Leader Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 2 hours ago, JaguarCrazy2832 said: Pretty sure they have no choice Death and taxes cant be avoided forever Move out of Tampa perhaps. Build two new stadiums and split the season - when a successful team cant even fill the one they've got - is absurd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naptownskinsfan Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 Are we going to call them the Tampontreal X-Rays? This is stupid on so many levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugger Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 On 6/21/2019 at 12:00 PM, kgarrett12486 said: Side note, but is Tropicana Field the worst stadium of recent memory in the 4 major sports? I can't think of a worse one... Between the location, logistics, and general condition/subparness of it, I'm shocked anyone shows up... 3/4 of AAA teams have better facility... Yes, from what I hear that place is pretty bad. The only time anyone shows up to watch games there is when the Yankees or Red Sox are in town. Miami has a nice park but nobody goes there either so it isn't just the location. Most folks in FL come from someplace up north and bring their allegiances with them. When we moved down here we didn't automatically become Rays/Marlins fans either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leader Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 (edited) 10 hours ago, Pugger said: The only time anyone shows up to watch games there is when the Yankees or Red Sox are in town. This is true - but its not because the product on the field is sub par. The Trop was built on a shoestring budget BEFORE there was even an MLB team signed on to play there. Tampa wanted no part of that equation and passed. This was a St.Petersburg project from start to finish - while the demographics to make it a success are all on the Tampa side. The TB Lightening - located in downtown Tampa - were sixth in home attendance behind Chicago, Montreal, Philly, Toronto and Detroit - and ahead of places like Boston, New York and Los Angeles. Downtown Tampa is accessible by major highways running north and south - plus a direct connection to the Orlando market - plus - a superior network of local roads - ALL OF WHICH exceeds what feeds The Trop - which is just one highway heading north and south. There's no other in or out to the place and as a result it gets backed up and actually dissuades people from going. The retirement folks from Sarasota/Bradenton dont have a strong enough affinity for the organization and dont get on the one highway (and bridge) that could get them to the games. The Trop was built where is was built for a reason (or reasons.....) all of which worked against it helping the team draw people to the games. IF a new stadium was built on the Tampa side - I've little doubt it could/would outdraw the Trop. The money and people are all on the Tampa side and a new - properly constructed stadium - would draw people. If a NHL hockey team can make it in Tampa - a well run professional baseball team could as well. Caveat: There's only 41 home games in an NHL season whereas MLB has 80+ - which is a heavier load to bear. All the more reason the MLB - if they decide to stay in this area - need to come to the greater concentration of people and money (Tampa) as opposed to sleepy little St. Petersburg. Edited June 24, 2019 by Leader 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission27 Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 2 hours ago, Leader said: This is true - but its not because the product on the field is sub par. The Trop was built on a shoestring budget BEFORE there was even an MLB team signed on to play there. Tampa wanted no part of that equation and passed. This was a St.Petersburg project from start to finish - while the demographics to make it a success are all on the Tampa side. The TB Lightening - located in downtown Tampa - were sixth in home attendance behind Chicago, Montreal, Philly, Toronto and Detroit - and ahead of places like Boston, New York and Los Angeles. Downtown Tampa is accessible by major highways running north and south - plus a direct connection to the Orlando market - plus - a superior network of local roads - ALL OF WHICH exceeds what feeds The Trop - which is just one highway heading north and south. There's no other in or out to the place and as a result it gets backed up and actually dissuades people from going. The retirement folks from Sarasota/Bradenton dont have a strong enough affinity for the organization and dont get on the one highway (and bridge) that could get them to the games. The Trop was built where is was built for a reason (or reasons.....) all of which worked against it helping the team draw people to the games. IF a new stadium was built on the Tampa side - I've little doubt it could/would outdraw the Trop. The money and people are all on the Tampa side and a new - properly constructed stadium - would draw people. If a NHL hockey team can make it in Tampa - a well run professional baseball team could as well. Caveat: There's only 41 home games in an NHL season whereas MLB has 80+ - which is a heavier load to bear. All the more reason the MLB - if they decide to stay in this area - need to come to the greater concentration of people and money (Tampa) as opposed to sleepy little St. Petersburg. Tbh this is a real quality post 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MWil23 Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 The Rays: We have a problem. The stadium and location make it almost untenable to have a viable MLB Franchise here. If we had a new stadium in a more readily accessible part of the city, we think that the problem would be sol... MLB: Shhh...quiet, wait a minute! What if, and I'm just spitballing here, we played HALF of the games in Montreal? The taxes will be a nightmare, the travel will be worse, morale will be at an all time low for the players, coaches, staff, and a good portion of the fans will be frustrated with the lack of an identity...and granted, the franchise folded despite the inability to also secure funding for a new ballpark thanks to Loria/failed promises and the firesale...but this will work! