Tampa Bay Rays: A Name Change That Shouldn’t Happen

What a coincidence that when the USF Bulls announced they were opening their new on-campus stadium, the Tampa Bay Rays announced they finally got their stadium figured out. This comes all before the team’s current lease on Tropicana Field was about to expire. With that expiration came the rumors of the Rays possibly moving out of Florida. That will not happen now. The Rays and the city of Saint Petersburg agreed on building a new stadium on the same site that the current stadium sits on. The stadium comes with a shopping center, museums, and apartments. Most do not agree with the stadium being on the same site because there was affordable housing that has helped many. With Tampa Bay staying, the revenue will come in depending on the attendance. That is why many are upset because they don’t draw well.

We know in the first year or so the attendance will be high because of the new stadium. The team has won over 90 games a season over the past few years. Many say the reason why they do not attend games is because of the location. The other complaint is that other than Ferg’s, which is across the street from Tropicana Field, the nearest bar is a mile or two into downtown Saint Petersburg. That will now be fixed and may draw more fans because of the amenities that will be around the new stadium. This is so big for the baseball fans in the Tampa Bay area that the team is not moving. The new stadium will be opening in 2028 about four years from now. The same amount of time of the lease on the old stadium will also be on the new stadium in 30 years.

With the team staying in the city of Saint Petersburg, the former mayor wants the team’s name changed. Rick Baker said the team should be renamed the Saint Petersburg Rays and drop the Tampa Bay name. Many who do not live in Florida don’t know that Tampa is the city and the body of water known as Tampa Bay. This is stupid since the Rays represent the entire Tampa Bay area. That includes Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco counties. It is not just the Saint Petersburg area being represented. This is just another notch on how long the stadium finally took to be finalized. The Tampa Bay Rays have been to two World Series but did not win either one. This also comes on the heels of Wander Franco going through his drama in the Dominican Republic. That is still ongoing. The fans come from all areas and cities of Tampa Bay.

I think that Rick Baker is frustrated because during his tenure a stadium deal could not get done. The Rays will continue to have success because of the coaching staff that is in place. Manager Kevin Cash has won Manager of the Year once and nearly won it last year. Because there is no salary cap in the MLB, the Rays have to do it with what little money they have. Instead of this dumb comment, they should look forward to a brand-new stadium. Many players say it is one of the worst stadiums in the league. Besides the Rays, the Oakland A’s are the other team that needs a new stadium. The A’s solved that problem by moving from Oakland, California to Las Vegas, Nevada. Either way, Rays fans should stop allowing dumb comments to gain publicity.

What are your opinions on the team changing from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Saint Petersburg Rays? Leave a comment below.

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