The Tampa Bay Rays have baseball's best offense, . Rays to move 2023 Spring Training from Port Charlotte - MLB Tampa Bay Rays Spring Training - Spring Training Online Rays ownership still has a proposal for a $700 million stadium in Ybor City at their feet. Divisions will stay the same, because the move from Tampa to Charlotte keeps the team on the East coast no rearranging of divisions would be necessary 6. 1 one month into the season? Your email address will not be published. Support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune. If the Rays were to leave the Tampa-St.Pete area, this should be the first place they should consider going. NHL Lightning & Panthers. Related: Braves brace for spring training push following World Series victory. This is why the Rays rank in the bottom half for attendance (at roughly 18,000-plus per) and even then, you have a large portion being visiting fans (snow birds or local residents who hailed from other states before the Rays existed). 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 . Legacy: Charlotte has never been much of a baseball town. Already a subscriber? Rays' early-season success leads to attendance bump. The Rays "seem to be connecting with their base even as they scour both sides of the bay for a new home," as the team prior to last night had not lost at home and had "yet to draw a crowd of less than 10,000," according to Gabe Lacques of USA TODAY. The community is in the thoughts and hearts of the Rays, and the team will continue to support recovery efforts. The latter ideacomes from state Sen. William Simpson, R-Trilby, current senate president. (AP image). However, the key stat here, is the Rays television audience. Other Franchises: Portland Trailblazers (one championship), Portland Timbers. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But the infrastructure is there, in case the idea is ever there. I need not remind everyone theres no team between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. Its definitely still a possibility and a good idea at that. Analysis: I'm not joking when I put this as my choice. The Rangers and Astros have been centerpieces of MLB for decades. They get corporate interest, the same attendance as the other two Tampa-based teams, more fan interest, and more money to work with. Much like the last two cities on this list, Nashville would be better off receiving an expansion franchise than sorting through recruiting the Rays. There is also an established baseball tradition in Omaha with the College World Series played there every year. "We are solely focused on the Sister City plan and keeping the Rays in Tampa Bay for generations," said Rays' president Brian Auld. Cookie Notice Braves brace for spring training push following World Series victory, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Not much has changed in Tampa Bay this year either. NFL Owner Rips Baseball Team for Plans to Move to Las Vegas Why are the Rays in St Pete? Tampa Bay Rays Looking At Possible Move To Nashville He also knows a thing or two about the Athletics, the MLB franchise that the Raiders . There was significant damage and heavy flooding throughout Port Charlotte and Charlotte County after Hurricane Ian made landfall just south of Punta Gorda, Fla., on Sept. 28. The new Rays Stadium in Tampa should be built on Dale Mabry - DRaysBay Team officials said there was not enough time to get the park in suitable condition to host games. The two closest teams to Charlotte (Braves & Nats) are both NL, so having a Carolina team be AL only makes sense 7. The Rays use the facility on a year-round basis for extended spring training, complex and instructional league play, and mini-camps. Tampa Bays Major League operations will move from the Walt Disney World Resort to Tropicana Field at the beginning of March, and the Rays will play the remainder of their spring home games at the Trop. Population: 567,641 (28th among U.S. cities), Other Professional Teams in the City: None. MLB Realignment: 7 Cities the Tampa Bay Rays Could Relocate to If If Nashville wants Major League Baseball, it should look at Tampa The team's lease with their Spring training facility in Port Charlotte runs through 2028. Wander Franco #5 of the Tampa Bay Rays hits a ground ball in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins during a Grapefruit League spring training game at Charlotte Sports Park on March 29, 2022 in Port Charlotte, Florida. 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. A city that has history rooting for other teams would find it more appealing to take the time to build a stadium for an original team and to start new than bring in a franchise that already has 20+ years of history in another state. And any time a team threatens or considers folding, Portland is in the cards. Rays Could Still Move To Tampa After St. Pete Redevelopment Bid The latest personnel hires and promotions, plus exclusive ratings and research from the sports industry. I think were a good fit for them, I feel thatthey feel the same way from conversations Ive had with some of their staff over the years, Doherty said. Tampa This was the only city that was going to be number 1. In 2018, he listed Nashville, along with Las Vegas, Charlotte, Montreal, Portland and Vancouver as potential . 