It's Official, Rays considering name change

[BigShoop]

Rays works fine based off the current name, nickname, etc. but I tell ya the Tampa Bay Saints is cool name and should appease the St. Pete crowd.

Except for the fact that the Bucs play the Saints twice a year.............

THINK PEOPLE!

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Rays works fine based off the current name, nickname, etc. but I tell ya the Tampa Bay Saints is cool name and should appease the St. Pete crowd.

Except for the fact that the Bucs play the Saints twice a year.............

THINK PEOPLE!

Well, the St. Louis Rams play the Arizona Cardinals twice a year. Forgetting that the Cardinals used to actually play in St. Louis, how is that any different?

Plenty of team names are recycled. I fail to see why this would be an issue.

[TBGKon]

The Devil Rays need a retractable roof stadium.

While your argument is sound, and Florida weather would seem to make a roof of some kind almost mandatory, your argument overlooks one salient point: The Rays can't draw anyone to the park now, so how can you justify Tampa/St. Pete and the state of Florida footing the bill to build a newer, more expensive playpen to house a team no one is supporting in great numbers at present? "If you build it, they will come" is not good enough if it's my tax dollars on the line...

The location is a problem, it is nowhere near in the general area of the populus. Here is a map showing where myself and a group of friends agree where a new ballpark should be:

The green dot is where the Rays play

The red dot is where the Buccaneers play

The blue dot is where the Lightning play

The black box is generally where the Rays should consider a new ballpark

For the most part the other 2 teams are centrally located and placing the Rays in the box would centralize the team in the area

Oldsmar?!!!

Explain to me how you're going to get people to a stadium in OLDSMAR on a weekday night at 7pm. Please do.

A more logical choice would be either downtown Tampa(where there are ZERO traffic problems after the 5 oclock rush), somewhere near the fairgrounds(I-4 and I-75 area), or basically anywhere where 2 interstates meet (ie: the veterans and I-275 or even Ulmerton and I-275)

you gotta think of an area that has land to offer:

-Ulmerton and 275...maybe

-Vets and 275 ...where? there is no room there for a ballpark and all the necessities wth the ballpark

-Fairgrounds...possibility

Right now in it's current condition, Oldsmar is a no, but by the time the Rays need a ballpark who knows what it'll be like up there.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I briefly lived in Tampa, and I can't think of a single good location for a new Rays stadium, save right next door to Legends Field. Considering people already know where the Bucs play (Dixie Highway, right?), at least they won't be confused.

The problem with Tampa is that there is no central area of the city to place a stadium. The Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater area is a hodgepodge of strip malls, subdivisions and shopping malls with a network of bridges and interstates connecting people to one another. Even still, any trip to any place requires the use of a car, public transportation is a joke, and Tampa has no downtown to speak of.

Where to put a baseball stadium for the Rays? How about Charlotte, NC?

[Mac the Knife]

I briefly lived in Tampa, and I can't think of a single good location for a new Rays stadium, save right next door to Legends Field. Considering people already know where the Bucs play (Dixie Highway, right?), at least they won't be confused.

The problem with Tampa is that there is no central area of the city to place a stadium. The Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater area is a hodgepodge of strip malls, subdivisions and shopping malls with a network of bridges and interstates connecting people to one another. Even still, any trip to any place requires the use of a car, public transportation is a joke, and Tampa has no downtown to speak of.

Where to put a baseball stadium for the Rays? How about Charlotte, NC?

Charlotte's not the place to put 'em in North Carolina. They'd only draw slightly better than they are now.

[Gothamite]

The problem is the Rays' lease. St. Pete is not going to let them out of the lease, and that's the only thing keeping them from trying to beat the Marlins out of the state.

That's the Catch-22 for Rays fans - the only thing keeping them in Tampa Bay is the stadium that some claim keeps the fans away....

