Rays to possibly become two-city team

[tducey]

Heard about this. Would love to see baseball back in Montreal, myself, but not this way. This way is to far fetched for me.

 

[juliansteed]

The Ex-Rays?

 

[wazzu31]

Are the Athletics up next for Manfred? At least with the Rays their third world dome is better than playing in the literal dump in Oakland. Move the Rays to Montreal then have the A’s play in Tampa during gang season then have them play in Oakland when all the old people in Tampa go stay at their second home.

 

[Rock Strongo]

just move to montreal for shits sake.

 

[CaptainStubing]

Just build a dome and keep the team in Montreal. They have to have a better fan base.

Exactly. I don't know why they are so determined to have a team in Tampa when the fans don't support it

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Just build a dome and keep the team in Montreal. They have to have a better fan base.

Not much better, but better....remember the Expos?

I lived in Hillsborough county...Building a stadium in St. Pete was ill fated from day one. Tampa would do a much better job of supporting the team if it was on their side of the bay, but a great stadium proposal was put forth to the owner in the Ybor City area (you pay 50% and we'll pay 50%) and he shot it down.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Exactly. I don't know why they are so determined to have a team in Tampa when the fans don't support it

If we were talking about another city...I could see it, but the Expos were not supported that great.

Bottomline...So. FL fans should be the ones having their team taken away...they play in really nice renovated stadium and still no one shows up...I don't blame Tampa fans for not lining up to watch games in that crap of a stadium.

This owner is looking for some sap city to pay for a stadium for his ass...Tampa offered a 50/50 deal in Ybor City and he declined.

 

[Rock Strongo]

So the Rays could call Tampa and Montreal home? Answering key questions

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

The NBA did this in the early 70's when the Cincinnati Royals moved west to become the Kansas City-Omaha Kings..then they ultimately moved further west and became the Sacramento Kings in the mid 80's.

 

[black francis]

dumbest thing i've ever heard

just move that piece of shit franchise to a city that gives a fuck

or just contract them

 

[richig07]

LOL. Just saw this. "F U fans, there aren't enough of you!", it may as well state.

Move the team already. The only pro team Tampa supports well enough to keep in town is the Lightning.

I recall the White Sox near-move to Tampa back in the mid-90's. There were a few journalists who stated that "Major League baseball will go to die in St. Petersburg and the organization who moves in there will become desperate for a way out".

They may as well have had a crystal ball.

 

[richig07]

dumbest thing i've ever heard

just move that piece of shit franchise to a city that gives a fuck

or just contract them

Portland is the move right now, IMO. I'd be all over that if I was an owner in search of a new home.

 

[richig07]

This is actually genius. lol

 

[richig07]

lease in Tampa isn't up until 2027

lmao

So, they'll do this for 8 seasons. Dip their toes in the water to try and establish a base following in Montreal. Then, move in completely in 2028. Head elsewhere if Montreal looks like a total bust.

It's actually pretty brilliant. IMO. It's not like they're drawing dick in Tampa anyway. Even when they're good. They have nothing to lose.

 

[black francis]

The NBA did this in the early 70's when the Cincinnati Royals moved west to become the Kansas City-Omaha Kings..then they ultimately moved further west and became the Sacramento Kings in the mid 80's.

The Kings also played some "home" games at the Checkerdome in STL

 

[Center Ice]

Change their name to the Expos, play all their games here and you got a deal.

 

[black francis]

Portland is the move right now, IMO. I'd be all over that if I was an owner in search of a new home.

And probably be forced to stay in the AL East

 

[richig07]

And probably be forced to stay in the AL East

I hadn't even considered that aspect. Yikes.

 

[xpuctaqpGT]

Tampa offered a 50/50 deal in Ybor City and he declined.

Not exactly. We in Tampa were generally interested in building a ballpark for the Rays. The Rays proposed a spot in Ybor with a price sticker of ~$900 million of which they would pay ~$150 million. Leaving the city of Tampa on the hook for ~$750 million of the bill. It was at this point that most of the taxpayers in Hillsborough County said "fuck that".

The Tampa Bay Bucs stadium was built in 1996 for $165 mil. Assuming 23 years of 3-4% inflation that cost today would be ~$300-400 mil. We *definitely* don't like the Rays more than double what we paid for the Bucs stadium. Had the Rays come up with something in the $400 mil range with them paying $150mil of it, we probably would have done it.

The crazy thing is that Pineallas County where the Rays currently plays has a population just under 1 million people. You'd think they could sell at least 20,000 season tickets to the locals....but no.

 

[wazzu31]

Portland is the move right now, IMO. I'd be all over that if I was an owner in search of a new home.

If Portland is going to get a team, it going to be the A’s or expansion. If the Rays move to Portland is will become a clusterfuck of changing of divisions.