Additionally, I wouldnt want to try to compete with Texas Football during the fall, which is another reason to keep out of Austin. News Not to mention a name change the Rays would have to do, to something like the Stars or Outlaws. Be the best Tampa Bay Rays fan you can be with Bleacher Report. Their attendance matches the teams talent level, and the Bucs have had great success, even before Tom Brady showed up in town. The only sport of Big 4 in this city of the State of Florida is basketball, in connection with the Magic of Orlando. Were looking forward to engaging.. But Lake Nona and Hunters Creek make the 417 a challenge during evening commutes, the same time as most weekday home games. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. This scenario seems perfect for an in-state move. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. And there are those big potential corporate sponsors. I believe MLB put teams in the Florida region to see how they fare because they regularly had spring training like Arizona so they tested the market. World Maybe the Rays will be able to convince the city to fund a new ballpark, but even that might be risky. Follow our Tampa Bay Times sports team on Twitter and Facebook. Williams hasnt talked to Disney yet, but points out that the global giant is a major sponsor of the Magic, which currently sports the Disney logo on players jerseys. They want to put their best foot forward, and were eager to see it., Sternberg said the Rays are willing to wait for the best-efforts version. Tickets: https://t.co/JC6GjkLsV1@orlandohealth | #ORLvMTL pic.twitter.com/rYcIt2vpvx, Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) February 14, 2022. Wherever it goes, it would turn into a ghost town slum with unrealized/failed developments all around it. The Tampa Bay Rays have a vision for a new home in St. Petersburg. What about the Rays?. While this proposal has some ground, its one that needs to become more concrete, and works better for an expansion franchise. Pinellas eyes youth sports complex with big question: Where would it fit? And hes made that pitch to team executives in recent months. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Newest Tampa Bay Rays Stadium Rumored Location: Florida State Fairgrounds. Nobody really knows what will happen with the Tampa Bay Rays in the short to medium term. The downsides of this proposal are apparent. Stu Sternberg, the team's principal owner, said the decision was not prompting him to sell or move the team, but he did not rule out moving after the Rays' lease at Tropicana Field runs . Seven asteroids brushed past Earth this week: should we be worried? Before working at News 6 he worked for stations in Miami and Fort Myers. That change happened after the 2007 season. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Relocate to Montreal or Nashville where they can draw fans, same can said for the Marlins, 10 Best Breakfast Restaurants In Orlando, FL, 10 Best Seafood Restaurants In Miami Beach, Florida. QUIZ: Which Member of the 2021 Washington Nationals Are You? Retired Orlando Magic executive Pat Williams says Orlando is the natural future home for the Tampa Bay Rays. There has been discussion from some investors. I think the reason for most attendance for a local team will be for the transplants who don't get to see their old home town teams much - it will be the Bronx south on Yankee series, little . As the Rays' 2022 season began, the team's expiring 2027 lease at Tropicana Field crept closer. Your email address will not be published. The Milwaukee . Tampa Bay Rays, American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida, that plays in the American League (AL). St. Petersburg is a hike from Tampa, and most of the ways to get between the two cities are clogged during weekday rush hour. On the day that this article was written, the Tampa Bay Times reported that MLB officially shut down the split-city idea with Montreal. So yes, these options are regional. While this proposal has some ground, its one that needs to become more concrete, and works better for an expansion franchise. A summary report from the Tampa Sports Authority, Sign up for the Rays Report weekly newsletter, Former Devil Ray Gerald Williams dies of cancer. Because Charlotte is another example of a city that would be better off receiving an expansion franchise than an exported Rays franchise that would probably have to change its name to something more relevant. Sternberg said the Rays are working to find that next solution. No more wholesale sports welfare. With a plan to play part of the season in Montreal scrapped, the Tampa Bay Rays are reportedly shifting from a plan for a modest Ybor City facility to a larger, domed ballpark that will serve as year-round home for the MLB team. But This is What You Should Have Expected, Mocking the Nationals Offseason, Early Postseason Edition, Washington Nationals Top 10 Prospects (51), Zach Bryzkcy: The Nationals Closer of the Future, Reliable Relievers Returning From the 2022 Nats, Weekend Prospect Report Card: Chase Dollander Start #2. And, he argues, Orlando is uniquely poised to introduce Americas pastime to tens of millions of foreign tourists who come for Mickey but might stick around a day longer for baseball. By "This building was not designed for spring training baseball. There are not only the tourists, but also all the Disney employees who could potentially go and have fun at a Rays game on their day off. However, if they were to bite the bullet and go to North Carolina, theres definitely reasons to believe they can succeed. The Trop was built as a hockey arena, and even the Lightning found it wasnt as suitable for it, moving to the Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa. The Rays began play in 1998 and were known as the Devil Rays until the end of the 2007 season. Ditto for those of hockey, besides since the Lightning dominates the league. entertainment We feel that the Rays need not look to Montreal, need not look to a split season 41 here and 41 somewhere else, Williams told the Times this week. But why isnt it the first option? United States New rules could make them more aggressive. Less than two weeks until we really kickoff 2022. Walt Disney World. Why? UAE Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. This is their perfect new home.. Tampa Bay Rays moving spring training camp to ESPN Wide World of Sports for 2023 By Matt Reeser, WFTV.com December 20, 2022 at 12:05 pm EST By Matt Reeser, WFTV.com December 20, 2022 at 12:05 pm EST Whatever he thinks works, works. move to sidebar hide (Top) 1 Notable Orlando alumni. TAMPA, Fla. - The possibility of the Tampa Bay Rays moving out of St. Petersburg could be closer to reality. He noted that Major League Baseball is planning to expand by two teams in the coming years. Subscribeto our newsletter and follow@cl_tampabayon Twitter. They would have a fan base and really wouldnt effect the St.Louis Cardinals. Ukraine We want to be in the area, which is the most important thing. The land hasnt been assembled and neither the city nor county have made any commitments to a team. He and Auld had discussed the possibility of Orlando being part of a split-season scenario after the teams use agreement expires in St. Petersburg in 2027, he said. The Rays announced during a press conference on Friday that they officially intend to move the team from their current St. Petersburg location to Ybor City, a neighborhood in Tampa, and shed the . What the Rays truly need is a third option . The team was relocated to Montgomery, AL before the 2004 season as the Montgomery Biscuits. Tampa Bay Rays president Brian Auld told councilmember Charlie Miranda that . Tuesday's meeting was the first for Mayor Jane Castor and Rays owner Stu Sternberg to talk face-to-face about the team building a stadium in Ybor City . . Globe Life Field is home to the Texas Rangers and opened in the year 2020. it has a retro modern Construction complete with a retractable roof and artificial turf. Seen as MLB's favorite city without a team, Nashville's prospects of picking up a franchise, specifically the Tampa Bay Rays, continues to see development with news and mutual interest . Thats a big change from November when Williams first unveiled the Orlando Dreamers proposal. world News, Hosted byByohostingMost Recommended Web Hosting for complains, abuse, advertising contact:o f f i c e @byohosting.com, Option to move Rays to Orlando must be raised, What bonuses are coming TODAY, 2023? Alas, it was voted down (again) early this year. COVID-19 Vice president of Disney Sports, Faron Kelley, said they are thrilled to bring Major League Baseball back to Walt Disney World Resort. Specifically, a relocated Tampa Bay Rays. St. Petersburg simply isnt big enough to support a major league team, he said. The move to Central Florida comes after the teams facilities in Port Charlotte were damaged by Hurricane Ian back in September. Remember, the XFL has yet to stay alive long enough for back-to-back seasons. (Miami, Clearwater: home, live, stadium) User Name: Remember Me: Password . investment Photos: Rays back at Trop in spring game against Twins, Top prospect Taj Bradley, Rays take on Red Sox today, Rays Tyler Glasnow sustains oblique injury during practice, In Daniel Robertsons return to Rays, a clear mind is what matters. Learn how your comment data is processed. However, Williams says, hes not interested in sharing a team. Tropicana Field in St Petersburg is an eyesore and frankly an embarrassment. The team's owner met with Tampa 's mayor to discuss the possible change in address. Read: Terry Hall, lead singer of ska band The Specials, dies at 63. Co-founder and retired executive of the Orlando Magic. To rehash it theres no value for me rehashing it at this point. We are thankful for Disneys willingness and ability to accommodate our unexpected spring training needs, Silverman said. They have a temporary stadium that could possibly be upgraded. USA The Tampa Bay Business Journal has engaged with all 24 candidates seeking a seat on city council. 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. [TRENDING: Food Network star Guy Fieri delivers tasty Christmas gift to Ocala police | Winter is coming: Rain in Central Florida ahead of Arctic blast | Become a News 6 Insider], We are thankful for Disneys willingness and ability to accommodate our unexpected Spring Training needs, Rays team president Matt Silverman said. People want us in the area, which is the most important thing. The Rays were left looking for training facilities . Read: Tips to keep your furry friends safe from the cold this winter. 