Lyash dishes out coalition details

[Times photos | Willie J. Allen Jr.]

The coalition tasked to find a viable location for a new Tampa Bay Rays baseball stadium will include nine members from the Tampa Bay area and will likely conclude its work within 18 months, coalition chairman and Progress Energy CEO Jeff Lyash said at a morning press conference announcing details of the groups' plans.

The coalition, which will be formally called A Baseball Community, will also attempt to build fan and business support for the Rays, Lyash said. But it's primary focus, at least publicly, will be to vet possible stadium locations.

Nominations to join the nine-member group are now being accepted at the coalition's web site, www.abc-baseball.com (photo above). Nominations must be submitted by midnight Aug. 4. Lyash said he hopes to have the coalition seated sometime around Labor Day.

"One primary qualification," said Lyash (photo at right), who was flanked during the announcement by Mayor Rick Baker, members of the Pinellas County Commission and Rays president Matt Silverman. "You must be a baseball fan. You must be committed to helping the Rays succeed in the longterm."

Lyash said later that means you must be open to the idea of the Rays needing a new stadium. No location in the Tampa Bay area will initially be off the table, Lyash said, but local elected leaders seem set on a site somewhere within the city limits of St. Petersburg.

"It's important that the members of the coalition recognize the importance of Major League Baseball here and what it can bring to the community," the Rays' Silverman said afterwards.

Comments

[Rick K]

Excellent!

[Matthew]

Times are hard, yet baseball is awash in cash. People are losing their homes, yet the Marlins (just change that to Rays)want the people's money to build a new one.

The above is from an article in the Miami Herald. Just substitute Rays for Marlins and you have the same land and cash grab the Rays are after here.

Read the full article below

BY LINDA ROBERTSON
lrobertson@MiamiHerald.com

The Marlins have their shovels poised above the dirt the same way a starving man has his fork ready to dig into a heap of rice and beans.

Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and president David Samson probably even have custom-fitted construction hats for one of those corny ground-breaking photos.

After years of shelved blueprints, a new baseball stadium is so close they can smell the hot dogs grilling.

Then along comes Norman Braman, whose lawsuit declares: ``Let the voters decide.''

What are we to make of Braman, multimillionaire car dealer, former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, arts patron, philanthropist?

Civic guardian or spoilsport? Principled government watchdog or cranky anti-tax zealot?

Braman says his lawsuit against Miami-Dade County, the city of Miami and the Marlins to halt the $3 billion redevelopment megaplan is all about democracy, plain and simple.

'Any use of citizens' money should be decided by the citizens,'' he said Friday after another day in court.

He's right.

But it's much more complicated than that.

JUST SAY NO

Much of the megaplan is great for Miami, a place that has needed visionary leaders but has been shackled by divisive or corrupt ones.

The stadium, however, never should have been included in the plan.

Repeat the mantra: No public funding of homes for privately owned sports franchises.

Especially for one that ranks last in attendance in Major League Baseball.

Year after year, the Marlins have battled fan indifference. They have won two World Series titles, have fielded intriguing teams, have played in a ripe market.

This season, the feisty Fish lead baseball in home runs, yet they sell an average of only 15,029 tickets per game (fewer actual people are in the seats) -- more than 4,000 below the team that is No. 29 on the list, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Blame the climate: Everyone knew the heat, humidity and summer rains would be a problem., yet MLB put a team here anyway. Blame the dismantling of winning teams to slash the budget. Blame the array of other fun things to do in South Florida (as if Boston and Chicago don't have fun things to do).

The sad fact is, after

15 years, three owners and a parade of entertaining players, baseball has not caught on here.

On the stadium issue, citizens have voted -- at the turnstiles.

Could building a $515 million, retractable-roof stadium on the grave of the Orange Bowl in Little Havana reverse the malaise, inject money into the franchise and mold a consistent contender?

Doubtful, but the point is, nobody knows. It's a $515 million gamble, of which the Marlins are paying one-fifth the cost and reaping 100 percent of the profits in a sweet deal for Loria, a wealthy art dealer.

The Marlins don't help their case by claiming poverty but keeping their books secret.

Please, let's avoid the Field of Dreams cliché. Sure, fans would flock at first. But there is no proof, as MLB president Bob DuPuy has argued, that Miami is a carbon copy of Cleveland, where TV viewership was high but attendance was low until a new stadium created a renaissance.

TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE

The Marlins' site is not ideal, either. It will be a turnoff to Broward and West Palm Beach fans who not only have to drive south but also will face a traffic quagmire.

