-fetched, and it seems like the Athletics are moving to Vegas anyway, with other Western cities like Portland and Vancouver being expansion options. "We are solely focused on the Sister City plan and keeping the Rays in Tampa Bay for generations," said Rays' president Brian Auld. It did help with putting us a little more on the map with travelers and tourists, he added. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2023/04/26/Franchises/tampa-bay-rays-standings-topicana-field-tickets.aspx. Learn More. The Tampa Bay Rays still went by the name Devil Rays in August 2006, when they signed a 20-year spring training lease with Charlotte County for Charlotte Sports Park, which first hosted the Rays in 2009, followinga $28 million renovation. Award-winning original reporting, with in-depth profiles, timely research and expert opinions on the biggest issues and stories in sports business. Floridians dont care about baseball as much hence Florida Marlins. Following a joint assessment of the damage to Charlotte Sports Park caused by Hurricane Ian, Charlotte County and the Tampa Bay Rays have determined there is not adequate time before the Rays 2023 spring training is scheduled to begin to get the park in suitable condition to host games, the statement said. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Analysis: For a city with very little exposure to professional sports (only two major sports franchises exist now and the only exposure to baseball has been a minor league affiliate) Portland has been a target for an MLB team for years. MLB is a significant step closer to expansion, which will bring two more franchises into the big leagues while also necessitating the creation of eight new minor-league teams around the country. By then, the sports park then known as Charlotte County Stadium had been without a spring training club since 2002, when the Texas Rangers left for Arizona, after spending 15 years there. Maestas talks with SBJs Abe Madkour about the early days of Navigate, which he said he founded with too little knowledge, though good fortune as far as timing made up for my mistakes. Maestas traces his career path and personal development, and highlights the attributes and practices that he believes help make a successful business person and human being. As a matter of fact, there were some in, Charlotte that did not want to give the Knights a new stadium. The new Rays Stadium in Tampa should be built on Dale Mabry - DRaysBay Get the inside scoop on jobs, salaries, top office locations, and CEO insights. Obviously the Rays would need a new ballpark built, but the remaining fanbase in Tampa Bay is already calling for a new stadium, so this is somewhat of a moot point. Charlotte is a fast growing city, and theres tons of potential in every way. There has been discussion from some investors. It will be a temporary return of sorts for Spring Training in downtown St. Petersburg -- the Rays played their spring home games at Al Lang Field from 1998-2008 before moving south to Port Charlotte. SBJ I Factor presented by Allied Sports features an interview with Navigate founder A.J. I decided to list 5 cities, one for each of the times a baseball flew into the Tropicana catwalks during the postseason over the years. 1. The latest personnel hires and promotions, plus exclusive ratings and research from the sports industry. The city of Indianapolis already has a winning team in the Colts, but there is no reason the Rays cannot succeed in Indy as well. The Rays have averaged roughly between 22,000-23,000 fans per game in attendance, but the Trop seats 34,078 people and could hold 42,735 fans if they were to remove the tarp from certain sections in the stadium. Co-founder and retired executive of the Orlando Magic Pat Williams has made a direct appeal to Rays management about a move to the city of Orlando. "It's not just for a ballgame but an entire experience.". The Rays' current contract with Charlotte County runs through the 2028 spring training camp," a spokesperson wrote in an email to 10 Tampa Bay. Access to easy-to-read digital editions of weekly issues. But why isnt it the first option? If you can plop a stadium right into downtown Tampa, you get it all. According to the St. Petersburg Times, the Rays have almost 100,000 fans watching their games (per game) at home due to the long trek from Tampa to St. Petersburg. It time to move on to more deserving cities. 2023 Leaders Group. Once the Rays, who started training in Port Charlotte after its first American League Championship in 2008, arrived, Doherty said people would recognize that was where the team hosted spring training. The Rays and Braves played the first game ever at CoolToday Park, to close out the 2019 spring training schedule. Other Franchises: Montreal Canadiens (24 championships). How are Rays' hopes for a new stadium impacted by A's-Las Vegas deal? The Rays have not yet finalized their plans for Spring Training, but they are considering a variety of options. It's time for the Rays to move the franchise to a city where they can gain the support they need to continue as one of the AL's best teams for years to come. There is also an established baseball tradition in Omaha with the College World Series played there every year. The Rays are considering several options for a new spring base, including Tropicana Field and the Disney complex formerly used by the Braves, and hope to have a resolution in the next few weeks. MLB-best Tampa Bay strengthens bullpen with Brewers trade "Folks want to be here. CHARLOTTE COUNTY Sean Doherty, director of tourism for the Punta Gorda Englewood Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, can recall when the area's name recognition increasedafter the Tampa Bay Rays moved theirspring training headquarters to Charlotte Sports Park. Commissioner Rob Manfred has repeatedly stated his desire to expand to 32 teams. Guerra isn't exactly a . Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. But, lets say the Rays come to town. Other Franchises: Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts (five total championships, two Super Bowl victories), Indiana Fever. Tampa, mainly, services minor league teams. Tampa Bay Rays will use Disney, Tropicana Field as temporary spring Meanwhile, the Rays couldnt fill their stadium during a playoff game. Legacy: Hartford is perhaps more known for its former franchise, aka The Whalers, then anything else. Download it here. Legacy:Besides the two major sports of basketball and football, in which the Indianapolis crowd has been lucky to have very storied franchises with big names, Indianapolis is home to prestigious racing, WNBA, and, as of late, major college basketball success with Butler. The Rays current contract with Charlotte County runs through the 2028 spring training camp.. The Trailblazers, in thick and thin (mostly thin in the last few decades), have stuck by them, and the Portland Timbers, a new MLS franchise, is making soccer viable in the US in at least one section of the country. Let's be real. We are all disappointed for the residents of Charlotte County and the fans there. Other Franchises: San Antonio Spurs (four championships), San Antonio Silver Stars. Already a subscriber? They have a stadium and entertainment area proposal, a section on the citys baseball history and their Negro League ties, and an entire group of investors. The article I linked mentions how San Antonio is a tad crowded, and that Austin is a government city, and that a better place for a Rays stadium would be in between the cities, in a place like San Marco, or New Braunfels. I need not remind everyone theres no team between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. How is MLB expansion impacted by the Oakland A's likely move to Las Population: 335,709 Other Franchises: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (average attendance: 49,000-plus; one championship), Tampa Bay Lightning (average attendance: 17,000-plus; one championship) Baseball . This is the ONLY place the Rays need to go. Maestas, a member of Sports Business Journals Forty Under 40 class of 2015. That means Tampa Bay is on deck and better step up to plate or the red-hot Rays will someday soon be announcing a move to Nashville, Charlotte, Montreal or some other baseball-hungry city. The Charlotte Sports Park facility, which has been the the Rays spring home since 2009, sustained extensive damage in the late-September storm, including to the game stadium and other buildings. Tampa Bay Rays Could Move To Pasco County - Q105 The Rays play their home games at Tropicana Field as members of Major League Baseball's American League East Division.. Rays president Brian Auld, who attended the mayor's event, said in a brief interview it is "a thrill" to see the project take a major step forward. The two closest teams to Charlotte (Braves & Nats) are both NL, so having a Carolina team be AL only makes sense 7. Theres also the fact that the Rays would have nowhere to play until they move, which sours the idea of an immediate relocation. The Rays faced the Atlanta Braves and drew 1,127 fans, the maximum attendance because of COVID-19 restrictions. sun PHOTO BY TOM O'NEILL The Toronto Blue Jays will now play the Rays at Tropicana Field on that date. Legacy: Montreal once had the Expos. ST. PETERSBURG The Rays on Thursday made official what had seemed likely, that their 2023 spring training camp will be relocated from Port Charlotte due to damage to the facility caused by Hurricane Ian. the Tampa Bay Rays ridiculous plan to split their season between the Tampa area and Montreal. December 1, 2022. The Trop was built as a hockey arena, and even the Lightning found it wasn't as suitable for it, moving to the Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa. The Rays have played at the domed Tropicana Field since their inaugural 1998 season but have considered moving elsewhere, such as neighboring Tampa, amid consistently low attendance. Relocation and contraction are words no fan wants to hear, especially if it involves their beloved team. The multifield complex will give the Rays the space they need for their Spring Training workouts. Cities like Vegas and Memphis relocation cities. Danny - Nationals Lead Writer: @Nats_Baseball, Matt - Nationals Lead Writer: @HolleranMDH, 2021 Half Street High Heat A Nationals Podcast . QUIZ: Which Member of the 2021 Washington Nationals Are You? Compare pay for popular roles and read about the team's work-life balance. The Titans and Predators have no issues with attendance and are immensely popular in the region, while Nashville also had the highest economic growth of any American city in 2021. Tampa Bay Rays Spring Training - Spring Training Online So is it possible? The Rays have arguably the best bullpen in the big leagues. They have a temporary stadium that could possibly be upgraded. Your email address will not be published. Tampa Bay's success on the field has not translated to putting fans in the stands of Tropicana Field though, which is a big reason why their payroll continues to remain low and will not be doing them any favors as the trade deadline approaches in 2011. 4.26.2023. The stadium, where the Rays have conducted Spring Training since 2009, sustained water damage and electrical issues. "We think Tampa is a major league market and we want to find a solution that makes the club economically viable in that market," Manfred said then. It will be a temporary return of sorts for Spring Training in downtown St. Petersburg, as the Rays played their spring home games at Al Lang Field from 1998-2008 before moving south to Port Charlotte. For more information, please see our It should be noted though that MLB had Charlotte as a finalist for the Expos franchise when relocation was being considered (and eventually acted on). Tampa Bay Rays president Brian Auld told councilmember Charlie Miranda that . Rays moving spring camp due to damage caused by hurricane With the Rays relocating, there were minor changes made to the Grapefruit League schedule, which MLB announced on Wednesday: Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Spring Training on Feb. 14, with early arrivals slated for Feb. 6. "I pitched like that in 2021, and it was a good year from me, so I think moving there has had the same effect," said Garcia, who has lowered . One possibility could be playing their Grapefruit League games at Tropicana Field, but they would likely need a larger space with more fields to hold their workouts. With a . On that historic night, there were only over 12,000 fans at the ballpark and, from my point of view, a lot of them were Orioles fans. However, as I just stated, this is geared towards getting a new team.
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