1:50. Walt Disney World to host Tampa Bay Rays spring training In Charlotte, the team would be missed, Doherty said, but admitted that the loss of the Stone Crabs proved to be a dress rehearsal for that possibility. One thing I can say is that Portland folks are extremely outgoing and very loyal. They have a temporary stadium that could possibly be upgraded. Other Franchises: Montreal Canadiens (24 championships). So is it possible? Portland folk love to rival up against their northern state rivals and a MLB showdown 10 to 15 times a year would get the fans raring to go. When the Athletics tidy up the multi-billion-dollar details in Sin City, where they're expected to reside by the 2027 season if not sooner, a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays will be the last . San Antonio, despite immense basketball success, is considered small market. "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. Teams that cant draw or have stadium problems should get a 5 year out if these issues are not fixed. Doherty noted that while the Stone Crabs offered some family friendly fun, the county was successful in attractingyouth tournaments to recoup some tourism dollars. . Co-founder and retired executive of the Orlando Magic. 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 . Population: 454,731 (40th among U.S. cities). It can be problematic, but not unheard of, for Major League baseball teams to host spring training at more than one site. Charlotte is a great city that baseball should look to expand to, but for the Rays, its not the right option. The decision affects both the major league and minor league camps. I was at the infamous David Price Tweet game last year when the Rays had a chance to clinch a playoff spot against the Orioles. Ticket information for the Rays Spring Training games will be released in January. Column: Another domino falls on road to MLB expansion Get notified on your phone in the morning with the latest forecast and news to start your day. The Tampa Bay Rays are still considering a move to Tampa after winning the bid to redevelop part of St. Petersburg's Historic Gas Plant District, the team's president, Brian Auld, told Patch. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2023/04/26/Franchises/tampa-bay-rays-standings-topicana-field-tickets.aspx. Rays to open upper deck for Yankees series in May, Rays lefty Josh Fleming finds his role as the bulk guy, Rays add bullpen depth in reacquiring Javy Guerra from Brewers, Rays send impressive rookie pitcher Taj Bradley back to minors, Heres why Tampa Bay Rays attendance during the teams historic winning streak matters | Editorial, White Sox pay tribute to Rays radio broadcaster Dave Wills, Why well know a lot more about the Rays in a month, CEO who turned Creative Pinellas into a thriving arts center is retiring, 2-year-old daughter of Bucs linebacker Shaquil Barrett drowns in family pool, Assembly line of Triple-A arms somehow has kept Rays atop the standings, Sign up for the Rays Report weekly newsletter, Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry, a two-time Cy Young winner, dies. Your email address will not be published. Analysis: Baseball can work in Texas. The Rays declined through an email from a team spokesman to comment further. Storm damage to have Rays on the move for Spring Training Register for a free SBJ account to unlock one extra article per month. They get corporate interest, the same attendance as the other two Tampa-based teams, more fan interest, and more money to work with. So yes, these options are regional. While the Whalers were a popular franchise in Hartford, Hartford is just plain inexperienced at handling major league sports. The 2023 Tampa Bay Rays season is the 26th season of the Tampa Bay Rays franchise and their 16th as the Rays. But why isnt it the first option? The team and county officials put out a joint statement Thursday night saying, in part, that after a joint assessment of the damage, both parties 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 Rays easy solution to fixing their money and attendance problems is to simply move north to Tampa. With the Reams lease at the Trop ending in 2027, Williams pitched to the team in 2020 an entire proposal fleshed out for a Rays move, including a $1.2 billion dollar stadium, corporate sponsorships and possible support from Disney, and the numbers, that show how Orange County collects triple the tourist taxes of Pinellas and Hillsborough, where St. Petersburg and Tampa sit, respectively. The Rays' current contract with Charlotte County runs through the 2028 spring training camp," a spokesperson wrote in an email to 10 Tampa Bay. Id be on the road for leisure travel sales and when I mentioned I was from the Port Charlotte area, before the Rays came on, a lot of time Id get stares, because people didnt know where we were located, said Doherty who started with the bureau in 2005 as the sports marketing manager. 