Wrapping up the season

Ballpark Frankness caught up with Rays team president Matt Silverman in the Tampa Bay Rays clubhouse Thursday afternoon. He talked about a new stadium and some plans for the Trop next year. Here's some of what he had to say.

On a new stadium
"With the love this team has fostered, the discussion of a new ballpark takes on new meaning. It makes the new ballpark less of a sell. Through this postseason run, the community has been been able to recognize the economic impact of baseball firsthand."

On the team's financial take from the postseason
"The dollars generated during the postseason run are minor compared to what this can mean for the team going forward. The key for sustainability is adding to the season ticket base and creating a recurring revenue stream."

On the contiunity heading into the 2009 season
"Fans won't have to get to know 15 new faces next year like it was when we were the Devil Rays."

A couple of other notes: Silverman said fans should expect ticket prices to increase next year (it's been two offseasons without an increase), but that those increases would not be dramatic. No major physical changes are planned for the Trop next year. Silverman also said the team is largely going to stay out of the stadium discussions this offseason, leaving the work to Mayor Rick Baker's ABC Baseball coalition. And the Rays are considering adding a third, alternate jersey for next season.

Comments

[Frank]

What economic impact is that, Mr. Silverman? I spent several evenings at restaurants downtown while the games were being played and the restaurants were almost empty. The parking places were all filled with cars of people who took shuttles to the games. Restaurant personnel said they did not see a rush before the games and were closed when the games ended and the fans took the shuttles back to their cars.

Maybe the sports bars and the venues near the Trop had customers, but not the other downtown businesses.

[Scaramouche]

Oh, let's not let some puny things like actual facts stand in the way of that subsidy, shall we now?

When the Teddy Bear Stearns Boys were sucking their thumbs and tightly-rolled hundred dollar bills on the way to the scams that gave them the "money" to buy the Rays franchise, THEY sure learned that "facts," like actual value and real manifestations of "the wealth of nations" had nothing to do with how you sucker the mopes into paying for The Emperor's New Subprime Clothes.

C'mon, Sil and Kalt -- trot out your PowerPoints and your dummied-up anecdotes and see if you can't play this burg for a bunch of suckers again. Like selling out your previous gig (and the rest of the nation, in your own small way), you know you better act timely if you want to convert another layer of the new CDO ("citizen debt overload") into a new mansion in the Hamptons or that private jet you've been coveting.

Strike while the public's "home team" juices are on the boil, before they have a chance to simmer down and see that there is no logical or sensible connection between the players having a good year and any reason to gift you carpetbagging freeloaders with half a billion or more public dollars in subsidy money. Do like the Hillsborough Republicans are claiming (falsely) that the Democrats are doing -- bus in a load of people to support your play, like the out-of-town construction workers you brought in last time this was up to the City Council.

AT&T Giants Stadium -- look there if you want a business model. Want a stadium? Man up and buy your own, you mealy-mouthed risk-shifting ersatz "capitalists."

No "Socialism," the way Rush Limbaugh and Hannity mean it, for rich guys!

[Scaramouche]

Ooh, I just noticed the bottom line in the story -- "Silverman also said the team is largely going to stay out of the stadium discussions this offseason, leaving the work to Mayor Rick Baker's ABC Baseball coalition."

Does anybody see anything either illuminating, or just plain wrong, or both, about the premise of this sentence? I mean, other than the "largely ... stay out" bit? So now it's "Mayor Rick Baker's ABC Baseball coalition"? Say What? Or as Mike Meyers would say, "Exsqueeze me?"

[Steve]

I agree this sheds new light on the nay-sayers who were opposed to the stadium saying the Rays should field a winning team first. Well, they did.

The Rays management has done everything they said, and then some. Thanks to Stu, Matt, and Andrew for making St Pete proud. I cannot wait for a new stadium and we will all reap from the business it generates and national attention St Pete will get.

There are some nay-sayers who, for some reason are afraid of progress. They need to keep quiet and get out of the way. I want this town to shine! GO RAYS!! I'm totally in favor of the new ballpark and will purchase season tickets this year!!!

Thank you Rays for all you've done for St Pete!!!

[Thomas]

"Through this postseason run, the community has been been able to recognize the economic impact of baseball firsthand."