''The Mets are building their own stadium, as are the Giants and Jets,'' Braman said. ``If Loria wants to use his own dollars, as Joe Robbie did, I have no problem with that.''

Braman even supports public-private funding collaborations, such as the one Jerry Jones won for his new Cowboys stadium -- if they are approved by voters.

Bundling the stadium deal into the megaplan was a mistake. It might have been politically expedient for the mayors with major-league egos who are constantly campaigning to make Miami a ''world-class city,'' but, as Braman says, ``What does a baseball stadium in Little Havana have to do with revitalizing downtown?''

''Los Angeles has survived very well without an NFL franchise,'' Braman said. ``What makes a place a first-class city is its jobs, schools, homes, parks, libraries, healthcare, police protection.''

Braman is not arguing that the tourist-tax money going to the stadium could be used instead on our drowning school system. No one should be confused about that.

The megaplan would increase no one's taxes, but mistrust of local government practically ensures that the plan would be voted down. The airport expansion and performing-arts center were ridiculously over budget. We were hoodwinked on the transit tax and the AmericanAirlines Arena deal. We've been burned by waste and embezzlement.

The Bicentennial Park remake, Overtown redevelopment, port tunnel, trolley and Arsht Center debt payoff have merit. The stadium sticks out like a sore thumb.

Times are hard, yet baseball is awash in cash. People are losing their homes, yet the Marlins want the people's money to build a new one.

Repeat the mantra.

[Chip McMahan]

No location will be off the table initially? This should be fun, initially.

[get-smart]

You are in luck RRRick K. The abcb has its own blog. So now you don't have to argue with the anti's or anyone else critical of the Rays attempt at robbing us of our tax dollars. You will be with like minded bloggers. You may have a problem in registering you entourage, Sibyl.

Lyash and gang will sit on this project for eighteen months in hopes of outlasting the troublesome bloggers on this site. Plus they will then know the 2010 political climate after both elections. So I guess it's hibernation time. For those who don't make it through the winter RIP.

Oh yeah! Don't forget to donate to the abcb, they need the money.

[Rick K]

Thanks to Matthew for posting an opinion piece by a Mimmi writer which conclusive proves that the same level of stubborn ignorance that dominates this St. Pete - based forum is also present in Miami....

"Repeat the mantra: No public funding of homes for privately owned sports franchises"

That is an ignorant slogan, which does not serve the public well. Why would we repeate the mantra? We may as well chant, "No museums!" Or "do away with public schools!" Or, "Let's run tourists off our beaches!" All are equally ignorant and short sighted chants.

"Please, let's avoid the Field of Dreams cliché."

Actually, it's not a cliche'. It's a law of Economics (see Say's Law).

"TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE"

I am glad she included ignorant, overly pessimistic prjections about traffic nightmares.(Duh! Events that draw huge numbers of people by car come with loads of traffic before and after the event - ever been to an evening schoolwide program, where latecomer's can't find a parking space and everyone sits in their car for 25 minutes when leaving?)

What has happened in Miami is what happened in Hillsborough County with there Bucs stadium plan. Public subsidy of the new stadium has been combined in a single package with other valued public infrastructure projects (each with some who favor and others who dislike the individual project), in a manner that elected officials believe will best leverage public monies to provide the greatest return to the widest possible number of people.

As it should be.

[Paul]

Thank you Rick, for clearing up things for us all. Now we know, thanks to you, who's comments are ignorant and that you are the smartest person in the world. Hey, you going to nominate yourself for the coalition? You should. Really, I mean it. Either that, or your head is going to pop from all the angst you have against people who don't agree with you.

As far as no location being off the table, well... that's not cool. I do believe the citizens have made it rather clear that WE don't want a waterfront ballpark. Don't make me dust of my red signs :)

[Tim]

If the St Pete residents don't want you, Tampa will gladly take you. The stadium should have been built in a real sports city, like Tampa, anyways. Pinellas has an aging population, 12,000 less students this year and declining growth. Time to let the big boys handle it now. Pinellas has proven then are not in the big leagues yet.

[TechRider]

When you say WE, how many are YOUR group? What percentage of the city are with YOU, that gives you the right to call yourself WE?