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugger Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 On 6/23/2019 at 7:07 PM, Leader said: This is true - but its not because the product on the field is sub par. The Trop was built on a shoestring budget BEFORE there was even an MLB team signed on to play there. Tampa wanted no part of that equation and passed. This was a St.Petersburg project from start to finish - while the demographics to make it a success are all on the Tampa side. The TB Lightening - located in downtown Tampa - were sixth in home attendance behind Chicago, Montreal, Philly, Toronto and Detroit - and ahead of places like Boston, New York and Los Angeles. Downtown Tampa is accessible by major highways running north and south - plus a direct connection to the Orlando market - plus - a superior network of local roads - ALL OF WHICH exceeds what feeds The Trop - which is just one highway heading north and south. There's no other in or out to the place and as a result it gets backed up and actually dissuades people from going. The retirement folks from Sarasota/Bradenton dont have a strong enough affinity for the organization and dont get on the one highway (and bridge) that could get them to the games. The Trop was built where is was built for a reason (or reasons.....) all of which worked against it helping the team draw people to the games. IF a new stadium was built on the Tampa side - I've little doubt it could/would outdraw the Trop. The money and people are all on the Tampa side and a new - properly constructed stadium - would draw people. If a NHL hockey team can make it in Tampa - a well run professional baseball team could as well. Caveat: There's only 41 home games in an NHL season whereas MLB has 80+ - which is a heavier load to bear. All the more reason the MLB - if they decide to stay in this area - need to come to the greater concentration of people and money (Tampa) as opposed to sleepy little St. Petersburg. That was a great post and full of info! Are you in the Tampa area? You're right, it would help if the Rays were in Tampa proper but what about the Marlins? They recently built a nice retractable roof park over there and nobody goes to those games either. All of the games of these 2 franchises are shown in the southwest FL TV market. I watch these games if the Brewers are not playing at the same time (we stream the Crew games over the internet) and it is sad to see these empty stadiums all the time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leader Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Pugger said: That was a great post and full of info! Are you in the Tampa area? You're right, it would help if the Rays were in Tampa proper but what about the Marlins? They recently built a nice retractable roof park over there and nobody goes to those games either. All of the games of these 2 franchises are shown in the southwest FL TV market. I watch these games if the Brewers are not playing at the same time (we stream the Crew games over the internet) and it is sad to see these empty stadiums all the time... I live in Tampa. I was thinking about whether retractable roofs had been developed at the time the Trop was put in. Dont think so - but also dont think it would have mattered as the cost would have been prohibitive for such an "exploratory venture" as was this stadiums construction. There were whispers the MLB had told the leaders of St.Pete that they would be "next in line...." to get an expansion/relocation team - but obviously thats never been proven and such claims were used to justify the public outlay of funds. The Trop was built in an "economically depressed" area/land for a reason - it was cheap - and the entire operation had a "if theres a corner to be cut, do it...." quality. It's tighly packed in - even the parking seems jammed in there - and it differs drastically from the Downtown Tampa area (where the Lightning play their home games) - which has seen considerable investment, growth and modernization in the past 20 years. Condos and hotels went up - increasing the local "residents" - restaurants and alike in the area have grown - making it a "target market" for folks looking for things to do - and again, theirs just more people with discretionary cash looking for places to spend it. The Marlins and Rays situation differ drastically. Outside some brief success, the Marlins have consistently put sub-par product on the field. Consistently. The Rays - although strapped for cash relative to other MLB teams - have done much better (and honestly....) are deserving of support. The TV coverage does work at cross purposes - I agree. If you can sit in the comfort of your den, living room (or poolside) and watch the team - why go thru the hassle of going to the game? Plus - the NYY have a long, extensive and successful history in Tampa. It's their corporate and spring training home base and they have facilities (and a minor league team) here. Still - I think if a retractable roof facility could be built on the Tampa side of things - attendance would improve markedly. There's a lot of money in Tampa. Go to where the people, money and infrastructure is. Make it easy to get in and out of games and the Rays on the field success would pay off. Will that happen? Probably not IMO. Edited June 25, 2019 by Leader 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nagahide13 Posted July 24, 2019 Share Posted July 24, 2019 I feel like Yankees springball has a bigger following than the Rays. There absolutely has to be a bunch of local jokes about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animaltested Posted July 26, 2019 Share Posted July 26, 2019 The state of Florida is massive blackhole for professional sports. Another reason on a long, very long list of reasons for giving it back to Spain. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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