tampa bay rays moving to charlotte

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. The Rays will operate their big league camp at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex from then until March 1. The Rays have been their prime candidate, considering their desire for a new stadium and less than spectacular attendance figures in Tampa Bay. Walt Disney World to host Tampa Bay Rays spring training The downsides of this proposal are apparent. Legacy: Hartford is perhaps more known for its former franchise, aka The Whalers, then anything else. They would have a fan base and really wouldnt effect the St.Louis Cardinals. Related to that, and with a potential move there by the Rays, you'd have instant rivalry potential with the Seattle Mariners. It's time for the Rays to move the franchise to a city where they can gain the support they need to continue as one of the AL's best teams for years to come. Legacy: San Antonio is known as a basketball town with the two major franchises being the NBA and the WNBA. 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 Rays home game against the New York Yankees on Tues., Feb. 28, will now be played at The Stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney. Other Franchises: No major sport franchises. With the Rays relocating, there were minor changes made to the Grapefruit League schedule, which MLB announced on Wednesday: Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Spring Training on Feb. 14, with early arrivals slated for Feb. 6. How are Rays' hopes for a new stadium impacted by A's-Las Vegas deal? The broader plan includes about 5,700 housing units -- a large chunk of them to be deemed affordable -- office and retail space, 700 hotel rooms, a 2,500-seat entertainment venue and a new Woodson African American Museum of Florida. 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 ownership still has a proposal for a $700 million stadium in Ybor City at their feet. 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. Plus, the only teams the Rays would have to compete with for attendance would be the Nevada Wolfpack and the UNLV Rebels' college teamswell, and the Lingerie Football League (pictured above), but I do not think they will be able to cause the same attendance troubles the Rays have at the moment. The Rays will likely not be able to use TD Ameritrade Park though because of the minor league teams in the city, plus it can only fit around 24,000 fans. However, the key stat here, is the Rays television audience. Chief Business Officer Bill Walsh said that the team also made other ticket pricing adjustments around their ballpark to make sure that folks who maybe tuned in to the evening news and caught wind of what was happening here, that if they went to our website they could find some tickets, if not for $10, maybe within close proximity to that (SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/24 issue). Tampa, mainly, services minor league teams. 1. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. NFL Owner Rips Baseball Team for Plans to Move to Las Vegas Where are the Tampa Bay Rays moving to? | Dependable 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 . Rays relocate 2023 spring workouts to Disney - MLB In2014, the new stadium, which included a boardwalk food area behind the outfield fence and a grass berm seating area, was named the No. The Tampa Bay Rays have baseball's best offense, . Other Franchises: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (average attendance: 49,000-plus; one championship), Tampa Bay Lightning (average attendance: 17,000-plus; one championship). Relocation and contraction are words no fan wants to hear, especially if it involves their beloved team. 2023 Leaders Group. If Nashville wants Major League Baseball, it should look at Tampa Danny - Nationals Lead Writer: @Nats_Baseball, Matt - Nationals Lead Writer: @HolleranMDH, 2021 Half Street High Heat A Nationals Podcast . MLB Power Rankings: Who's No. Additionally, I wouldnt want to try to compete with Texas Football during the fall, which is another reason to keep out of Austin. If you can plop a stadium right into downtown Tampa, you get it all. It can be problematic, but not unheard of, for Major League baseball teams to host spring training at more than one site. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. Other Franchises: San Antonio Spurs (four championships), San Antonio Silver Stars. Well, until the strike hit anyway). (Photo by Julio Aguilar/G. Here is a look at seven cities that could benefit from the addition of a major league franchise, in this case, the Tampa Bay Rays. 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. Your email address will not be published. With two major franchises already in tow, one being the Bobcats with an owner in Michael Jordan, and the Panthers, who have had their share of regular season and playoff success, the idea of a MLB team in the city doesn't seem outlandish. They had 35 years with very little success (one NLCS appearance and the best record in baseball in 1994. The stadium, where the Rays have conducted Spring Training since 2009, sustained water damage and electrical issues. Its the fifth fastest growing city in the US, and a growing city for sports aswell with the Panthers boasting the 7th highest average attendence in 2018 despite being a relatively new expansion team, 5. Analysis: Baseball can work in Texas. From 1998 to 2008, the Devil Rays played their spring training games at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, just a few blocks from Tropicana Field. Co-founder and retired executive of the Orlando Magic Pat Williams has made a direct appeal to Rays management about a move to the city of Orlando. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Leaders Group. The Rays will operate their big league camp at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex from then until March 1. And while this Rays fan would be immensely sad if his home town team lost it's major league baseball franchise, there is no reason, in the worse case scenario that they DO, indeed, leave, for me to think the franchise, as changed as it would be, couldn't flourish somewhere else. Most recently, published reports, primarily in the Tampa Bay Times, have highlighted a portion of that effort that would have the Rays play their spring training games in a stadium that would be built as part of the development play for the 50-acre Gas Worx parcel between Ybor City and the Channelside area, with a spring training player development site to the north, in Pasco County. With a . But appearances can be deceiving, and there's . Doherty noted that while the Stone Crabs offered some family friendly fun, the county was successful in attractingyouth tournaments to recoup some tourism dollars. "I pitched like that in 2021, and it was a good year from me, so I think moving there has had the same effect," said Garcia, who has lowered . The market, fan interest, history, community, and financial backing all exist, making this a great option if theyre willing to have a relocated franchise. 