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. Orlando is a smaller city than Tampa, but it gains much more tourist revenue. The biggest reason to move to Charlotte is because it is an untapped baseball market. December 1, 2022. Writers and fans STILL dont have much to talk about right now regarding baseball, but in other news, MLB finally shot down the Tampa Bay Rays ridiculous plan to split their season between the Tampa area and Montreal. 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. . 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. 49 print issues delivered to your home or office. Most recently, published reports, primarily in the Tampa Bay Times, have highlighted a portion of that effort that would have the Rays play their spring training games in a stadium that would be built as part of the development play for the 50-acre Gas Worx parcel between Ybor City and the Channelside area, with a spring training player development site to the north, in Pasco County. MLB-best Tampa Bay strengthens bullpen with Brewers trade Pacers fans are immensely loyal and, regardless of talent or win totals, it always seems the Pacers are blue collar and supported as such. Disney World visitors would pounce on the opportunity for other entertainment, similar to how the Golden Knights of the NHL built up their attendance by pouncing on bored Vegas visitors who had run out of shows to see and money to gamble away. Access to easy-to-read digital editions of weekly issues. Its definitely still a possibility and a good idea at that. "Following a joint assessment of the . Can this problem be solved with money and a stadium move to Tampa proper? Hartford hasn't really experimented in any of the other major American sports and when they lost the Whalers, they lost all access to major sports. Tampa Bay Rays moving spring training site due to hurricane damage Because they play somewhere accessible for the greater Tampa Bay area. We are all disappointed for the residents of Charlotte County and the fans there. Insert the Rays into Memphis, and you have a city on the rise with two very young franchises thriving on the baseball diamond and hardwood. The Montreal thing has come up a number of times the past few years. The market, fan interest, history, community, and financial backing all exist, making this a great option if theyre willing to have a relocated franchise. Charlotte Sports Park has been Tampa Bays Spring Training home since 2009. Analysis: Fool me oncewhile the Expos had its fair share of ownership issues throughout its troubled history, the Expos also had very lousy attendance and, not for the last time, a Canadian team playing a United States game, had to go elsewhere. Lets be real. The team's AAA affiliate has not had a lot of attendance success so the expectation of fan excitement and fan attendance may need to be studied further. Why? Other Franchises: Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts (five total championships, two Super Bowl victories), Indiana Fever. There are already 2 teams in Texas that have been there for a long time (Astros since 1962, Rangers since 1971), and they have taken up the majority of the fan interest. Column: Another domino falls on road to MLB expansion Relocation and contraction are words no fan wants to hear, especially if it involves their beloved team. Population: 676,640 (19th among U.S. cities), Other Professional Sports Teams in the City: Memphis Grizzlies. I think it is about time the world's largest playground gets a professional sports team. Meanwhile, the Rays couldnt fill their stadium during a playoff game. Not to mention a name change the Rays would have to do, to something like the Stars or Outlaws. We are thankful for Disneys willingness and ability to accommodate our unexpected Spring Training needs, Rays president Matt Silverman said in a statement. Charlotte Sports Park (formerly known as Charlotte County Stadium and Ranger Stadium) is a baseball stadium in Port Charlotte, Florida.The stadium is the home field for Tampa Bay Rays spring training operations, as well as its Rookie-class Florida Complex League Rays teams. The Rays and Charlotte County intend to develop a restoration plan for Charlotte Sports Park in the coming weeks.. The Rays are locked into a lease at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg through 2027, while the lease for spring training in Port Charlotte runs through 2028. But This is What You Should Have Expected, Mocking the Nationals Offseason, Early Postseason Edition, Mr. Soto or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Washington Nationals, Nats Prospects or: The Art of Tempering Expectations. Chief Business Officer Bill Walsh said that the team also made other ticket pricing adjustments around their ballpark to make sure that folks who maybe tuned in to the evening news and caught wind of what was happening here, that if they went to our website they could find some tickets, if not for $10, maybe within close proximity to that (SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/24 issue). The Rays faced the Atlanta Braves and drew 1,127 fans, the maximum attendance because of COVID-19 restrictions. Here is a look at seven cities that could benefit from the addition of a major league franchise, in this case, the Tampa