The Rays May Be Able to Move

[Can_of_corn]

Or the Rays can suck it up and pay for it themselves.

What a novel idea!

Then they can pay for their new stadium instead of soaking tax payers.

Would have to think they could get financing for it if they don't have the cash on hand.

Interest rates are low and all.

[Can_of_corn]

Maybe. Don't the rich teams already subsidize the Rays every year? They might rather kick in some money so the Rays become a have instead of a have not.

They will be a have not regardless.

Unless they move out of Florida that is.

A move 30 miles down the road isn't going to be a panacea.

[mdbdotcom]

They will be a have not regardless.

Unless they move out of Florida that is.

A move 30 miles down the road isn't going to be a panacea.

New Port Richey Rays - Has a nice ring to it.

[Can_of_corn]

New Port Richey Rays - Has a nice ring to it.

I'd have to change my location to

Just a long fly ball from *insert corporate sponsor* field.

Not enough space in this part of Pasco for a ballpark. They would have to build it to the east.

[Can_of_corn]

Agreed. I was assuming a move out of Florida.

From the article

The St. Petersburg City Council meets at 2 p.m. Thursday (Oct. 22) to consider a potential agreement to allow the Tampa Bay Rays to search for new stadium sites in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

The cost to move the team out of state would be significantly higher.

[DrungoHazewood]

From the article

The cost to move the team out of state would be significantly higher.

I know little about the area. Does "Pinellas and Hillsborough counties" mean a suburban stadium surrounded by miles of parking spaces, stuff in need of revitalization, dicey access to roads that weren't designed to handle crowds, and little else? In other words, FedEx Field?

[mdbdotcom]

I know little about the area. Does "Pinellas and Hillsborough counties" mean a suburban stadium surrounded by miles of parking spaces, stuff in need of revitalization, dicey access to roads that weren't designed to handle crowds, and little else? In other words, FedEx Field?

St. Petersburg, where the Rays play now, is in Pinellas County. Tampa is 14 miles away in Hillsborough County, on the other side of Tampa Bay. It's most likely that a new stadium would be built in Tampa or in between Tampa and St. Pete.

[Going Underground]

Montreal Raies. Mexico City Rajas.

[incubus]

Montreal Raies. Mexico City Rajas.

If Mexico City weren't so far south, I think a team in that city would be a viable option sometime in the near future. All the border cities are too small to support a MLB team.

[Nevermore]

Or the Rays can suck it up and pay for it themselves.

What a novel idea!

Then they can pay for their new stadium instead of soaking tax payers.

That's a FABULOUS idea!!!

[JayThomas]

Ok. I guess every team, except the Orioles can kick in 600 or 700K instead.

Brilliant. Have a blind poll. Teams that respond that 'yes, MLB should finance the Rays' breaking their contractual lease' should split that cost evenly, and teams responding 'No, the Rays should be held accountable for their contractual lease' should contribute nothing.

[DrungoHazewood]

Montreal Raies. Mexico City Rajas.

If Mexico City weren't so far south, I think a team in that city would be a viable option sometime in the near future. All the border cities are too small to support a MLB team.

I think Mexico needs to have a less chaotic civil situation before any major US sports league goes there. There was semi-serious talk about Monterrey getting a team maybe 15-20 years ago, and the Padres and Mets played some regular season games there. But it's hard to do that when the per-capita income is a fraction of that in the US and the murder rate from the cartels is many multiples of the US's.

Montreal would seem to have the problem that they flatly rejected a taxpayer-built stadium for the Expos. I don't know if that situation has changed.

I really think the best situation would be a third team in or around NYC, but the Mets and Yanks will each demand $billions in compensation and would fight the whole thing in court forever.

There are a bunch of cities that meet the "roughly as big as Milwaukee or KC" threshold like San Antonio, Austin, Portland OR, Sacramento, Charlotte, Honolulu, San Juan, Vancouver, Nashville. But they all seemingly have other baggage or issues or difficulties. Most don't have a MLB-quality stadium, so in the short term might be worse than Tampa. With the current business model where you have to compete with NYC and Boston and Chicago and LA with relatively minimal revenue sharing MLB may be about tapped out on really good expansion candidates.

[weams]

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/just-a-bit-outside/story/tampa-bay-rays-ballpark-stadium-tropicana-field-102315

Could the issue really be $33 million? And before this, $22 million? When $33 million (let alone $22 million) is barely even walking-around money for Major League Baseball these days? Is MLB simply so beholden to the "principle" of never paying for anything that they're willing to let a franchise rot away for another decade-plus?

I do realize that it's complicated? There's the city, and there are counties, and there's actually not a perfect site for a new ballpark, let alone a new ballpark that the public's eager to finance.

But it strikes me that while Major League Baseball and it's Commissioners are pretty good at the small stuff -- making schedules and protecting catchers and shaving four minutes from game times and whatnot -- they often seem almost helpless when it comes to the big stuff.

So I guess we shouldn't be surprised if the Rays are still last in the American League in attendance in 11 or 12 years.

[abbott]

Or the Rays can suck it up and pay for it themselves.

What a novel idea!

Then they can pay for their new stadium instead of soaking tax payers.

Charleston Sout Carolina would be a great place for a major league team. Between Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, lots of retired military and golf courses, theres are tons of people who are there in the summer. Baseball would be great. They do support a minor league team

[DrungoHazewood]

Charleston Sout Carolina would be a great place for a major league team. Between Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, lots of retired military and golf courses, theres are tons of people who are there in the summer. Baseball would be great. They do support a minor league team

Charleston, SC, is the 95th-biggest media market in the United States. About on par with Jackson, Mississippi, and Davenport, Iowa. About half the size of Memphis or Scranton-Wilkes Barre. I believe the smallest current MLB market is Cincinnati, which is nearly three times the size of Charleston. Myrtle Beach is two hours away. That's like including Philly in Baltimore's market.