Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "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. 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. 1 spring training destination by the readers of USA Today and 10Best. Not to mention that the, Triple-A Charlotte Knights get pretty good attendance, , at least when COVID isnt affecting their numbers. Download it here. 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. That's an extra 25,000 and a total attendance of 43,000-plus. Learn More. 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. Not to mention that the Triple-A Charlotte Knights get pretty good attendance, at least when COVID isnt affecting their numbers. Privacy Policy. But as for baseball, Indianapolis has the AAA affiliate for the usually awful Pittsburgh Pirates. Montreal was viable once so, of course, it can be again and the Blue Jays, through thick and thin, have stuck around. Charlotte is a fast growing city, and theres tons of potential in every way. Period. 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. Residents of Dunedin, the Florida governor's "blue-collar" hometown, are split on whether his values mirror the city's. stories and Draft takeaways; The premise behind Wasserman Ventures; Tony Ressler's grand vision for Atlanta and early schedule highlights from an expanded CFP. More than two decades of archival stories, profiles, research and data. Charlotte seems like it could be a great fit for a professional baseball team. Why? The multifield complex will give the Rays the space they need for their Spring Training workouts. one for each of the times a baseball flew into the Tropicana catwalks during the postseason over the years. In 2021, as part of an overall reorganization of minor league baseball, the Rays moved theirClass A-advanced affiliate to South Carolina. Tampa Bay previously hosted six regular-season games at the Disney ballpark, sweeping a series against the Rangers in May 2007 then winning three games against the Blue Jays in April 2008. Finally it makes sense for travel times too, every team in the AL East is closer to Charlotte than Tampa by several hours of flight, and very few teams in any division would have further travel times. Cookie Notice Orlando is a smaller city than Tampa, but it gains much more tourist revenue. Move the Tampa Rays to Memphis. 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(AP) The Tampa Bay Rays are relocating their spring base for 2023 due to extensive damage to team training facilities caused by Hurricane Ian. Compare pay for popular roles and read about the team's work-life balance. The downsides of this proposal are apparent. Once again, this would be a great place for the Rays to move because there are no professional sports teams in Nebraska, let alone the surrounding states like Iowa, Kansas and Wyoming. The Rays and Charlotte County announced on Dec. 1 that the club would not be able to hold Spring Training at Charlotte Sports Park. However, at its closest, St. Pete is six to eight miles from the city of Tampa and much, much farther coming from surrounding suburbs. Award-winning original reporting, with in-depth profiles, timely research and expert opinions on the biggest issues and stories in sports business. 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. 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. Its definitely still a possibility and a good idea at that. A history in Charlotte County. Sure, the Expos had their legal fights, and they have their legal fans, but does a Tampa franchise struggling with attendance and stadium issues want to go back to the same problem but this time in a country that might be indifferent? 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. Theres also the fact that the Rays would have nowhere to play until they move, which sours the idea of an immediate relocation. The market, fan interest, history, community, and financial backing all exist, making this a great option if theyre willing to have a relocated franchise. So is it their time yet? San Antonio, despite immense basketball success, is considered small market. They have a lease that runs through 2031 after recent extensions, according to the Port Charlotte Sun. Analysis: With the Tampa Bay area splitting residents up all over the place, an increase in population could work in the Rays favor if they moved to Charlotte. In recent years,the Rays have contemplated moving from St. Petersburg to Tampa, andteam officials have touted a Sister Cities concept that would have the Rayssplit theseason between new stadiums in Tampa and Montreal. There is an obvious solution as to where . The Tampa Bay Rays will be seeking a temporary spring training site after determining Charlotte Sports Park damage caused by Hurricane Ian was too extensive for camp in 2023. PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. The Tampa Bay Rays will be on the move when Spring Training 2023 arrives. Braves brace for spring training push following World Series victory, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The Rays dropped to 14-1 . https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2023/04/26/Franchises/tampa-bay-rays-standings-topicana-field-tickets.aspx. Pat Williams has made a direct appeal to Rays management about a move to the city of Orlando. They had 35 years with very little success (one NLCS appearance and the best record in baseball in 1994. Team officials said there was not enough time to get the park in suitable condition to host games. We are all disappointed for the residents of Charlotte County and the fans there. There is also an established baseball tradition in Omaha with the College World Series played there every year. The Rays could go to North Carolina, continue winning and give sports fans in the state a team they can root for in the postseason, aside from the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils in the NCAA tournament. Tampa Bay Rays will use Disney, Tropicana Field as temporary spring training locations. Overall, Welch said, the idea is to create a destination for people who come to Rays games, as well as build a new community. The Rays' Major League spring workouts, plus a Feb. 28 home game, will take place at the Disney complex in Lake Buena Vista. Much like the last two cities on this list, Nashville would be better off receiving an expansion franchise than sorting through recruiting the Rays. 