There are corporate interests, fans to pounce on, and an area that wants baseball. The Rays have had a charmed first month of the 2023 season, and plays like the one Wander Franco made against the Astros on Monday are what's fueled such a dominant start. Braves brace for spring training push following World Series victory, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. 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. ST. PETERSBURG -- Due to damage caused by Hurricane Ian, the Rays will not be able to hold Spring Training in Port Charlotte next year. Get notified on your phone in the morning with the latest forecast and news to start your day. Co-founder and retired executive of the Orlando Magic. Lets be real. Meanwhile, the Rays couldnt fill their stadium during a playoff game. 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. So is it their time yet? I need not remind everyone theres no team between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. The Rays have not yet finalized their plans for Spring Training, but they are considering a variety of options. I decided to list 5 cities, one for each of the times a baseball flew into the Tropicana catwalks during the postseason over the years. 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. 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 . 5 Potential Relocation Spots For Rays - Half Street High Heat | A The Rays and Charlotte County announced the decision in a joint statement on Thursday night. Rays moving camp site due to hurricane damage - ESPN Nashville's pursuit of an MLB franchise might be gaining steam, if a Tampa City Council member is to be believed. 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. In 2018, he listed Nashville, along with Las Vegas, Charlotte, Montreal, Portland and Vancouver as potential . If Nashville wants Major League Baseball, it should look at Tampa From 2009 to 2020, it also hosted the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. Rays ownership still has a proposal for a $700 million stadium in Ybor City at their feet. Much like the last two cities on this list, Nashville would be better off receiving an expansion franchise than sorting through recruiting the Rays. Earle Kimel primarily covers south Sarasota County for the Herald-Tribune and can be reached at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. 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. 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. 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. Rays relocate 2023 spring workouts to Disney - MLB 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. Ian made landfall just south of Punta Gorda on Sept. 28. The Rays have trained in Port Charlotte, which is about 90 minutes south of St. Petersburg, since 2009. The downsides of this proposal are apparent. Were always looking for top-tier events, like the Rays Spring Training, for our guests to enjoy at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.. As part of the move to Charlotte, the Rays moved their Class A team from Vero Beach to Charlotte County. 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. In the case of the Tampa Bay Rays, relocation and contraction have been words that have plagued the franchise, both through years and years of frustrating on the field struggles and during a still-running streak of division winning success. "It will no longer be a dream denied. The Rays are considering several options for a new spring base, including Tropicana Field and the Disney complex formerly used by the Braves, and hope to have a resolution in the next few weeks. Perhaps not. The 2020 season was cancelled because of COVID-19 pandemic concerns. Pat Williams has made a direct appeal to Rays management about a move to the city of Orlando. As a matter of fact, there were some in Charlotte that did not want to give the Knights a new stadium out of the belief they could bring an MLB team to the stadium instead. Other Franchises: San Antonio Spurs (four championships), San Antonio Silver Stars. PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. The Tampa Bay Rays will be on the move when Spring Training 2023 arrives. Tampa Bay Rays Spring Training: Southern Exposure. One possibility could be playing their Grapefruit League games at Tropicana Field, but they would likely need a larger space with more fields to hold their workouts. Population: 567,641 (28th among U.S. cities), Other Professional Teams in the City: None. 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. Danny - Nationals Lead Writer: @Nats_Baseball, Matt - Nationals Lead Writer: @HolleranMDH, 2021 Half Street High Heat A Nationals Podcast . Where are the Tampa Bay Rays moving to? | Dependable 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. Uncover why Tampa Bay Rays is the best company for you. 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. one for each of the times a baseball flew into the Tropicana catwalks during the postseason over the years. 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. Access to easy-to-read digital editions of weekly issues. Commissioner Rob Manfred has repeatedly stated his desire to expand to 32 teams. