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Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
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AllTideUp Offline
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Post: #1
Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
This from ESPN today:

Quote:The Tampa Bay Rays received permission from Major League Baseball's executive council to explore a plan in which they would play early-season home games in the Tampa Bay area and the remainder of the year in Montreal, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.

While the plan is in its nascent stages, the Rays have embraced the two-city solution as the most feasible to saving baseball in the Tampa Bay area after years of failed attempts to build a new stadium in the region, according to sources.


Quote:Under the plan, the Rays would play in new stadiums in both the Tampa Bay area and Montreal, according to sources. The ability to play games early in the season in Florida would preclude the need for a domed stadium, cutting the cost of a new building. A month ago, Bronfman -- who along with Montreal businessman Mitch Garber has expressed interest in taking a minority stake in the Rays alongside owner Stuart Sternberg -- reached an agreement with a developer on a site in Montreal's Point-Saint-Charles neighborhood to potentially build a new stadium. The number of home games each city would receive has not been determined, according to sources.


This has to be a negotiating tactic, right? They're not going to build brand new stadiums in 2 different cities for one team, right?
06-20-2019 12:54 PM
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TardisCaptain Offline
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RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
(06-20-2019 12:54 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  This from ESPN today:

Quote:The Tampa Bay Rays received permission from Major League Baseball's executive council to explore a plan in which they would play early-season home games in the Tampa Bay area and the remainder of the year in Montreal, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.

While the plan is in its nascent stages, the Rays have embraced the two-city solution as the most feasible to saving baseball in the Tampa Bay area after years of failed attempts to build a new stadium in the region, according to sources.

Quote:Under the plan, the Rays would play in new stadiums in both the Tampa Bay area and Montreal, according to sources. The ability to play games early in the season in Florida would preclude the need for a domed stadium, cutting the cost of a new building. A month ago, Bronfman -- who along with Montreal businessman Mitch Garber has expressed interest in taking a minority stake in the Rays alongside owner Stuart Sternberg -- reached an agreement with a developer on a site in Montreal's Point-Saint-Charles neighborhood to potentially build a new stadium. The number of home games each city would receive has not been determined, according to sources.


This has to be a negotiating tactic, right? They're not going to build brand new stadiums in 2 different cities for one team, right?

In this modern age of high priced stadiums set up for revenue streams, I would think it is a negotiation tactic.

A team in two cities (not even close to each other)? Media rights, market share and more probably has to be all hashed out.

Back in the 80's I know that the Utah Jazz had one season where they played some regular games in Las Vegas (Utah politicians bugged them about not continuing the practice and being a Utah only team).

Before then the Kanas City Kings had some regular season games in Omaha.

If a MLB team wanted to spend some split time in Salt Lake City, I'd take it.
06-20-2019 04:36 PM
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dbackjon Offline
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RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
Les Raies?
06-20-2019 04:46 PM
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Love and Honor Offline
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Post: #4
RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
No way. The only thing I could see happening is the Rays playing some home games at Olympic Stadium like how the Expos played a few games in Puerto Rico, but not two new stadiums in both. And even the first proposition is very unlikely imo, the Rays have a pretty iron-clad lease.
06-20-2019 04:50 PM
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Wedge Offline
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Post: #5
RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
This doesn't even sound clever enough to be a ploy. How could anyone take it seriously? They'd get laughed out of any local politician's office if they asked for tax money for a brand new stadium for half the games of a team based 1500 miles away.
06-20-2019 04:58 PM
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AllTideUp Offline
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RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
(06-20-2019 04:58 PM)Wedge Wrote:  This doesn't even sound clever enough to be a ploy. How could anyone take it seriously? They'd get laughed out of any local politician's office if they asked for tax money for a brand new stadium for half the games of a team based 1500 miles away.

The only angle I can think of is this...

The Rays are trying to gauge the feasibility of another market. If people in Montreal are willing to make a play for the team then they can pit the cities against each other.

In so doing, they can go to leaders in Tampa and demand a better deal or threaten to leave. Theoretically, any new investors in Montreal should be able to buy out a lease for Tropicana Field if they're serious about getting a team back.

The idea of splitting the team between 2 cities would have to be some sort of PR cover. The Rays owners can come back and say that in the process of poking around, they discovered the investors in Montreal wanted the team in their city and are willing to do what it takes to make it happen.

