Since nobody mentioned it, the Rays threatened to take the city/county to court after the lease it up - purely to delay the development of the land where the stadium is located.
Gonna get ugly
MLB and the Rays don't believe St Petersburg can support 81 openings a year and frankly have doubts on Tampa Bay itself.
Come 2028 baseball is gone from St Pete - that is a given but I suspect the end will come no later than 2024. When/IF Montreal puts a solid stadium plan on the table things will start to move.
Any public comments about the city not being interested in a buyout should be taken with a grain of salt. If relocation is inevitable, a buyout is better than the alternative, which will include a costly legal battle.This is going nowhere fast. The Rays are stuck in a lease for 8 more seasons. The City isn't interested in a buyout.
Yes they can look beyond 2028 but that is still far enough away that there won't be any serious stadium talks anywhere. Folks in Montreal (or anywhere else) still have time on their side.
I don't think the logjam clears until after the next election fall 2021. Understand Mayor Kriseman is termed out and there will be a new mayor and council. I see Sternberg waiting out to speak to the new regime.
Manfred: Rays Montreal plan legitimate, gaining momentum
I expect this to be resolved in 2 years or less and Montreal will get the team fulltime.
What jumps out to me is Manfred says Montreal can be a stand alone market, yet he says the 2 city plan is the only way to preserve baseball in Tampa Bay.
I don't see anything changing until there is a new mayor who can be open to negotiate a buyout. That's a long little under 2 years away.
A wildcard is the city of Tampa and Hillsborough county. Are they really willing to help fund a stadium for a part time team after they failed with a full time proposal earlier?
Assuming they keep the al/nl intact in the next CBA.Do you think they will continue to schedule Marlins/Expos Inter league games every year.If the rays move full time or do you suspect their will be some minor realignment.Manfred: Rays Montreal plan legitimate, gaining momentum
I expect this to be resolved in 2 years or less and Montreal will get the team fulltime.
Assuming they keep the al/nl intact in the next CBA.Do you think they will continue to schedule Marlins/Expos Inter league games every year.If the rays move full time or do you suspect their will be some minor realignment.
Manfred: Rays Montreal plan legitimate, gaining momentum
I expect this to be resolved in 2 years or less and Montreal will get the team fulltime.
What jumps out to me is Manfred says Montreal can be a stand alone market, yet he says the 2 city plan is the only way to preserve baseball in Tampa Bay.
I don't see anything changing until there is a new mayor who can be open to negotiate a buyout. That's a long little under 2 years away.
A wildcard is the city of Tampa and Hillsborough county. Are they really willing to help fund a stadium for a part time team after they failed with a full time proposal earlier?
How bad does it get during a storm? I'm picturing some Day After Tomorrow mini hurricane.The problem with the Tampa Bay market is no matter where you put the ballpark it still would have the lowest population within 30 miles of the park of any other market. Attendance would increase a little in Tampa as fans to the south around Sarasota might make the drive - many fans south of St Petersburg will NOT drive over this bridge especially in a t-storm which in the summer is almost a daily occurrence in the late afternoon.
I like those quirks in stadiums. Like the huge ladder in Fenway still attached to the monstah despite no need for it anymore.
Plus, Montreal fans had a chance with a team. They didn’t show up at all for their last 20 seasons.
The fact it takes pretty much an hour to get there from anywhere says it all.Quirks with dimensions and the outfield walls are fine, but this cat walk shit is a joke.
The Trop is also a dump in other ways too.
Imagine they'd have the same attendance issues as they currently doUnlikely to happen but I feel that would be neat to see Tampa Bay relocate to Hartford and rebrand as the Whalers in MLB.
Would easily fit into the AL East picture as well.
And Red Sox/Yankees will fight tooth and nail against that.Imagine they'd have the same attendance issues as they currently do
Imagine they'd have the same attendance issues as they currently do
Hartford's not set up for MLB.....and with the recent realignment of 40 clubs at the minor league level, where does that place the Yard Goats?Unlikely to happen but I feel that would be neat to see Tampa Bay relocate to Hartford and rebrand as the Whalers in MLB.
Would easily fit into the AL East picture as well.