* What’s it going to take for the St. Petersburg–Let’s Hold a Workshop!–City Council to get real–as in enlightened self-interest real–about what to do with the Rays? Will Jeff Vinik have to make an offer on those 85 underutilized, underperforming Trop acres?
The Rays are a regional priority but a parochial, St. Pete diversion.
The issue is beyond fundamental: What’s the highest and best use of this real estate? We know what isn’t. Even a new St. Pete facility would still be in a poorly-sited, demographic- and transit-challenged location–and, thus, still wouldn’t work.
Catalytic, synergistic, full Trop development would be a game-changer. And everyone in the know knows that the Trop is plunked down on the hottest piece of commercial real estate in the area.
Put it this way. The Tampa Bay region ultimately risks losing the Rays because St. Petersburg doesn’t work. And the city of St. Petersburg continues to negligently defer proceeding with a responsible master-planned development of choice real estate.
* We’ll know that the Rays have taken a decidedly, hardball negotiation approach if it turns out that they’re one of the clubs that Montreal mayor Denis Coderre says has expressed interest in playing home games next season in Montreal. Former Expo (1969-2004) fans have packed 45,000-seat Olympic Stadium the past two years for spring training games. Officially, the Rays, who rank last in MLB attendance, say they know nothing about it.
* Congratulations–again–to the University of Tampa baseball team for winning the NCAA Division II national championship. It was the Spartans’ second in three years and fourth under head coach Joe Urso.