Rays announcing new St. Pete stadium

[RS2004foreever]

Your entire post is right on. The bolded is my biggest issue with all of this. Sternberg is a shit owner. I can't believe that he convinced St. Pete to foot 650 million dollars for this entire thing when 80-90% of this cost should be coming out of his pocket (especially with what @InstaFace brought up, he's been collecting checks from other teams for years)

It's a shame because Vinik is a fantastic owner and what he has done with the Lightning and Water Street/Channelside is incredible

Through the years one location that made sense was the Florida State Fairgrounds. Putting it near RJS wouldn't be bad either. But there is no way after RJS the Tampa/Hillsborough voters would support another stadium. That is why it has to be in Pinellas.

The best thing would be for the county to buy the Rays (ala the Packers). It would be cheaper and would avoid writing what amounts to a $ 1 billion dollar check to a Goldman Sachs guy. But no one takes advantage of the government like Goldman Sachs guys.

Red Sox fans have no idea how lucky we are to have Fenway. Well I guess we do.

 

[Ale Xander]

Through the years one location that made sense was the Florida State Fairgrounds. Putting it near RJS wouldn't be bad either. But there is no way after RJS the Tampa/Hillsborough voters would support another stadium. That is why it has to be in Pinellas.

The best thing would be for the county to buy the Rays (ala the Packers). It would be cheaper and would avoid writing what amounts to a $ 1 billion dollar check to a Goldman Sachs guy. But no one takes advantage of the government like Goldman Sachs guys.

Red Sox fans have no idea how lucky we are to have Fenway. Well I guess we do.

I disagree. That is the worst option. Unless they quickly gentrify the area.

They also need to move SiasS*ittery to a better place imho, for the same reasons (but will never).

RJS works because you have 60k people running around that hellhole (and the increased LE presence due to that size). 10-15k is different.

 

[Max Power]

Rays average attendance this year is around 17,800. The new ballpark will seat around 30,000. The growth here on both sides of the Bay is incredible, so when they finish the new park in 5 years they will have even more money and fans in the market. With a destination ballpark built and all that comes with it, (think Braves in Cobb County) the attendance should settle in the low to mid 20k range which is fine. The location will still hurt them some in the long run, but a team belongs here. The market has become too big and too important not to have a team.

It doesn't matter how many people live in an area if they don't support the team. You'd agree that Miami is a large market that seems really important. They have great attendance for basketball and football. The Marlins have a shiny new park, are a half game out of the playoffs, and nobody comes to the games. They're 28th out of 30, right behind the Rays. Is there any guarantee that people are going to support a baseball team there no matter how nice the park is?

 

[jayhoz]

The Trop is not fine, even when people are in the stands. I went to a game with the wife and 2 young kids last month, and while the concessions are better, and the services are better than they used to be, it's still a very sterile environment with far too much concrete and brick and not nearly enough natural light. It's also an acoustic nightmare (TBF so is Marlins Park). It's a AAA-quality stadium with a capacity for a MLB club.

You mean to say that the sound of cowbells reverberating off of concrete didn't enhance your experience? How do you call yourself a baseball fan?

 

[luckiestman]

I have a friend that doesn’t mind the Trop, it is a strange look into differences in human psychology as I have detested that place since the early 2000s when I started going. I care less now because my son (11) had a good time going. My friend thinks I’m the weird one. His argument is climate controlled, cheap tickets, world class players. Those are good points but do not sway me at all. It’s the opposite of Camden Yards. I could watch boomer beer league softball at Camden Yards and have a good time because it is such a great place to sit in. That whole inner harbor thing is great. I don’t know if it is Feng Shui or what. It’s not just driving to the Trop that sucks, there is something weird about it.

 

[VORP Speed]

https://www.mlb.com/rays/ballpark/historic-gas-plant

Looks pretty good to me. Watched the Trop go up in the 80’s while I was in high school, and, 40 years later, the city will finally have a nice place to watch a game in time for me to retire back home.