So I should expect to see some extra zeros on my income? Or will it be a Rays Rebate Check mailed to everyone in St. Pete?

Exactly where is the economic impact of baseball besides Stu's revenue increase? Perhaps Mr. Silverman can pull some total receipt numbers from Oct 2008 and compare them to Oct 2007 or 2006 and show us all the "new dollars" his Rays "pumped" into the economy.

More likely he'll just throw around vague phrases without any attempt to justify his wild theory. In fact, Mr. Silverman must take us all for village idiots if he is going to try the old "stadiums are economic engine" line.

[Scaramouche]

Good for you, Steve! Go Rays Indeed! I hope they (the players) win the Series next year!

And it's too bad your season ticket price won't buy the team OWNERS a new stadium. Maybe you can write them a check to cover the costs of "progress" you want us all (but apparently not our wallets and savings accounts) to "get out ot the way" for!

Are you one of those "rich folk" that one of the franchise guys talked about in a Times piece recently, who want to go to a taxpayer-subsidy, expensive-tickets stadium where you can "be seen" and have your "pleasant evening," while all the other 900,000 of us groan and sweat under the burdens of funding all the other taxpayer-funded actual public services like police and fire and roads and schools and such that I bet you take for granted? Those people who the "top dogs" say can "stay home and watch TV" because they are too poor to be "seen" in the stands?

And pardon me for pointing out a little straw man argument on your part -- I don't seem to recall that "nay-sayers" ever shook hands with the franchise owners on a quid-pro-quo that if they field a winning team, the People of Pinellas would be obliged to Pony Up any more Pennies or borrow via tax-anticipation bonds the subsidy money for a profitable business venture that can dam' well afford to build its own stadium.

Maybe Mayor Rick told the Sternberg Set in one of his private meetings with "the boys" that thus would be so. But then he is one branch of the checks-and-balances government that locally REPRESENTS us, and however much that good old Chicago boy would like it to be true, he is no Richard J. Daley and so he does not RULE us.

Let Us Vote!

[atrulyconcernedcitizen]

Sorry Steve but you're going to have to pay for your pleasure. As Thomas wisely points out...SHOW US THE MONEY!!!. Not some half baked survey put out by a sports team or some chamber that promotes them. Of course all the INDEPENDENT research shows that stadiums do not pay for themselves. But ignoring that...let's simply check the sales tax receipts for St. Petersburg businessess...minus Fergs and the Rays..and see just how much economic impact spilled over. Certainly the Vinoy and Hilton benefitted...but after that...I know my business continues to suffer along with most of my clients and baseball hasn't changed that one tiny bit.

But like it or not the reality is that this is rapidly becoming a moot argument. Read today's TBO for what has happened to the price of sports tickets...
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/oct/31/economy-online-brokers-change-market-nba-nhl-ticke/sports/
Of course the irony is the fact that the the golden age of sports is finally drawing to a close hasn't reached the boys in New York yet. Perhaps they've missed the stories about Yankee, Giant, and Met season ticketholders who have cancelled. So let's raise ticket prices in the face of the worst economy since the great depression...yeah that's the ticket! Let's make sure we enrich ourselves to the MAX in this time of suffering!!!!

The most pathetic thing about all of this is that Steve and others can't accept that there is no NEED for a new stadium. Of course the out of town investors wish to maximize their profit...doesn't mean we have to subsidize them any more than we already do...I mean really isn't their current deal full of subisidies very cushy? I wish my business didn't have to pay ANY PROPERTY TAX on our facility. Perhaps the city would also like to donate the land for us as well. Enough is enough.
There is plenty of money to go around...for players and owners without stealing from taxpayers. Remember to sign the two POWW petitions so we ALL get to vote on these question and ABC and the politicos can't just sneak a screwball by us.

[atrulyconcernedcitizen]

One last thought for Steve. If you took a nationwide survey and asked this simple question..."Where is the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team located?" What percentage do you truly believe would come up with the right answer.

