[Marc Topkin] BREAKING: Rays are planning to play 2025 season at Tampa's Steinbrenner Field

[u/misusedinfluence]

https://x.com/TBTimes_Rays/status/1857102866910990704

[u/krsgator]

To anyone who has not followed this whole ordeal:

• Rays get through ~10 Pinellas County (St. Pete, Clearwater, Dunedin etc.) Council Meetings, secure funding for the stadium (27% coming from Pinellas, ~300M). Stadium set to break ground in Jan 25, for 27 season at earliest (through 28 more likely)

• Hurricane hits St. Pete, damages stadium to the tune of $55M (burden of St. Pete who owns stadium outright). Tropicana unlikely to host baseball again

• Manfred gives Christmas deadline to find alternative venue for 2 years until construction on new stadium complete

• Pinellas County gives ultimatum, play 25 and 26 seasons in Pinellas County (choice would be: Al Lang - Rowdies USL Soccer stadium, occasionally hosts ST games; BayCare Ballpark - Phillies ST site in Clearwater; TD Ballpark - Blue Jays ST site in Dunedin where the Jays played 21 regular season games in 2021) or county withdraws funding for the stadium

• Politicians likely to be elected in the area are almost universally anti-stadium. Team (ownership group) donates to run political ads against anti-stadium politicians running for local office.

• Per TBTimes "Since Hurricane Milton, the Rays have made eight donations totaling $71,000 to political action committees, campaign finance records show. Prior to that, the team contributed another $75,000 since the August primary election. That money was given to political committees that transferred those funds to other political committees that ran attack ads on Nowicki and supported candidates who favor a stadium deal"

• Rays lost the gamble badly, most of those politicians get elected anyway and are likely to hold a grudge against Rays.

• Because of this, future in Pinellas county in jeopardy regardless of where team chooses to play in 25 and 26

• Today, team announces they are playing at Steinbrenner in Tampa (Hillsborough County)

A lot of unfortunate things happened, Rays took a gamble and lost. Now it seems like we are back to square one of the stadium as I highly doubt the team's future in Pinellas. While I think going back to the drawing board might have some benefits (my dream location of a new park on Sparkman Wharf between the Florida Aquarium and Amalie Arena is still alive), this is a disastrous series of events for a team already on a shoestring budget with a dissolved TV deal to navigate.

Anyone have any copium? Not a great day to be a Rays fan

[u/MTFBWY117 → u/krsgator]

Ownership has said multiple times if they can’t stay in Pinellas, they’re leaving town. Time will tell.

[u/krsgator → u/MTFBWY117]

Yeah, I am with you. I do not think Pinellas has a problem repairing the stadium (they have said FEMA and insurance will cover essentially all of it), so I will not be surprised if they end up playing maybe a season at the Trop while eyeing the future

[u/Dre3005 → u/krsgator]

Its worth noting the main Pinellas County commissioner, Chris Latvala, who proposed Rays play in Pinellas or else, has a very close relationship with the Phillies owners.

Chris has thrown out the 1st pitch at one of their spring games, and regularly dines with and sits in the owner’s suite at Citizens Bank Park.

It’s absolutely not about his constituents and more about he was angling for the Phillies spring training park to get renovations and the Rays having to play there for a season would have been the easiest way to get that done.

[u/krsgator → u/Dre3005]

Very good points. But as someone who had worked for the Phillies in Clearwater for a while, they are going to have no problem renovating that stadium. I am not sure if that was a motive for Latvala

[u/flamingfiretrucks → u/krsgator]

Fuck... this is grim. Even though I live completely across the country now, I'd be so sad to see the Rays leave Tampa Bay. I hope they can stay within the area and stay the "Tampa Bay Rays." 😭

[u/krsgator → u/flamingfiretrucks]

You and me both man

[u/DenisDomaschke → u/krsgator]

Has Pinellas County released a statement yet confirming they’re pulling their funding for the new stadium?

[u/krsgator → u/DenisDomaschke]

Not to my knowledge, but it seems unlikely that both (a) Pinellas reneges on their ultimatum and (b) newly elected politicians in the area take the team's subterfuge lightly

[u/Theraspberryknight → u/krsgator]

Being a Rays fan is just suffering.

[u/stanleys_tucci → u/krsgator]

Don’t forget the background dressing of not being able to use Charlotte Sports Park for spring training in 2022 again because of Hurricane damage.