When last we left off with the Tampa Bay Rays, a bunch of minority owners were suing majority owner Stuart Sternberg for allegedly forcing them out by denying them a share of profits while sticking them with income taxes, and lame-duck St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman was saying he could never negotiate with a man under such a cloud of impending litigation — a threat that was blunted somewhat because of the whole lame-duck thing, since it just means Sternberg will need to wait to talk to a new mayor in January.
That didn’t stop St. Petersburg City Council Chair Ed Montanari, though, from holding a press conference yesterday saying he and other members of the city council and the Pinellas County Commission — and also members of the Chamber of Commerce, which isn’t an elected governmental body but for some reason was invited along for the ride — want negotiations to continue, because what can be bad about talking?
Montanari’s press statement was in response to Kriseman declaring two finalists in the competition to redevelop the site of Tropicana Field, which can’t happen before 2027 without the cooperation of Sternberg. (After 2027, Sternberg is free to leave, and St. Pete is equally free to kick him to the side of the road.) Both of the finalists include options for a new Rays stadium, though neither, from what I can tell (read them yourselves here) provides any details on how a stadium would be paid for; the one from Portman Holdings flat-out says in its section on public subsidies that “it can not be determined exactly what public subsidies are required today given the unknown timing and programming of the project.” Montanari wants the finalist-picking to be put on hold until negotiations with Sternberg over the Rays’ future have been completed.
So: We have a mayor trying to put his stamp on downtown redevelopment on his way out the door, a council leader trying to show that he wants to keep the Rays in town above all else, and a gaggle of mayoral candidates who have mostly so far said that whatever stadium negotiations happen, it should be them making them happen (or not). And of course Sternberg, who continues to insist that he is serious about having his team play half its games in Florida and half in Montreal, despite that being a terrible idea both in terms of marketing and in terms of financing stadiums, since both locales would have to build new ones to make him happy. Plus the continuing rumble of threats to take the team elsewhere entirely: Tampa councilmember Charlie Miranda said last week that Rays president Brian Auld hinted the team could move to Nashville, though Auld immediately denied talking “other cities,” specifically mentioning Nashville and Charlotte as cities he was not talking to, though he could, Nashville and Charlotte, you writing those down? Right, not talking to them.
All of this adds up to a very large probability that come 2022 and a new mayor, we will all be looking back at this moment and going “Hey, remember when everybody was talking about Kriseman’s development plans and that whole lawsuit thing? That’s all forgotten now that Mayor Nowicki announced his plans for a floating stadium in the middle of the bay and the space alien invasion force says they can finance it by selling cookbooks.” But that’s no reason not to enjoy all the shouting now, if that’s your cup of tea. The important thing to remember is that the Rays situation needs to be resolved soon, as the team is barely surviving and — what’s that, they went to the World Series last year and currently have the best record in the American League? Tough crowd to build a narrative in, man.
Lately, FoS is beginning to remind me of “As the Stomach Churns,” a comedy sketch from the Carol Burnett Show. Yes, yes I know most of the cast and crew members here are too young to have seen (or heard of, insert shocked emoji here) the original show.
When we last left off Dave Kaval, he was “leaving Las Vegas.” Will Dave ever return (que the camera to look at puzzled look on Dave’s face)? “Does John Fisher really know the way to San Jose (que camera again)?” What about Stuart Sternberg (doorbell rings)? Will he need Ex-Rays for his Seagrams whiskey addiction (que camera)? Has Mayor Rick Kriseman become a Christian now that he no longer uses his Jewish name David (que camera)? Is PNC really a bank? Or Portland, Nashville and Charlotte in disguise? For the answers to these questions and many more, tune in tomorrow’s episode of “The Swindles of Our Lives.” Que organ music.
Obviously this season’s attendance numbers are skewed due to seating restrictions that are only now being lifted, and last season’s attendance numbers should be tossed completely. But even with all that, I don’t see any indication that Tampa-St Pete support is increasing. The Rays were 29th in MLB in 2019, so far in 2019 they are 27th. Despite, as Neal points out, a 2020 AL championship banner and the league’s best record.
So what does Sternberg hope to get from a new stadium? No doubt there would be a new-stadium-smell attendance bump that might last for a couple of years. But unless this entire region (I’m local) changes its mind and suddenly becomes baseball crazy, he’s always going to have middling or worse attendance.
Is it the opportunity to build ultra high-end suites that he can lease to corporations for outrageous amounts? I know in this site we’ve discussed a stadium model where the plebs are basically zero-profit window dressing, while the cash cows are milked in the suites.
Does he hope to scare people into coming to the games? If that’s his strategy, it hasn’t worked.
I know Sternberg’s goal is a new stadium. But why? Given the attendance, why not move to another city? He couldn’t do much worse.