[ok]

While I agree that the waterfront stadium was illogical and not well thought out. Of course, the pictures were cool, and isn't that all that matters? But I will agree that the Trop is old and outdated. The metrodome will fall soon, and that will be an end of an already almost extinct breed. The real problem is that we built the Trop about 8 yrs too soon hoping to lure a team here...it eventually worked, but I am sure if we revisted the issue in '96 (the year we were awarded the team I belive) I surely hope they wouldn't have built it where it's located. Downtown St. Pete will always have a ceiling on it's growth potential. BayWalk was supposed to be a big deal, and it was for a little while but then you just end up getting the 15-20 yr olds infesting it and committing juvenille crimes all night long. Anywho, to get off my tangent, it would be nice if there were somehow a more fiscally responsible plan for a new stadium (I think saying for them to foot the bill is unrealistic, San fran is 1 out of 30, the exception not the rule) in a logical location like toytown so people from n. pinellas, hillsborough, pasco and polk will have a shorter drive, and the people from manatee will only have to drive 15 mins further. Unfortunately, when you have a pro sports team you have to PAY to keep it. May not be fair, but it is reality. St. Pete times forum and Raymond James weren't built by the owners and their families, Joe Taxpayer paid it. I know there will be some that say, let them leave and that's fine, but you could do a multipurpose venue that could generate non-gameday revenue like concerts, conventions, homeshows, etc by building a 30,000 seat stadium that is quaint and humble, like st. pete not excuberent and hottie-tottie state of the art (like NYC). I would be curious to see how well the Forum does with concerts, events, etc. with extra income. Long story short, I would like to see the two sides attempt to come together and make something happen instead of just screaming BUILD THE BALLPARK or NO NEW WATERFRONT STADIUM. Of course, that is wishful thinking and I'm sure neither side will change their mind.

Oh well...at least the bucs don't need a new stadium!! Just a PSL...and people screamed and yelled, and most seem to hate gruden, but I still 60,000+ filling it every weekend spending $8 a beer.

[Cathy Wilson]

It's odd that Mr. Silverman thinks the ABC Coalition belongs to Rick Baker. John Wolf, our City Attorney seems to think that the ABC people are NOT a city sponsored group and that they actually report to the Rays, not to the city. Which one do YOU think has the right take on it?

[Scaramouche]

IT'S NOT "OK."

There's this short story by Shirley Jackson, "The Lottery." There's this Middle American town where everything's done according to tradition. There's this lottery they do every year. There's this lady who asks why they still have the lottery, when other towns have stopped doing it. There's these keepers of tradition, who get annoyed that someone might dare challenge their power, and so they jigger the results so the lady wins. And then we learn that the lottery "winner" gets stoned to death, "because that's the way it's always been done, and who knows what bad things might happen if we don't keep doing things the old way?" Even the lady's daughter whacks Momma with a stone.

Do I disremember that we live in a democracy, or at least a representative-government nation, which became such largely because people got righteously pissed at being taxed through the nose without representation? And you propose to give a subsidy of what kind of money from what source to "capitalist businessmen of commerce," maybe a billion dollars that goes right to the bottom line of their corporation without being earned by any risk that is supposed to be part of any "captialist" enterprise? (Of course, we are learning that trillion-dollar bailouts, with much of the money going to executive compensation and "dividends" to shareholders instead of what they told us, are "the new capitalism.")

Are we such sheep that when old guys like Selig, and young old guys like Baker and Sternberg and Kalt and Silverman, tell us to pick up stones, even though other towns aren't so stupid, that we do so?

Got news for you, bunkie -- in a shrinking world, with people getting peeved at how the rich guys with the SUVs and the CDOs and the McMansions have short-changed the rest of us big time, we the people of this City by the Bay need to be at least as careful with our money as the people of San Francisco. And San Jose and Santa Clara, the other two places where the taxpaying people spoke real loud, NO FREAKIN' SUBSIDY for MLB, INC. Four times. And where at least the Giants' "capitalist" owners found a creative-financing way to have their stadium and their profits, without simply slurping at the public trough.

San Francisco should be and will be the model here. These rich guys from New York and the apparently small-market well-off fan base want a new stadium to go "be seen" in while the rest of us pay for their pleasure and "watch TV." That being so, there is no reason in our increasingly "turnstile culture," where average people are made to pay fees for every one of their little pleasures, that the folks who want to "play" can't darn well pay.

"Joe Taxpayer" is tapped out.