[Survival79]

The problem is the Rays' lease.  St. Pete is not going to let them out of the lease, and that's the only thing keeping them from trying to beat the Marlins out of the state.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiight.

I know that I look at this franchise through tinted glasses and that the problems are numerous and well documented.

That being said, Vince Naimoli did one hell of a job distancing the fans and the community. I think, given the proper chance, Stu Sternberg can right this ship.

[WSU151]

Rays works fine based off the current name, nickname, etc. but I tell ya the Tampa Bay Saints is cool name and should appease the St. Pete crowd.

Except for the fact that the Bucs play the Saints twice a year.............

THINK PEOPLE!

Well, the St. Louis Rams play the Arizona Cardinals twice a year. Forgetting that the Cardinals used to actually play in St. Louis, how is that any different?

Plenty of team names are recycled. I fail to see why this would be an issue.

It's different. The Cardinals baseball team was in St. Louis before the Rams...just like the Buccaneers were in Tampa before the Rays. If the St. Louis Rams changed their name to "Cubs", which is akin to the Rays changing to "Saints", I'm sure there would be outrage.

[pooter]

The location is a problem, it is nowhere near in the general area of the populus. Here is a map showing where myself and a group of friends agree where a new ballpark should be:

The black box is generally where the Rays should consider a new ballpark

On the old site of The Tanga Lounge!

[simpsontide]

The Devil Rays need a retractable roof stadium.

While your argument is sound, and Florida weather would seem to make a roof of some kind almost mandatory, your argument overlooks one salient point: The Rays can't draw anyone to the park now, so how can you justify Tampa/St. Pete and the state of Florida footing the bill to build a newer, more expensive playpen to house a team no one is supporting in great numbers at present? "If you build it, they will come" is not good enough if it's my tax dollars on the line...

The location is a problem, it is nowhere near in the general area of the populus. Here is a map showing where myself and a group of friends agree where a new ballpark should be:

The green dot is where the Rays play

The red dot is where the Buccaneers play

The blue dot is where the Lightning play

The black box is generally where the Rays should consider a new ballpark

For the most part the other 2 teams are centrally located and placing the Rays in the box would centralize the team in the area

Oldsmar?!!!

Explain to me how you're going to get people to a stadium in OLDSMAR on a weekday night at 7pm. Please do.

A more logical choice would be either downtown Tampa(where there are ZERO traffic problems after the 5 oclock rush), somewhere near the fairgrounds(I-4 and I-75 area), or basically anywhere where 2 interstates meet (ie: the veterans and I-275 or even Ulmerton and I-275)

you gotta think of an area that has land to offer:

-Ulmerton and 275...maybe

-Vets and 275 ...where? there is no room there for a ballpark and all the necessities wth the ballpark

-Fairgrounds...possibility

Right now in it's current condition, Oldsmar is a no, but by the time the Rays need a ballpark who knows what it'll be like up there.

Why not build it off of I-4 between Lakeland and Tampa? If you build it halfway between the cities it would only be about 17 miles away from the city. They could draw more fans from the Lakeland area and maybe Orlando since they would be that much closer for them.

[Gothamite]

Riiiiiiiiiiiiight.

I know that I look at this franchise through tinted glasses and that the problems are numerous and well documented.

That being said, Vince Naimoli did one hell of a job distancing the fans and the community. I think, given the proper chance, Stu Sternberg can right this ship.

When exactly did Naimoli alienate the fans?

They had one sellout in the first season. For an MLB team these days, that's pathetic.

Did he distance the fans before they played their second game?

[Survival79]

Riiiiiiiiiiiiight.

I know that I look at this franchise through tinted glasses and that the problems are numerous and well documented.

That being said, Vince Naimoli did one hell of a job distancing the fans and the community. I think, given the proper chance, Stu Sternberg can right this ship.

When exactly did Naimoli alienate the fans?

They had one sellout in the first season. For an MLB team these days, that's pathetic.

Did he distance the fans before they played their second game?

