Rays' Proposed Stadium Unveiled!

[Velcro]

I'm not anti Public funding, but a team that spends below 30 Million on payroll doesn't desrve a dime, especially when their current venue was completely remodeled in 1997.

Bingo!!!  Cheap ass team owners deserve no "extra" help. 

[PitBull]

I watch the virutal tour Rock Riley and them did and although the stadium looks good, its not a top priority...a winning team is...and I still dont get the outdoor in Fl...yeah the sail will block the sun, but St Pete is notorious for lightning during the summer and it just really makes little sense to have and open field(from my understanding, the sails only cover the stands, not the actual field.)

actually, that huge mast in the middle of centerfield has wires that "pull" the sail (which is raveled under the permanent covering over the stands) over the entire field.  I dont know why they didnt include that in the illustrations, but they said it takes 8-10 minutes to cover the field.  however, the open end where the mast is is still open air and, with SEVERE rainstorms, the rain will still be able to get in..  i'm assuming with wind blowing hardcore, it can angle the rain enough to get into the outfield.  i'm no engineer, but i'm assuming they'd design it to cover the outfield enough to at least make sure it keeps out the common rainstorm.

i think it's an awesome idea.  i'm a fan of outdoor stadiums in general.  i think this is the best of both worlds.  even with the top covering the field, you are still "outdoors"..  just with an umbrella.  they also save on the cost of airconditioning.  for daygames, i'm sure they will keep it covered, and night games, i'm sure it will be open.

[Triple B]

I'm not anti Public funding, but a team that spends below 30 Million on payroll doesn't desrve a dime, especially when their current venue was completely remodeled in 1997.

Bingo!!!  Cheap ass team owners deserve no "extra" help.

Oh please, the money will be spent on players when the time is right. They're putting $150 million of their own money in this .... and they spent a ton remodeling the Trop when they took over. To get this franchise where it needs to be, the venue and the team needs to be upgraded, The team is on the way, this will address the venue.

[Joe]

That is crap. The Rays make more money spending 30 million on payroll and averaging 12k fans than they would with 60 million and 20k.

Baseball's revenue sharing ad luxery tax allows it. That is why you see Pittsburgh, KC, Florida, etc spend **** and live with putting a bad product on the field.

The Rays are building for the future, but they want to do it with youth and not having to spend much on free agents.

They claim to be putting all this money into a new park, but the Rays WON'T commit to a price however they will say up to 150M.

This team deserves nothing. Don't fall for the BS that hey need this stadium to spend more on the team...They need it to make more money whether they spend it on the teams remains to be seen. Chances are they'll want the standard 30 years of no lease in return for thowing done 150million. Pittsburgh is a great example of not doing that.

I am  Rays fan, but I don't buy the **** they are selling me.

NO STADIUM until you show a commitment on the field.

[Velcro]

T

I'm not anti Public funding, but a team that spends below 30 Million on payroll doesn't desrve a dime, especially when their current venue was completely remodeled in 1997.

Bingo!!!  Cheap ass team owners deserve no "extra" help.

Oh please, the money will be spent on players when the time is right. They're putting $150 million of their own money in this .... and they spent a ton remodeling the Trop when they took over. To get this franchise where it needs to be, the venue and the team needs to be upgraded, The team is on the way, this will address the venue.

The venue isn't the problem.  I can guarantee that.  Any team can play in any stadium and your opponent plays in that stadium too when they play you.  If you stink, you stink, regardless of where you play, and changing stadium doesn't increase money unless you move cities completely.  Staying anywhere in St Pete is wrong (isn't that where they are building?).  If they were to move to tampa and be more central to the entire region... they might get more fans.  But investing money in a building in st pete is only going to have a temporary curiosity effect, and then they are back to no attendance and still a stinky team.

The money must go leave the owner's pockets, invested in a solid team, and then you might get some fans to show up.  The facility really doesn't matter as much as location and success on the field, especially in this bandwagon community.

Coming in last = no fans, regardless.  And the owner's know that it is a bandwagon community and that is why they are reluctant to spend.  They know if they spend and still fail, they will end up losing money because no one will show.  If they invest as little as possible, and no one shows, they still stay in the black.

[Triple B]

T

I'm not anti Public funding, but a team that spends below 30 Million on payroll doesn't desrve a dime, especially when their current venue was completely remodeled in 1997.

Bingo!!!  Cheap ass team owners deserve no "extra" help.

Oh please, the money will be spent on players when the time is right. They're putting $150 million of their own money in this .... and they spent a ton remodeling the Trop when they took over. To get this franchise where it needs to be, the venue and the team needs to be upgraded, The team is on the way, this will address the venue.