1 min read. St. Petersburg is a hike from Tampa, and most of the ways to get between the two cities are clogged during weekday rush hour. politics Next time you're in town, though, I hope it's for the All-Star Game instead of the owners meetings. Tampa Bay is entering 2023 with high expectations after making it to the playoffs for the last four seasons. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Whatever location would definitely have to be convenient, I agree. Letsgetstarted. Clayton Kershaw beat the Tampa Bay Rays for the second time in six days and the LA Dodgers held on for a 4-2 win Sunday night and a 3-2 World Series lead . out of the belief they could bring an MLB team to the stadium instead. College kids don't even go to their own college baseball games that they can go to for free. Thats up to Stu, Reinsdorf said. I'm fine with it. Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1999-2003) Seattle Mariners (1998) Chicago Cubs (1993-1997) . Support local journalism in these crazy days. Ill be supportive of anything that Stu wants to do., Reinsdorf and Red Sox principal owner John Henry, another council member, declined Wednesday to share details on the Montreal decision. There are corporate interests, fans to pounce on, and an area that wants baseball. Orlando is a fantastic in-state option for the Rays, and it doesnt have the cumbersome cost of starting the fanbase over or getting out of a valuable TV deal across the state of Florida. ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex will provide our players and coaches with first-class facilities for their annual ramp up to the season.. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. Nashville's pursuit of an MLB franchise might be gaining steam, if a Tampa City Council member is to be believed. NHL Lightning & Panthers. I wouldn't count on UCF students going to MLB games. Its also a decent distance from Florida. Wed, Dec 21, 2022 at 12:56 pm, Video shows Florida alligator easily blasting through a metal fence, Central Florida Fair is back in Orlando for a 111th year. Attendance is always low. Orlando is currently the 18th largest TV market, several notches down from Tampa Bays 11th ranking, but its just a matter of time before Orlando passes Tampa Bay, Williams said. Pinellas eyes youth sports complex with big question: Where would it fit? Your favorite tequila battle is back on 4/7/23! posed a simple question: When the XFL returns, should the Tampa Bay Vipers stay in Tampa? "He can certainly toss his hat in the ring with all the other communities, and all the power to him. Regardless of which city the Vipers play in, they would be smart to look into hiring Spurrier. technology The bureau reported 12% of people moving to Tampa came from Miami, Orlando, Sarasota, Lakeland, Port St. Lucie, Cape Coral, Ocala, Jacksonville, and Palm Bay, all cities in Florida. Every little bit helps. Weve had a very, very strong reaction to Orlando becoming a Major League Baseball city, he said. from The cheapest way to get from Orlando to Tampa Bay costs only $26, and the quickest way takes just 4 hours. March 3rd, 2023, at 2:41 pm. 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. July 21, 2022 by Dave Harris. That is true about the Hispanic population in Miami, but I feel like that organization has pissed off so many fans in Miami. Manorama Online There are already 2 teams in Texas that have been there for a. time (Astros since 1962, Rangers since 1971), and they have taken up the majority of the fan interest. live broadcast The biggest reason to move to Charlotte is because it is an untapped baseball market. "I can't afford to move," said Skylite . Tampa Bay retiree one of thousands stuck in federal . Although he hasnt spoken to the Rays owner, Williams said he doesnt believe Sternberg wants to sell the team and thinks he would retain ownership if the franchise moved to Orlando. Move the Tampa Rays to Memphis. I do feel like Spring Training is a little different from an actual team. MLS home games number 17 (outside of post season), MLB has 81. Kudos to MLB for juicing the balls to try and create more excitement, but it's still not as exciting as basketball or even hockey. ORLANDO Rays officials still havent gotten any clarity from other major-league owners or top executives during their quarterly meetings about why the plan to split future seasons in Montreal was killed. For an international Disney visitor, the idea of attending a sport that epitomizes America such as baseball can be appealing. Finley even floated the (completely absurd and unlikely) possibility of moving the . And, quite frankly, a bit surprised at what happened, as we were. Hit me up on Twitter @BianchiWrites and listen to . 