March 9, 1995

If you are really interested in knowing the whole story, the St. Petersburg Times did a lengthy piece called "What went wrong? Devil Rays 1995-2005" in March 2005.

[Brian in Boston]

When exactly did Naimoli alienate the fans?

Whe he hired Chuck LaMar, the worst General Manager in baseball, to run the Devil Rays.

LaMar went on to "build" (I use the term loosely) a franchise that lacked a direction in terms of developing talent. It was a never-ending series of "one-year plans" with LaMar at the helm... and it showed in terms of the product the Devil Rays put on the field.

The only two things LaMar did consistently in terms of developing talent was to value athleticism over skills and to err on the side of drafting "high potential" high-schoolers over proven collegiate talent. For example, before the Devil Rays ever took the field or sold a ticket, LaMar had signed Matt White and Bobby Seay - a couple of unproven high school players - as the lynchpins of the organization. Both proved to be busts. They were the first, but they sure as hell wouldn't be the last.

There are a hell of a lot of baseball fans in the Tampa Bay area. They've seen countless schoolboy standouts develop their talents on diamonds throughout the region. They've flocked to spring training and Florida State League games, watching as ballplayers with raw talent grew into major-leaguers. In short, baseball fans around Tampa Bay know the difference between quality baseball and the piss-poor brand that Naimoli's stooge LaMar was peddling.

In short, baseball fans in the region chose not to be suckered into buying inferior goods. Many chose not to do so from Day 1. Unfortunately for the franchise, Vince Naimoli apparently lacked both the vision and the knowledge of his fans, because he stuck by Chuck LaMar for far too long and crippled a franchise in the process.

[pooter]

That being said, Vince Naimoli did one hell of a job distancing the fans and the community.

When exactly did Naimoli alienate the fans?

This is just one story.

Naimoli gets into another dispute

[sOUTH PINELLAS Edition]

St. Petersburg Times - St. Petersburg, Fla.

Author: MARC TOPKIN

Date: Apr 11, 2005

Tom Chuparkoff, a self-described die-hard Rays fan, said [Vince Naimoli] screamed and cursed at him during a heated confrontation outside Tropicana Field after Saturday's game. Naimoli, however, said he was calm and polite during the exchange and has "never been disrespectful to a fan."

Chuparkoff, 28, e-mailed the Times on Sunday to say he and 25 or so other fans were waiting outside the fenced player/employee parking lot when he saw Naimoli about 30 yards away and shouted, "Hey, Mr. Naimoli, spend some money. See what happens when we spend money? We win, 11-2. Great victory."

Naimoli, according to Chuparkoff, then walked briskly to the fence and began yelling at him. Chuparkoff, wearing a Rays jersey and hat at the time, said he told Naimoli he was "just busting your chops" but Naimoli continued his outburst, calling him a "sarcastic smart- - - kid" and, despite the presence of several children, used more profanity.

"He absolutely lost it," Chuparkoff said in a telephone interview. "He just blew up. I was shocked. It was absolutely uncalled for. It was amazing."

[TBGKon]

*spam removed*

?????...what's this?

[Mings]

  *spam removed*

?????...what's this?

Its Tom O'Grady trying to fill up more of his already over-inflated ego.

Yeah thats retaliation for a few months ago and your comments about my concepts.

[bricknivy]

*spam removed*

[TBGKon]

dude, this isn't a place to advertise your services, feel free to go elsewhere if you want to do plop like that.

[RichardWitham]

i think mr o'grady doesnt have plugaphobia....

he has robeaphobia

[CubsFanBudMan]

Could someone remove this spam like they did on the other thread. I came here expecting Rays talk, not this. Might as well ban him, too, if this is all he'll post. And, no I don't know who Tom O'Grady is.

The post it links to is from 2003... please. If you're going to spam, at least have something worthwhile there, not a lame post after it saying "more to come." Follow your name and get a real "game plan."