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September 21, 2009
Rays could leave Tampa Bay ... in a decade or two
The St. Petersburg Times has analyzed the Tampa Bay Rays' current lease, and concluded that while it indeed binds the team to playing at the Tropicana Dome through 2027 — in fact, the team can't even talk to other cities about moving until then — and includes potentially onerous penalties, it would become easier for the team to buy its way out as that date approaches.
Though the contact (actually a "use agreement") stipulates that the value of having the Rays play there can't be measured in dollars alone, lawyers contacted by the Times say that judges tend to prefer assigning damages than actually issuing injunctions forcing a team to stay put; and then too, "The practical effect of an injunction becomes less and less the older [the Tropicana contract] becomes," says local lawyer Michael Keane, who predicts that if no stadium is in the works by 2019, the Rays could pay $100 million or so to bolt.
That still leaves a good decade worth of leverage on St. Pete's side, but the Times argues that the city will need to play its cards right: "Jettison the Trop too quickly and you sacrifice leverage that translates into tax dollars. Push too closely to 2027 and good-bye baseball." The best bet might be using the threat of trapping the Rays at the Trop for another 18 years to get the team to cough up more than the one-third of construction costs that they'd previously offered for a new stadium. Especially since it's not like there are any other cities with major-league-ready stadiums and fan bases that could offer the Rays a better deal — though if they're really willing to wait two decades, maybe San Antonio will finally be ready.
What if Montreal builds a new downtown stadium?
Posted by JP on September 21, 2009 11:56 AM
Then air travel would be shut down by all the flying pigs.
Posted by Neil on September 21, 2009 12:02 PM
I wonder why no one ever challenges the "we can't play competitive baseball with the revenues the Trop produces".
It's not like the Reds, Brewers, Pirates, Nationals, etc all of a sudden started spending money and being competitive when they got new stadiums for free.
The idea that "small market" teams will get a new stadium and then spend the additional revenue to be competitive is completely laughable.
Posted by Thomas on September 21, 2009 02:40 PM
Neil? Do you know anything about Montreal's rich baseball history ? Inform yourself about the Montreal Royals and the 36 years of the Expos. We outdrew the yankees in the 80's decade and our dollar is much more competitive now. The Montreal alouettes were drawing like 3,000 fans at the olympic stadium and now that they play outdoors they sell-out every game. If Montreal had a outdoor ballpark we would do much better than half the league in attendance. When the Tampa rays stars become free agents and sign elsewhere do think people are going to go flocking to an indoor dome? They were in the World Series last year and their attendance was brutal except when the yankees and redsox come play. Montreal is 5 hours from Boston and 6 hours from both New York and Toronto and they love coming to our city. We are a metro area of 3.5 million you know.
Posted by JP on September 22, 2009 02:23 PM
Oh, I have no doubt that Montreal would be an outstanding MLB market, especially with the stronger Canadian dollar. But I also know that MLB would never let a team move there without a publicly subsidized stadium — especially after all that they put the Expos through — and it's been clear for a decade or more that that's not happening.
Could things change by 2027, if Quebec's government changes and/or Bud Selig finally succumbs to old age? Maybe. But it's not something I'd worry myself over if I were a Rays fan.
Posted by Neil on September 22, 2009 02:39 PM
Got to admit that Bud Selig has a hatred for Montreal. As for the Quebec government they are starting to change. They helped build our soccer stadium (Saputo Stadium), they are helping the Alouettes add seats at Percival Molson Stadium. They have brought back the F1 racing for next year and beyond and they are now in nogotiations to build a new hockey arena in Quebec City to bring back an NHL franchise. Unfortunely this site is in french only but here are some pics of the new planned arena.
http://www.jaimaplace.com/node/5
Quebec's government helping fund improvements to (or build new) stadiums only shows that politicians there are no brighter than they are anywhere else. Too bad for residents of Quebec and their hard-earned tax dollars.
Posted by biggreentevas on September 23, 2009 03:49 PM