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 . The Orlando Rays were Tampa Bay's first minor league affiliate at the Double-A level. Rays face Braves with Shane McClanahan on the mound today, Bucs expected to release veteran tight end Cameron Brate, Why Rays Drew Rasmussen will slow down this spring. Rays co-presidents Matt Silverman and Brian Auld have met with Williams several times" since Rays owner Stu Sternberg announced his split-season concept between Tampa Bay and Montreal. Also the location is poor for Tampa residents. It time to move on to more deserving cities. This deal is, of course, moot as a stadium deal has fallen apart (for now). Re: Orlando To Tampa Bay Rays. The removal of these seating options give a better optical illusion for TV, but it's weird at a game. ", Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. ORLANDO, Fla. - Major League Baseball is coming back to Walt Disney World Resort in 2023. (Tampa is third.) This would obviously make the whole idea of moving the Vipers to Orlando pointless for 2021, but the concept could be explored if the XFL enjoys enough success to have a 2022 season. Baseball can be a thriving business in a fast-growing region heavy with deep-pocket corporate sponsors like Disney and Universal, he says. The Spurs were consistently in the top half of the NBA in attendance pre-pandemic, showing that San Antonio can gather fan interest, while Austin would be a fun experiment. Corona Golden State won the title last season, and a healthy Curry, and the eventual return of Gary Payton II gives Golden State the most depth it has had all season. Matthew Moyer Subscribe now to not miss a thing. . 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. In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Tampa mayor Jane Castor made clear that she hopes to see the Rays remain in the Tampa area. 2021 Half Street High Heat A Nationals Podcast, Nats Parks New BetMGM Sportsbook is Great. Were always looking for top tier events, like the Rays spring training for our guests to enjoy at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.. Despite increased interest expressed by Tampa Mayor Jane Castor in providing a . This would conflict my loyalties. Rays expect to move Yandy Diaz to first base for 2023. . The Rays easy solution to fixing their money and attendance problems is to simply move north to Tampa. As one myself, Im curious to know how the Mets fans have wronged you worse than Red Sox fans or (shudders) Yankee fans. Why is Tampa Bay no longer the Devil Rays? TV According to the Southern League's website, the move to Walt Disney . Orlando is a fantastic in-state option for the Rays, and it doesn't have the cumbersome cost of starting the fanbase over or getting out of a valuable TV deal across the state of Florida. Rather than react to a news report, were excited to sit down with the city and the county and the TSA. Home News Option to move Rays to Orlando must be raised. At that time, he was vague about whether the team would pursue an expansion franchise or an existing team. Florida Gov. 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. . If soccer can get people going, then so can baseball. People from Orlando know this Hispanic population doesnt necessarily mean baseball attendance- look at Miami. There isnt really an issue with this proposal. If you can plop a stadium right into downtown Tampa, you get it all. France America Only a couple hours after Major League Baseball killed the Tampa Bay Rays' kooky, controversial plan to split their home schedule with the city of Montreal, my phone rang last week. That amount was set to decrease to $3 million per year from 2019 to 2022 and $2 million from 2023 to 2026. Landon joined News 6 in 2017. Their attendance matches the teams talent level, and the Bucs have had great success, even before Tom Brady showed up in town. 2. It was the . The company said the cuts are due in large part to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its business and the tremendous disruption in how fans consume sports. Coronavirus Orlando Weekly Daily newsletter. As a matter of fact, there were some in, Charlotte that did not want to give the Knights a new stadium. Why Rays Drew Rasmussen will slow down this spring, Rays Tyler Glasnow sustains oblique injury during practice, Bucs expected to release veteran tight end Cameron Brate, In Daniel Robertsons return to Rays, a clear mind is what matters, No details or plans to lure Rays, just Dreamers right now in Orlando, Orlando overtakes St. Petersburg as fourth most populated city, No O.J. Disney is no stranger to hosting professional baseball. Lets give Tennessee its own team instead. Walt Disney World on Tuesday announced it has come to an agreement with the Tampa Bay Rays to host the . The last meeting with Auld was just before Christmas, Williams told the Tampa Bay Times this week. MLB has tried to encourage o. Then the political people rise up and we will hear from them, he said. At the time I had asked (for reasons for the Montreal vote), it was, just a decision by the executive council, and it remains the same, principal owner Stuart Sternberg said Wednesday at the meetings hotel. "This is unnatural," Rays president Matt Silverman said. 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. Its definitely still a possibility and a good idea at that. And unfortunately, its not our first rodeo.. Nashvilles high interest makes them the most attractive of the out of state relocation options, but again, a desire for a new team and a lack of a temporary stadium make this difficult when they collide with the Rays lengthy lease and their TV deals in Florida. 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