I agree Ralph. There could be a bump from a different location (although any new location is going to be an advantage for some commuters and a disadvantage for others), and maybe something from a shiny new stadium (although even accounting for the Loria effect, Miami’s stadium bump could be measured in weeks rather than months or seasons).
I don’t think it’s any secret that Sternberg was hoping to move the Rays somewhere else more or less from day one. The tall foreheads believed that, as a NY area guy, he wanted to try and make it a three team market again. The cost to do so would be prohibitive, of course (and that’s if the Mets and Yankees would even agree to an indemnification number, which I assume they would not).
This is what has made me always wonder if his game isn’t primarily to harvest the redevelopment rights he (currently) has to the site with or without a baseball stadium. The closer we get to the end of his lease the clearer that will become. I’ve always thought he was after a payout for the rights and then a team sale or relocation. Time will tell.
Ive always believed MLB doesn’t want to throw the TV market down the drain. Hence the sister city concept. This story is several years old and I learn something new with every new article that comes out. Makes it very difficult to get a read on what anyone is thinking.
With all of the spring training facilities in Florida, Tampa can just play in a different ballpark every homestand and really be Florida’s team. All kidding aside, Florida is proving not to be very fertile ground for an MLB franchise, MIami or Tampa. If they are to stay in Florida, Orlando IMO would be the best location. With the rapid population growth in central Florida, many transplants would go to the game to see their old teams as visitors. You could draw from both coasts, (Tampa from the west and the Space Coast from the east). Even though they may not be Rays fans, it will still put people in the seats and put money in the Rays pocket.
In another year or two it will be almost be a moot point if St Petersburg will let the Rays move. Lets say by the end of 2022 or early 2023, the Rays can start planning and soon after construction of the ballpark. It would probably be 2026 at the earliest that it could be complete if it does happen. I am sure some type of development or monetary deal could be worked out with the city to break the lease two years early knowing the Rays would be a lame duck team in the city.
The Rays and A’s are in somewhat similar situations, in that their attendance has been bad (significantly worse in the Rays’ case) but their TV market size and ratings are decent. And since local TV revenues are a big deal in MLB, that’s a good reason to stick out small crowds.
I’m sure it’s tempting for both teams’ front offices to think, “It’s the stadium! That’s why people are watching on TV but won’t go to games! Build us a new one and watch those turnstiles spin!” But as the Marlins found out, that’s not necessarily true.
Orlando could still tap the Tampa/St Pete TV market, Rays games are already shown in the Orlando area. You would gain the east coast of Florida from Brevard county north.
Now I would be a fool to believe that an owner would pay for his own place in Orlando, but if you are going to hold Tampa hostage, Orlando may be a little easier to scam money from for a ballpark. The Marlins could not even sell out their new palace in their first year as other teams have done and we know the story with Tampa. If MLB is to sell tickets in Florida, Orlando may be the best option, (theme parks and transplants from other states which could translate to ticket sales).
The problem for the Rays is Geography. The Rays have the smallest population out of every team in MLB within a 30 minute drive of their stadium. If the team moved to Tampa or Orlando the fan base would be significantly bigger which would allow them to draw more fans to games. Look at what happened with the SF Giants when they moved from Candlestick to a downtown stadium. When the buc’s and lightning are good, they sellout and one of the reasons is due to having a stadium/arena in a location that is easy to get too.
I moved here to the Tampa Bay region three years ago from a major city. I think what all parties involved with need to look at is the big picture. You have the Rays that have been in St. Petersburg for many years with the fan base declining ever year. You have St. Petersburg which is land locked in a sense of general growth. Anybody that is any type of business knows that businesses always need a boost. If I would say on a negotiating platform the obvious thing that should be done is the Rays move over to the Tampa area as originally planned. You have the population boom in this region increasing every day and the area east of Tampa is being developed for new homes and residents. This will definitely open the window for new fan base as well as more fan base. This gives the opportunity for more people from the Lakeland and Orlando area as well as the all new homes that are going in. So any logical explanation on both sides should be, let’s increase fan base, let’s not lose the Rays to a different region, and let’s boost all the potential we have. All parties need to look at the big picture and have some common sense.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Why have multiple Rays’ personnel visited Nashville in the last month looking at the east bank of the Cumberland River very near the Tennessee Titans football stadium?
Why have the Rays gone back to their Ybor City possibility?
Is it true that sources inside Major League Baseball indicated that it would be economical to help pay some or all of the early buyout of the Trop lease to get the Rays relocated so that Orlando can be the #1 option for expansion in five or six years?
My guess is that the Rays will have a new park in Ybor City or become the Nashville Stars by 2026. MLB wants 32 teams and must get the A’s and Rays messes settled.
#raystogreensboro