Study on renovating the Trop should come this month

Meant to post this earlier, but I got caught up in other things. Rays VP Michael Kalt says the team's analysis of what it would take, and how much it would cost, to renovate Tropicana Field likely will be released this month.

The report was expected to come in May, but the group A Baseball Community canceled its monthly meeting. The Rays say they are using the extra time to produce a more thorough report.

The next ABC meeting is scheduled June 15. (Of course, that's when I'm on vacation. Sigh).

Aaron Sharockman, Times Staff Writer

With St. Pete's waterfront out, where should the Rays look next for a stadium?

The Tampa Bay Rays management has officially killed the team's proposal for a new baseball stadium on downtown St. Petersburg's waterfront. And now say they are unsure whether a new stadium could succeed anywhere in downtown St. Pete, even where they currently play at Tropicana Field.

"It's pretty clear people did not want a ballpark down there," Rays senior vice president Michael Kalt said Friday. "From what we're seeing, we're probably in that camp, too."

Now that a waterfront stadium is out, which site should the team consider?
Toytown
St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport
Tampa
New stadium at the Trop
Keep Trop, no need for new stadium

Thinking outside the box

So on my way over the Howard Frankland Bridge on Saturday for some Christmas shopping -- why are all the better stores in Tampa? -- I had an epiphany related to the Rays stadium pursuit. Follow along for a little bit, then let me know what you think.

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.

World Series stadium talk

ST. PETERSBURG — Standing on the turf of Tropicana Field, marveling at the historic turnaround of the Tampa Bay Rays, principal owner Stu Sternberg acknowledged one major regret.

"Part of me wishes that I'd be playing this game on the waterfront tonight,'' Sternberg said moments before Wednesday's Game 1. "How unbelievable would downtown be? And how unbelievable would the city of St. Petersburg be … with all the parking, and all the walking, and all the stores, and all the restaurants, and the views, and the weather?"

Read the rest here.

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Wall Street Journal on Rays' financial situation

The Tampa Bay Rays have slain the big-market bullies from New York, Chicago and Boston, but the team will soon face a much greater foe.

"The economy could kill us," says Stuart Sternberg, the team's principal owner and a former partner at Goldman Sachs.

For years, Mr. Sternberg's franchise was the doormat of baseball, a money-losing team that few thought would ever prove successful. But tonight, the Rays will begin the World Series at home in St. Petersburg, playing the Philadelphia Phillies.

Playing with Major League Baseball's second lowest payroll, the Rays owe much of their success to the long-term contracts given to their core of talented young players. The deals will allow the team to keep its top players for several more years, leading many to predict that the Rays could become a dominant force in the game.

But Mr. Sternberg has a problem: The Rays, he says, can barely afford their $44-million payroll with their current attendance, and that payroll is going up. Once the glamor of October baseball fades, the Rays will need to build a stable fan base in a region that has never truly embraced them -- and it must do so during an economic crisis that is worse in Florida than nearly anywhere else.

Read the rest here.

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So is this playoffs thing good or bad for a new stadium?

It's a question I've been pondering lately. Does the team's success help or hurt the Rays' chances at getting a new ballpark any time soon?

On one hand, the city seems to be more excited about the Rays than ever before. And perhaps people are more willing now to help the team out.

But on the other hand, anyone who has been to one of the two playoff home games so far probably has noticed the great home-field advantage Tropicana Field presents -- and just how fun the place can be when it's filled up.

What do you think? Help or hurt?

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ESPN's take on the dome

Believe it or not, they don't insult the stadium once.

Silverman on a stadium (2006 style)

I'm doing research on a story about the Rays' stadium pursuit and came across this quote from team president Matt Silverman. It's from a Q&A with Baseball Prospectus from April 2006. I thought some folks might be interested in seeing it.

Q: Are there any plans to build a new stadium closer to Tampa? What is the team’s viability in its current facility?

A: The stadium is not a hindrance to creating a successful business. The empty seats are opportunities for us. We’re confident that once the marketplace latches on to our team and the players, that Tropicana Field will be full of energy and excitement. It’s a great place to watch a game. Will we be there 22 years from now, when the lease expires? Probably not. Between years five and 22, we will need to discuss an alternative, but for now we’re proud to have Tropicana Field as our home.

We put a lot of capital into the park - about $10-million -making it cleaner, more comfortable, bringing history in with the addition of the Ted Williams Museum. We built a club level on the first-base line, renovated the bathrooms, did a big cleanup job. We’re putting in a tank filled with live rays in right-center field that will be completed in July. The clubhouse has been renovated, we have new TVs throughout the concourse, and there’s also a new sound system.

We want to turn it into a real home-field advantage. We already have great speed, and the turf creates an advantage there. The white roof is something that our opponents may have trouble getting used to. When we get over 20,000 people here, it’s extremely loud. We’re urging people to come out and be the 10th Man. The more people that come, the more that can have an impact on the outcome of the game.

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A little more on Sunday's stories

A lot of good reaction to Sunday's story. But I want to focus on a comment made by Jay:

"The bottom line is that the Rays are going to have to open up their books if they expect to get any kind of public support or funding for a new stadium. It's foolish to think otherwise, so why is there such resistance to the idea?"

Like we said Sunday, we have a pretty good idea how much in revenues the Rays are taking in. And we also feel pretty confident that they're among the lowest earning teams in all of baseball. So what's the big deal in sharing? And perhaps more important, will Jeff Lyash's baseball commission ask to see the Rays' figures?

Stay tuned on that one.

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