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. The Rays have trained since . Is it likely? The Rays' easy solution to fixing their money and attendance problems is to simply move north to Tampa. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazines awards, such as Forty Under 40, Game Changers and others. But, lets say the Rays come to town. 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. sun PHOTO BY TOM O'NEILL If the Rays were to leave the Tampa-St.Pete area, this should be the first place they should consider going. Proximity of the Rays in Port Charlotte as well as the Orioles and Pirates to the north and Red Sox and Twins to the south in Fort Myers was one of several factors when the Atlanta Braves decided to move theirspring training quarters to North Port. 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. 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. The Rangers and Astros have been centerpieces of MLB for decades. Other Franchises: Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts (five total championships, two Super Bowl victories), Indiana Fever. Floridians dont care about baseball as much hence Florida Marlins. From 2009 to 2020, it also hosted the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. | Powered By: Web Seo Wiz. Charlotte County spokesman Brian Gleason said via email that Charlotte County has enjoyed partnering with the Tampa Bay Rays on their spring training camp and player development program since 2009. There werent as many teams near the teams former spring training home Lake Buena Vista. 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. Register for a free SBJ account to unlock one extra article per month. 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 . The Tampa Sports Authority had researchers put together a new report on the financials of putting in a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays in Ybor City. 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 . 4.26.2023. Analysis: Baseball can work in Texas. 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?). 1. 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). Mayor Ken Welch of St. Petersburg, Florida, chose a partnership between the Rays and the Houston-based Hines development company from among four proposals to transform an 86-acre (34-hectare) downtown site where Tropicana Field now sits. However, there's no . There are corporate interests, fans to pounce on, and an area that wants baseball. But while sports is a passion for most of us, for the select few who own and operate a sports franchise, it is a stressful business, and sometimes the product has to go where a demanding market wants it. The Rays current contract with Charlotte County runs through the 2028 spring training camp.. Charlotte Sports Park has been Tampa Bays Spring Training home since 2009. There was also a proposal to split their home games between St. Petersburg and Montreal that was rejected by Major League Baseball. Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you. 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. [Source: TampaBay.com] 10 Things To Know About The 2022 Gameplan for a Rays Stadium in Ybor. At first, it seems like an odd move for the Tampa Bay Rays to abandon one of the cushiest spring-training setups in baseball and leave scenic Al Lang Field in downtown St. Petersburg for a spring-training site once abandoned by the Texas Rangers. And even if the Rays create a mini-dynasty and win four of the next five championships, the current situation (crappy stadium, poor attendance, terrible local access) at a consistent rate will cause the owners and operators to question the viability of a Tampa franchise. There have also been professional leagues but, if substantial, it was back in the 19th century. 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. 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.. The stadium, where the Rays have conducted Spring Training since 2009, sustained water damage and electrical issues. Co-founder and retired executive of the Orlando Magic. Writers and fans STILL dont have much to talk about right now regarding baseball, but in other news, MLB finally shot down. Welch said the plan should keep the Rays in St. Petersburg for the long term. 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). However, the key stat here, is the Rays television audience. We are thrilled to be bringing Major League Baseball back to Walt Disney World Resort, Faron Kelley, vice president of Disney Sports, said in a statement. Tampa Bay Rays moving spring training site due to hurricane damage. 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. 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. 2023 Leaders Group. Tampa Bay's 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.
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