Bay Rays. Renderings indicate the old stadium would be demolished. The Spurs have been world class forwellever it seems. They would have a fan base and really wouldnt effect the St.Louis Cardinals. Walt Disney World Resort said its looking forward to providing. Locally, the Pittsburgh Pirates host spring training at LECOM Park at 1611 9th Street W., Bradenton, but the minor leaguers train a few miles east at Pirate City. The Toronto Blue Jays will now play the Rays at Tropicana Field on that date. Tampa, mainly, services minor league teams. Related to that, and with a potential move there by the Rays, you'd have instant rivalry potential with the Seattle Mariners. Ranking MLB's radical City Connect uniforms: Which one's No. The Raleigh-based Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) have also begun to sputter. The Carolina Panthers are in the middle of a down phase and may not be winners again for quite some time. Its the fifth fastest growing city in the US, and a growing city for sports aswell with the Panthers boasting the 7th highest average attendence in 2018 despite being a relatively new expansion team, 5. 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. Welch said the plan should keep the Rays in St. Petersburg for the long term. Period. However, as a former resident, I will add that even during the WORST of times with both the Bucs and Lightning, there were very dedicated fans that came). So getting people to go to games wouldn't be a problem (and heck, out of 1.3 million people, someone has to like baseball there, right?). "Charlotte County supports the Rays efforts to secure alternative accommodations for 2023 spring training," the statement . So while baseball might take some getting used to, Indianapolis is fond of many sports and has the population to support it. Manager Joe Maddon helped guide the youthful Rays to their first playoff appearance in 2008, and they proceeded to upset the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS, but they were eventually defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. Tampa residents Dennis Gallagher and his daughter Kate wait for the start of the Tampa Bay Rays final home spring training game last season. Not only is it the most reasonable, but it is the most likely, at least in my opinion. I think MLB view cities like Montreal, Portland, Nashville, Charlotte and possibly Mexico City as possible expansion cities. With Rays ownership seeming more and more likely to move out of their current spot once their lease at the dreaded Tropicana Field ends in 2027, I decided to take a look at some possible cities in the United States the Rays could possibly end up. A history in Charlotte County. Their attendance matches the teams talent level, and the Bucs have had great success, even before Tom Brady showed up in town. With the Reams lease at the Trop ending in 2027, Williams pitched to the team in 2020 an entire proposal fleshed out for a Rays move, including a $1.2 billion dollar stadium, corporate sponsorships and possible support from Disney, and the numbers, that show how Orange County collects triple the tourist taxes of Pinellas and Hillsborough, where St. Petersburg and Tampa sit, respectively. Rays to move spring training from storm-damaged Port Charlotte facility While this proposal has some ground, its one that needs to become more concrete, and works better for an expansion franchise. But appearances can be deceiving, and there's . The Baltimore Orioles, prior to their move to Ed Smith Stadium in 2010, hosted Major League spring training in Fort Lauderdale, while the minor league camp was at Twin Lakes Parks in Sarasota, which was originally developed by the Kansas City Royals in 1970 as a baseball academy. 1. 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. However, there's no . one for each of the times a baseball flew into the Tropicana catwalks during the postseason over the years. Central Texas is one of the most populous areas in the United States, and there have been talks of them potentially hosting another sports team for some time. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. But, lets say the Rays come to town. and I recently flew into Tampa for a three game series and getting to Tropicana Field from Tampa itself was a pain in the butt. However, as I just stated, this is geared towards getting a new team. Move the Tampa Rays to Memphis. One of the drawbacks, however, would be the very low population. Well have to play the wait-and-see game to see where that goes and we know their agreement here goes through 2028, so we hope to at least have them through then, but wed love to renew that agreement.. I think the loyal sports followers would go, but I think the biggest problem would be how spoiled the fans would be. 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 has had a AA and AAA squad (the current incarnation is the Charlotte Knights, who are the White Sox affiliate), but most professional sports have been basketball (the former Hornets and now the Bobcats) and football (the Panthers, who despite varied success, average in the top 10 in attendance).
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