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The decision affects both the major league and minor league camps. But the infrastructure is there, in case the idea is ever there. NO LEVER LEFT UNPULLED: SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL's Erik Bacharach noted the Rays started the season with 13 consecutive wins and the front office pulled all the levers it could to maximize, from a business perspective, the unexpected run of on-field success," including "efforts in ticketing, marketing and fan experience. The Rays relied heavily on their organic communications through social and email to capitalize on the buzz around the team -- especially as it related to ticketing." The Rays will move operations from Disney to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg at the beginning of March for the rest of Spring Training. Tampa This was the only city that was going to be number 1. Tampa Bay Rays Spring Training - Spring Training Online Rays Moving Spring Camp Due to Damage Caused by Hurricane - US News The two closest teams to Charlotte (Braves & Nats) are both NL, so having a Carolina team be AL only makes sense 7. All rights reserved.The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Leaders Group. Well, until the strike hit anyway). Tampa Bay Rays Careers and Employment - Indeed 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. Pacers fans are immensely loyal and, regardless of talent or win totals, it always seems the Pacers are blue collar and supported as such. It can be problematic, but not unheard of, for Major League baseball teams to host spring training at more than one site. Rays to move 2023 Spring Training from Port Charlotte - MLB , most notably MLB legend Nolan Ryan and his son Reid, who have both given consideration to pitching the owners on an expansion or relocation to Central Texas. That's an extra 25,000 and a total attendance of 43,000-plus. "Charlotte County supports the Rays efforts to secure alternative accommodations for 2023 spring training," the statement . Your email address will not be published. Lets give Tennessee its own team instead. The article I linked mentions how San Antonio is a tad crowded, and that Austin is a government city, and that a better place for a Rays stadium would be in between the cities, in a place like San Marco, or New Braunfels. The team rebounded in 2010 by winning the AL East for the second time in three years with a 96-66 record, but the Rays fell to the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers in the ALDS. Column: Another domino falls on road to MLB expansion 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. With Charlotte Sports Park damaged due to Hurricane Ian, the team plans on opening spring at Disneys ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Other Franchises: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (average attendance: 49,000-plus; one championship), Tampa Bay Lightning (average attendance: 17,000-plus; one championship). That said, on this list, I find this destination the least likely. The Rays' easy solution to fixing their money and attendance problems is to simply move north to Tampa. But, lets say the Rays come to town. A spokesman for Tampa Mayor Jane Castor declined to comment as well, noting that the city would not be involved in that concept. That means Tampa Bay is on deck and better step up to plate or the red-hot Rays will someday soon be announcing a move to Nashville, Charlotte, Montreal or some other baseball-hungry city. According to the Tampa Bay Times, "As the Montreal plan took shape, Rays officials said it was their 'only' option and dismissed any chance of getting a new full-time home in the Tampa Bay . Why? Support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune. If the team were moved to the city in which is takes it name from, would that attendance increase? The Spurs have been world class forwellever it seems. If you can plop a stadium right into downtown Tampa, you get it all. 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. 1:50. The Trop was built as a hockey arena, and even the Lightning found it wasn't as suitable for it, moving to the Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa. Firstly, one has to know that Nashville has an entire website dedicated to making a push for their own Major League Baseball team. Once the Rays, who started training in Port Charlotte after its first American League Championship in 2008, arrived, Doherty said people would recognize that was where the team hosted spring training. A. . The Trailblazers, in thick and thin (mostly thin in the last few decades), have stuck by them, and the Portland Timbers, a new MLS franchise, is making soccer viable in the US in at least one section of the country. However, if they were to bite the bullet and go to North Carolina, theres definitely reasons to believe they can succeed. Required fields are marked *. Population: 454,731 (40th among U.S. cities). However, as I just stated, this is geared towards getting a new team. "It's not just for a ballgame but an entire experience.". 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 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. However, as I just stated, this is geared towards getting a new team. Analysis: While the legacy for baseball is not great, Indiana, and Indianapolis in particular, has a strong group of fans behind them in whatever sport they decide to follow. "This team is the best partner for this generational endeavor, and now the next phase of work begins to bring this dream to reality for everyone in St. Petersburg," Welch said in a speech on the steps of City Hall. The storm struck the southwest coast of Florida and slowly moved across the state. MLB Realignment: 7 Cities the Tampa Bay Rays Could Relocate to If
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