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. Floridians dont care about baseball as much hence Florida Marlins. The fans were out in full force to create one of the loudest arenas in the NBA during the Grizzlies' playoff run into the Western Conference semifinals. Theres also the fact that the Rays would have nowhere to play until they move, which sours the idea of an immediate relocation. All rights reserved. This was the only city that was going to be number 1. In 2021, as part of an overall reorganization of minor league baseball, the Rays moved theirClass A-advanced affiliate to South Carolina. Charlotte seems like it could be a great fit for a professional baseball team. Sign up for the Rays Report weekly newsletter to get fresh perspectives on the Tampa Bay Rays and the rest of the majors from sports columnist John Romano. Follow our Tampa Bay Times sports team on Twitter and Facebook. Oakland A's are relocating; Tampa Bay Rays are on deck | Commentary sun PHOTO BY TOM O'NEILL As part of the move to Charlotte, the Rays moved their Class A team from Vero Beach to Charlotte County. MLB-best Tampa Bay strengthens bullpen with Brewers trade By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. QUIZ: Which Member of the 2021 Washington Nationals Are You? 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. Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you. Its also a decent distance from Florida. The Rays play their home games at Tropicana Field as members of Major League Baseball's American League East Division.. Memphis is the 19th-largest city in the United States and features the Memphis Grizzlies, whose rise from the cellar of the NBA is much similar to the Rays'. Your email address will not be published. The Spurs have been world class forwellever it seems. Manager Joe Maddon helped guide the youthful Rays to their first playoff appearance in 2008, and they proceeded to upset the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS, but they were eventually defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. Here are five cities that would likely be great fits for the Rays. That being said, lets get to it! The Rays would have to build a new ballpark, but there is no reason not to believe it would not be revered by baseball fans in the area. A future without Rays spring training? Possibility leaves many The facilities in Port Charlotte sustained heavy damage caused by Hurricane Ian, so officials from the team and county agreed to relocate the Rays Spring Training base while they clean up and repair the complex with plans to return in 2024. Wander Franco #5 of the Tampa Bay Rays hits a ground ball in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins during a Grapefruit League spring training game at Charlotte Sports Park on March 29, 2022 in Port Charlotte, Florida. , and with the split-season proposal with Montreal shot down, the idea is gaining traction. The multifield complex will give the Rays the space they need for their Spring Training workouts. The Grizzlies were 27th in NBA attendance, but this is largely due to their struggles during the regular season. Never miss out on the latest with the Bucs, Rays, Lightning, Florida college sports and more. The Rays have trained in Port Charlotte, which is about 90 minutes south of St. Petersburg, since 2009. 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. History. Period. The Rays are locked into a lease at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg through 2027, while the lease for spring training in Port Charlotte runs through 2028. For more information, please see our The Tampa Bay Rays still went by the name Devil Rays in August 2006, when they signed a 20-year spring training lease with Charlotte County for Charlotte Sports Park, which first hosted the Rays in 2009, followinga $28 million renovation. However, there's no . But the population, mostly consisting of people aged between 20 and 50 and with a solid but still lower-to-middle income, might enjoy a change of sports scenery. Get notified on your phone in the morning with the latest forecast and news to start your day. They get corporate interest, the same attendance as the other two Tampa-based teams, more fan interest, and more money to work with. The two closest teams to Charlotte (Braves & Nats) are both NL, so having a Carolina team be AL only makes sense 7. Writers and fans STILL dont have much to talk about right now regarding baseball, but in other news, MLB finally shot down. Teams that cant draw or have stadium problems should get a 5 year out if these issues are not fixed. However, as a former resident, I will add that even during the WORST of times with both the Bucs and Lightning, there were very dedicated fans that came). 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." While this proposal has some ground, its one that needs to become more concrete, and works better for an expansion franchise. Its definitely still a possibility and a good idea at that. Award-winning original reporting, with in-depth profiles, timely research and expert opinions on the biggest issues and stories in sports business. Rays to move spring training from storm-damaged Port Charlotte facility The Rays and Charlotte County intend to develop a restoration plan for Charlotte Sports Park in the coming weeks.. With CBA negotiations becoming even more tense, it now looks like the MLB season will not start on time, with Spring Training at the bare minimum being pushed back. 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. 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. Seattle Mariners unveil City Connect uniforms. Tampa Bay Rays early season success leads to attendance bump 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. Theres also the fact that the Rays would have nowhere to play until they move, which sours the idea of an immediate relocation. 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. stories and Draft takeaways; The premise behind Wasserman Ventures; Tony Ressler's grand vision for Atlanta and early schedule highlights from an expanded CFP. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. After Tampa was awarded the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tampa Bay Rowdies in the 1970s, St. Petersburg decided it wanted a share of the professional sports scene in Tampa Bay. Support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune. Rays moving camp site due to hurricane damage - ESPN

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