The venue isn't the problem.  I can guarantee that.  Any team can play in any stadium and your opponent plays in that stadium too when they play you.  If you stink, you stink, regardless of where you play, and changing stadium doesn't increase money unless you move cities completely.  Staying anywhere in St Pete is wrong (isn't that where they are building?).  If they were to move to tampa and be more central to the entire region... they might get more fans.  But investing money in a building in st pete is only going to have a temporary curiosity effect, and then they are back to no attendance and still a stinky team.

The money must go leave the owner's pockets, invested in a solid team, and then you might get some fans to show up.  The facility really doesn't matter as much as location and success on the field, especially in this bandwagon community.

Coming in last = no fans, regardless.  And the owner's know that it is a bandwagon community and that is why they are reluctant to spend.  They know if they spend and still fail, they will end up losing money because no one will show.  If they invest as little as possible, and no one shows, they still stay in the black.

It's not the location. The Lightning and Storm did just fine over there. It does just boil down to winning, in the long run .... Winning, not just spending money on players.

I'm honestly not that familiar with the player movements in baseball so maybe you or Joe can tell me who the current administration could have realistically gotten these last two years in free agency that would have made a difference and shut up the whiners about not spending any money.

[Velcro]

Every year there are quite a few marquee free agents, and quite a few players that are a year from free agency that are always tradeable... and the rays have a stockpile of top-notch young players that the other teams covet (like former Ray Delmon Young).

If you were willing to part with a couple of them, you could have Johan Santana (ok, that isn't realistic, because Boston/NY/NYM are going to have a bidding war on him).

A young team is nothing more than a showcase for the young guys to the bigger teams for when they become free agents unless you can find ways to use them to bring in other solid talent.

I really like some of the player the rays have kept or brought in (in particular, Crawford, Kazmir, and Upton, and did like Young too) But overall, by the time these players reach their prime, they probably won't be rays anymore, (crawford is already resigned not too long ago), as they will realize it is hopeless to play in a system with no money and in the same division as boston and ny, and that they can get paid better elsewhere.

It is a damned if you do/don't scenario for sure, but it is not the stadium that matters.  Ownership can go two ways... keep sucking, getting #1 picks, raising them, debuting them, and losing them to big market teams, or use some of them to bring in other talent, and spend on the free agent market (focus on pitching).

We know which way the Rays will go (the former).

I see you are going after 80 year old Troy Percival now?  You guys must be excited about that.

[Triple B]

Every year there are quite a few marquee free agents, and quite a few players that are a year from free agency that are always tradeable... and the rays have a stockpile of top-notch young players that the other teams covet (like former Ray Delmon Young).

If you were willing to part with a couple of them, you could have Johan Santana (ok, that isn't realistic, because Boston/NY/NYM are going to have a bidding war on him).

A young team is nothing more than a showcase for the young guys to the bigger teams for when they become free agents unless you can find ways to use them to bring in other solid talent.

I really like some of the player the rays have kept or brought in (in particular, Crawford, Kazmir, and Upton, and did like Young too) But overall, by the time these players reach their prime, they probably won't be rays anymore, (crawford is already resigned not too long ago), as they will realize it is hopeless to play in a system with no money and in the same division as boston and ny, and that they can get paid better elsewhere.

It is a damned if you do/don't scenario for sure, but it is not the stadium that matters.  Ownership can go two ways... keep sucking, getting #1 picks, raising them, debuting them, and losing them to big market teams, or use some of them to bring in other talent, and spend on the free agent market (focus on pitching).

We know which way the Rays will go (the former).

I see you are going after 80 year old Troy Percival now?  You guys must be excited about that.

You still failed to answer my question. Since this new ownership has taken over, where have they missed raising the payroll to improve the team? Name free agents they could have gotten, realistically, that would made them a better team. Were they out there? .... And name any quality players they have lost due to salary restrictions? I don't know the answer to those questions, if there even are any ..... and if they haven't lost or passed up any players, then the griping about the payroll is bogus.

[Joe]

I'm not asking them to spend 100 Million. The Twins and A's showed you can win in the AL with low payrolls, but the Rays went from a 35 Million dollar payroll to 24 Million last year (30th of 30).

By comparison, the 26th lowest payroll is DOUBLE that. Teams like the A's and Twins spend in the 60-70 Million range.

a team that spends well below the MLB average payroll of 85 Million does not deserve 300 Million for a stadium...sorry.

[Triple B]

I'm not asking them to spend 100 Million. The Twins and A's showed you can win in the AL with low payrolls, but the Rays went from a 35 Million dollar payroll to 24 Million last year (30th of 30).

By comparison, the 26th lowest payroll is DOUBLE that. Teams like the A's and Twins spend in the 60-70 Million range.

a team that spends well below the MLB average payroll of 85 Million does not deserve 300 Million for a stadium...sorry.

You didn't answer my question either ......

They spent way more than $24 million during the "Hit Show". How did that turn out? ....... If they're spending $30 million two years from now and still losing 100 games a year, I won't say a thing about cheap attacks on the organization...