Vincent Naimoli, original owner of the Tampa Bay Rays, dies at age 81

[Fenway]

Vincent Naimoli led the group that was awarded an expansion MLB team in 1995 and had 3 years to prepare for the team's first season and to be kind botched it in biblical proportions.

He ignored the warning signs that the dome in St. Pete had major traffic and parking issues if there was a crowd of more than 20,000 that was proven when the Lightning played there between 1993-1996. He did little to promote the team and form business alliances in the area convinced that he would draw 35 to 40,000 people every single game. In late 1997 he got a wake-up call when the team put regular season tickets on sale and while the home opener sold out in minutes the team would not have another sellout for 6 years.

He also signed the 30 year lease for the dome which today is an albatross.

One thing is now certain, MLB will be gone after 2027 if not much sooner.


Vincent Naimoli, original owner of the Tampa Bay Rays, dies at age 81

Original Tampa Bay Rays owner Vincent Naimoli dies at 81 | 10News WTSP

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[Quid Pro Clowe]

Kick him while he's down, why don't they.

Rip.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Kick him while he's down, why don't they.

Rip.

I agree...not a positive article about a person who just passed away. I'm sure he has a family...

How about (at least) a thank you for helping to bring major league baseball to Tampa?

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

I agree...not a positive article about a person who just passed away. I'm sure he has a family...

How about (at least) a thank you for helping to bring major league baseball to Tampa?

That's what I'm sayin'. He's a human being. He wasn't a murderer or a bad person in general. Celebrate his life, don't dwell on baseball decisions.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Vincent Naimoli led the group that was awarded an expansion MLB team in 1995 and had 3 years to prepare for the team's first season and to be kind botched it in biblical proportions.

He ignored the warning signs that the dome in St. Pete had major traffic and parking issues if there was a crowd of more than 20,000 that was proven when the Lightning played there between 1993-1996. He did little to promote the team and form business alliances in the area convinced that he would draw 35 to 40,000 people every single game. In late 1997 he got a wake-up call when the team put regular season tickets on sale and while the home opener sold out in minutes the team would not have another sellout for 6 years.

He also signed the 30 year lease for the dome which today is an albatross.

One thing is now certain, MLB will be gone after 2027 if not much sooner.


Vincent Naimoli, original owner of the Tampa Bay Rays, dies at age 81

Original Tampa Bay Rays owner Vincent Naimoli dies at 81 | 10News WTSP

Steinbrenner had a lot to do with the rush into the tampa market. I am sure Vincent Naimoli had some good intentions.

 

[Mightygoose]

RIP Vincent.

Agreed this should be more of a reflection on his life than his dealings in the Tampa Bay region.

The 30 year use agreement, though it's a detriment in getting a new stadium built in or out of the market, it just may be keeping the team there as long as it's been.

 

[robert terwilliger]

i agree. naimoli was a pretty complicated person and the stories are out there but there's no need to dunk on the guy when he dies.

i sneak food into every rays game i go to in his honor and will continue to do so.

 

[Fenway]

Obviously it is a sad occasion when a person dies and no disrespect was intended.

Naimoli had been out of public view for years and his passing caused Tampa Bay media to look at his legacy and they were not kind.

Even the NY Times was harsh

Vince Naimoli, 81, Dies; Brought Major League Baseball to Tampa

Tampa Bay's biggest problem is the location of The Trop. Peter Ueberroth told the city not to build the stadium in 1986 but...

THUNDERDOME WAS BUILT BUT THEY HAVEN'T COME

Former baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth could tell St. Petersburg "I told you so," but he hasn't publicly.

As St. Petersburg baseball fans know, the owners who control the game aren't known for sending straightforward, obvious messages.

Yet that's exactly what Ueberroth did in July 1986, when he sent a telegram to former St. Petersburg Mayor Ed Cole days before the stadium vote. Ueberroth told Cole that St. Petersburg was "not a strong candidate" for a ball team and advised local officials not to build the stadium.

The message fell on deaf ears. A week after the telegram, the City Council voted 6-3 to go ahead and construct the stadium, relying on the now famous cliche from the baseball movie Field of Dreams:

"If you build it, he (baseball) will come."

Sitting on 66 acres owned by the city in a neighborhood of boarding houses and apartments east of downtown, the ThunderDome opened in 1990 at a cost nearly $36 million over budget.

Plenty of hits and misses, but Pinellas finally gets pro baseball

I have always thought the best location would be where the Yankees have spring training and then moving NYY's spring training to St. Pete.

What happens next

Shadow of the Stadium: Kriseman vs Foster, six years later — who was right on Rays?

 

[BKIslandersFan]

i agree. naimoli was a pretty complicated person and the stories are out there but there's no need to dunk on the guy when he dies.

i sneak food into every rays game i go to in his honor and will continue to do so.

I am not on board the idea that no one should be criticized just because they died.

 

[robert terwilliger]

there's a difference between criticizing someone and what fenway did in the op.