rays flock south for the spring
John permalink | categories: city, development, marketing, pinellas, sport, tampa, tourismby John @ 8:26 am
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays will relocate spring training from their home here in the St. Petersburg to Charlotte County and the Ft. Myers area. Earlier in the week, Charlotte County commissioners voted unanimously in favor of taxes to help upgrade their minor league ballpark for the Rays.
There had been plenty of stories in the local media over the last few weeks pertaining to the Rays talking turkey about moving their spring operations down south, but it wasn’t until Friday that the move — which won’t happen until 2009 — became official.
The question that can be asked right now is what will happen to Al Lang Field? One of the most picturesque minor-league ballparks with a long and storied spring training history may be reduced to rubble as the city of St. Petersburg ponders it’s options.
Tags: city, development, marketing, pinellas, sports, tampa, tourism
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September 16th, 2006 at 10:23 am
I’m not the biggest of baseball fans but I have enjoyed a few Rays games. Does this move even make financial sense? It sounds like a prelim to moving all together.
September 16th, 2006 at 11:09 am
It actually makes a lot of sense.
The Rays are the only Major League Baseball team that holds there Spring Training in the same city where they play regular season games. They aren’t a big draw when it comes to Spring Training because — heck! People can see the Rays all summer long, why go to a Spring game?
By moving Spring Training down south, it gives the Rays a chance to draw more of a fanbase from the south. Think of it like the Bucs holding training camp in Orlando after years of holding camp at the University of Tampa — it doesn’t hurt.
September 16th, 2006 at 11:12 am
As to what happens with Al Lang, it’s too good a site not to develop but it’s got a century’s worth of baseball history. Would be great, but impractical, to turn it into some sort of “Field of Dreams.” Just please, I beg y’all, no more condos!
September 16th, 2006 at 11:46 am
Bring in another team! Florida has lost too many spring training teams to Arizona. Find a team on the verge of moving and convince them to come to St. Pete.
The Indians are looking shaky in Winter Haven.
September 16th, 2006 at 9:37 pm
So many memories of that stadium…baseball, band competitions,…Who was the vendor that belted out tunes for Cardinal’s spring training?
I meet people across this fine country and when I mention I am from St. Pete, so many of them say they have visited that stadium in childhood to see the Cardinals. There are a lot more baseball fans out there than I ever imagined.
September 17th, 2006 at 11:08 am
Nobody will come to St. Pete because the facilities are substandard compared to others. The biggest problem is the fact that the practice facilities aren’t where the stadium is — so everyone has to travel all the way across St. Petersburg to get to Al Lang. (Sorry, “Progress Energy.”)
Al Lang will be demolished and a highrise condo building will be put in its place. Sorry kids, that’s capitalism.
September 19th, 2006 at 1:55 pm
Here’s an idea. Al Lang would be the perfect site for a MLS team. I know, know some will say we had a team and they folded and did sell out RJS. Fact the Mutiny only rented the lower parts of RJS. MLS is currently bullding soccer only stadiums that hold 20-22,000 fans. The adverage attendance at Mutiny games was about 12-14,000. Very good in a stadium built for 20,000 people but it does not look good in a stadium of 65,000. Fact the Mutiny right until the end of the team had a buyer who was going to purchase the team from the league and build a stadium were Tampa Bay Center was located. The Glazers get all the money from any team or event at RJS. So the team never made money. The Glazers would not redo the deal for the Mutiny so the new owner could make a profit.
Bottom line add 10-12,000 more seats to Al Lang and re do it for an MLS team. It would work. Downtown St. Pete is far better than downtown Tampa or RJS. Think about it shops, resturants,nightclubs, pubs,parking are all close to AL Lang. Plus it would have the best view of any professional team. The fan base is here. Al Lang redone would be the perfect site for a MLS team.
September 19th, 2006 at 2:09 pm
Not enough space. Al Lang is one of the smaller minor league parks out there. Soccer fields are bigger than baseball and football fields.
September 19th, 2006 at 3:55 pm
Expand the current field south and south west.Add stands on the east and west. It would work.
September 19th, 2006 at 4:12 pm
I hate to break it to you, James, but there isn’t enough space for that. You have the Bay to the east, you have the road and the rest of St. Petersburg to the immediate west of the park… You have the theater complex to the south and park access to the north.
Building on the Bay is not an option — specifically because boat slips are immediately off shore to the park.
May 11th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Of course it will work and their is plenty of space to expand Al Lang field for a soccer stadium