I don't know if that's their plan, but I'm in agreement with you that 2 stadiums in different cities is crazy so it doesn't make a lick of sense that they would be seriously considering that.
06-21-2019 01:41 PM
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TardisCaptain Offline
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Post: #7
RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
More thoughts on this from Ballpark Digest.

https://ballparkdigest.com/2019/06/21/pl...-mlb-plan/
06-21-2019 03:04 PM
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TardisCaptain Offline
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RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
Insights from the Utah Jazz on splitting time with Vegas in the early 80s. Some KC-Omaha insights as well.

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/9000...-went.html
06-23-2019 04:32 PM
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GoodOwl Offline
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Question RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
I'll take "or what?" for $2,000, Alex.
06-23-2019 04:51 PM
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C2__ Offline
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RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
MAJOR League Baseball is not meant for Florida. Ironic considering baseball in general is meant for Florida.
06-23-2019 11:38 PM
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Love and Honor Offline
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RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
(06-23-2019 11:38 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  MAJOR League Baseball is not meant for Florida. Ironic considering baseball in general is meant for Florida.

I think it could've worked (the NHL has, and after the Lightning were a joke for a while), but the MLB's execution has been a solid F since expanding there. Any team in the Sunshine State needed a Grade A stadium in a great location with a committed owner from the get-go, instead they put teams at the Dolphins Stadium and Trop with owners like Loria to burn them half a dozen times.
06-24-2019 08:12 PM
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Wedge Offline
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Post: #12
RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
(06-24-2019 08:12 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  
(06-23-2019 11:38 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  MAJOR League Baseball is not meant for Florida. Ironic considering baseball in general is meant for Florida.

I think it could've worked (the NHL has, and after the Lightning were a joke for a while), but the MLB's execution has been a solid F since expanding there. Any team in the Sunshine State needed a Grade A stadium in a great location with a committed owner from the get-go, instead they put teams at the Dolphins Stadium and Trop with owners like Loria to burn them half a dozen times.

MLB put a franchise in Tampa basically without planning, just awarded it to avoid a lawsuit after MLB blocked the Giants from moving to Tampa.

Selig stuck the Marlins with Loria as part of Selig's manipulations to take the Expos away from Montreal and put them in DC.
06-24-2019 11:30 PM
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BobcatEngineer Offline
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Post: #13
RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
I would love to see a second MLB team return to the Great White North!

I still rock my Expos hat around the DC area every once in a while.
06-25-2019 09:54 AM
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Wedge Offline
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Post: #14
RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
The Rays owner decided to stir the pot a bit more.

https://nesn.com/2019/06/stuart-sternber...rida-team/

Quote:“In spite of our successes on the field and the development of a growing fan base across this wonderful region, we greatly lag behind the rest of the league,” he said in a press conference Tuesday, as transcribed by theScore. “We are at or near the bottom in every economic category in Major League Baseball.

“… We are simply not well-suited for a Major League Baseball team that needs to draw tens of thousands of people each of its 81 games to its ballpark,” he added. “… And to force that to happen here when the conditions are not right could be more than damaging to a team, to Major League Baseball, and, most importantly, to a community. (We must) confront that reality and have a conversation about how to keep baseball here for generations to come.”

He certainly does make some valid points. The Rays have struggled mightily with attendance, despite Tampa Bay winning 90 games last season and having a 45-33 record on the year.
06-25-2019 09:25 PM
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vandiver49 Offline
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Post: #15
RE: Are the Rays moving to Montreal or what?
(06-24-2019 11:30 PM)Wedge Wrote:  
(06-24-2019 08:12 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  
(06-23-2019 11:38 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  MAJOR League Baseball is not meant for Florida. Ironic considering baseball in general is meant for Florida.

I think it could've worked (the NHL has, and after the Lightning were a joke for a while), but the MLB's execution has been a solid F since expanding there. Any team in the Sunshine State needed a Grade A stadium in a great location with a committed owner from the get-go, instead they put teams at the Dolphins Stadium and Trop with owners like Loria to burn them half a dozen times.

MLB put a franchise in Tampa basically without planning, just awarded it to avoid a lawsuit after MLB blocked the Giants from moving to Tampa.

Selig stuck the Marlins with Loria as part of Selig's manipulations to take the Expos away from Montreal and put them in DC.

Though his era will be forgotten, Selig had to be one of the work MLB commissioners the sport has had. His machinations with the teams was a train wreck
06-27-2019 04:37 PM
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