[Eric from Largo]

I have a great idea that's cheaper and won't take any land at all. Well, maybe some anchors of course and a lot of really good rope or chain. The weather would have to help, too. After all these programs I am stuck watching repeatedly for my $105 a month for TV, I am convinced that this effort could be solved by the construction of some of those really good Swedish or Danish special barges-big enough to make a baseball diamond upon for this cause: Then connect 'em all together and set 'em out in Tampa Bay between our two cities. That's a real waterfront stadium! It would also clear up any confusion on the team's home. This would literally be "the Tampa Bay Rays!" The plan could also help the local economy in these hard times by allowing any boat owner to take folks to watch the game on the bay. Think of it. Why, I bet the whole construction project would end up on TV and the team could charge for the rights to the show to replace all those home run balls that landed in the water.

[Mo]

How exactly is Tampa a "real sports city"? Because you and your city are already congested and filled with a bunch of egotistical morons? Me thinks so.

[Bill]

Did you ever think about that fact that you create your own destiny? You can lose your job at any time. Therefore, the onus is on YOU to save and work 2 or more jobs to help create empowerment for yourself. This way you aren't affected as much. See it's called personal accountability. This mantra is foreign to a Democrat.

[get-smart]

AAron, You're back. Did you find your super model in Sweden/Finland/Ukraine/the old Soviet Union? If you did, post a picture of her.

[lisa]

The Rays should stay at the Trop - look at their record. It's the only place they can win. They aren't winning (a lot) on the road.

It's close to 100 degrees out today. I didn't want to walk to my mailbox, do you really want to sit at a ballgame for 9 innings?

The Trop is a great place to watch a game, no bad seats, no sun burns, no rain delays, lots of success for the home team.

[Edward]

Anybody here ever live in a baseball town? This is no baseball town...

[Juan Ponce De Leon]

Tim,

St Pete has an aging population you say? What exactly are the people in Tampa drinking to reverse the aging process? I've been searching for this magic elixir my whole life

[Bill]

WE WANT A WATERFRONT BALLPARK!

[Tim]

I am not sure if you determine if a town is considered a baseball town after only 10 years of MLB. Give the area 75 - 100 years of baseball like the other so called "baseball towns", then make your comparison.

[tim]

I wonder how many people who see the complete stupidity of forcing the taxpayers to buy an un-needed $450+ million dollar, one-use stadium for a group of out-of-state millionaires will be accepted on Mr Lyash's hand-picked gravy train coalition? Better yet, I wonder who's going to be their "token" opposition voice. You know, that one guy out of nine who'll raise some serious concerns, but will be assuaged by the superior wisdom of Mr. Lyash, Mr Silverman, Mr Sternberg and of the course, The St. Pete Times advertising sales department.

[Tim]

Ponce,

I guess I have to spell it out for you. Ok, take out that hearing aid and turn off Jeopardy. I probably should have said apopulation who average age is increasing every year. This means more people like you are moving into the city and/or the young people are moving out. Based off of school statistics, the younger population is moving out of Pinellas. Ok, you can go back to your shuffleboard.

[Juan Ponce De Leon]

What's this shuffleboard and Jeopardy you speak of? Am I in trouble? Also, where can I get one of these hearing aids? Are the aids volunteer Indians who receive messages for me? Those guys hate me for all the killing and whatnot. I think my aid would have to be another Spaniard. Your statistics show that youngsters are moving out of Pinellas. Thats pretty impressive that their parents let them do that before they get a license.

[Juan Ponce De Leon]

Tim, my name is Juan, not Ponce

[Paul]

Does Jeff Lyash live in Pinellas? Just curious is all.

and one more time, what's the matter with the Trop?

[since1962]

No Mr Lyash

Baseball at

ANY LOCATION

AT ANY COST

Has been removed from consideration by a WIDER RANGE than the NINE BASEBALL FANS you DEMAND as participants in your

'coalition'

Progress Energy boardrooms may operate at YOUR direction with only LIKE MINDED MINIONS but OUR community has A DIVERSITY of NEEDS AND OPINIONS.

Two definitions of 'coalition'
occur...

1)An ALIANCE OF FACTIONS

2)A group of 5 or 6 male lions who drive off other males in order to 'mate' with the females.

Should the goal be a COMMUNITY ALLIANCE...

OR

"MOUNTING" THE TAXPAYER?

[Aaron Sharockman]

Get-smart.
Back indeed. I'll post a picture and a short note about my trip tomorrow. Today, I'm stuck trying out to see if I can still type complete sentences.

[Paul]

1962, my thoughts exactly! This coalition does seem a way to get the deal done without that pesky population getting in the way. This is hardly an alliance, its a one sided army of the areas powerful against the voters.