 

[InstaFace]

It probably will be a boondoggle. Just read the responses of those in this thread who live in the area. It is a miserable experience to get to that area if you’re to the east. The Lightning do well because they’re in Tampa and the arena is exceedingly easier to get to.

Fair enough, I don't doubt their assessment of the location. All I'll say is that there are plenty of locations (in many metros areas) that are going to be logistically challenging for someone, for some part of the region, and you can't please everyone. I'm just noting the evidence for the idea that the Rays can build a sufficiently credible in-person fanbase and atmosphere while playing in St Pete - even if that choice would be neither equitable nor optimal. That might not help the posters here who live (or have family) in the eastern part of the metro area, but "this doesn't serve me" does not necessarily imply "therefore it can't serve a critical mass of people, and will inevitably suck as an economic and cultural endeavor".

Also I'll believe that this stadium will actually happen when they break ground, and not before. Until then, my presumption is that it's just leverage for a better deal elsewhere, whether in Tampa or Montreal or some other option.

 

[Ale Xander]

In other public funding of MLB Ballpark news, WI proposes a package including $20M EVERY YEAR to upgrade Miller Park. (Mods, please feel free to move)

https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-brewers-american-family-field-stadium-repairs-c26866bd40e99d19f6ca427fe62e48f2

 

[Fred not Lynn]

Was really hoping the Montreal thing would work out.

With the Oakland and Tampa situations well on their way to being solved it’s time to get the Expansion Derby started. Is Montreal among the list of competitors?

I’d say yes, along with (in no particular order); Portland (OR), Oakland, Salt Lake City, one of either Nashville or Charlotte (but probably not both), one of either Austin or San Antonio (but also not both)…and maybe a few other perennial thoughts like a third NYC team…

My bets are on Nashville and Salt Lake City. They both are ahead of the game with well prepared proposals, are quickly growing, have strong history of good support for existing college and MiLB teams, and won’t overly cannibalize existing teams (Nashville might pull a bit from Atlanta, but not too bad).

I’d like to see Montreal as a stronger contender, but the complications of being in Canada definitely knock their chances down a notch.

Portland always gets some buzz when this subject comes up - but I just don’t feel like it’s a baseball town. Get a AAA team to stick for a while, then come back to me.

 

[genoasalami]

It doesn't matter how many people live in an area if they don't support the team. You'd agree that Miami is a large market that seems really important. They have great attendance for basketball and football. The Marlins have a shiny new park, are a half game out of the playoffs, and nobody comes to the games. They're 28th out of 30, right behind the Rays. Is there any guarantee that people are going to support a baseball team there no matter how nice the park is?

Do you know where the Marlins Park is? It is the old Orange Bowl site. An absolutely awful place for a baseball stadium. Rays attendance is up significantly this year, despite playing in a soulless dome. This market is absolutely booming and in 5 years there will be even more money/fans. The new stadium development will include hotels, restaurants, retail, housing, and will be walking distance to a vibrant city. If that development plan doesn't work, then you are right, they should have moved out.

 

[Tony C]

Yep. I’ve been in the Lakeland area for 4 years now and have attended exactly 0 games. Not worth the effort

Not certain how you'd know this, really...

 

[koufax32]

Not certain how you'd know this, really...

I went to several games with a friend from Lakeland who I’d stay with while I was living in Jacksonville. Time investment-wise it’s basically like living in Burlington, VT and attending a game at Fenway.

 

[soxhop411]

View: https://twitter.com/CodifyBaseball/status/1709675224302804994

Combined attendance for both Rangers-Rays games: 39,902

Count me among those who dont buy a new stadium in St Pete will fix their long outstanding attendance issues...

One in which I started a thread as far back as 2018 to document
https://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?threads/the-rays-and-their-nagging-attendance-problem-will-a-new-stadium-solve-that.24067/