By Elijah Alvarado, Sports Editor
The Tampa Bay Rays are the beloved home baseball team of the Tampa Bay area. However, on Sept. 30, the news broke that after 22 years, the principal owner, Stuart Sternberg, sold the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball franchise.
The franchise was sold for $1.7 billion. It was sold to a new ownership group, led by Patrick Zalupski, who is also the CEO of Dream Finders Home, based out of Jacksonville, Florida. It was sold after being unanimously approved by Major League Baseball (MLB) owners. Moving into this new era, the owners look forward to a bright future.
“It’s an incredible honor to become the stewards of the Tampa Bay Rays, a franchise with a proud history and a bright future,” said Zalupski according to a press release by the MLB website.
When it comes to Sternberg finding his successors to continue the Tampa Bay Rays franchise journey, it was important for him to know they will continue to grow this franchise with passion and serve not only the organization but the Rays fan base; this new ownership has the right mindset for that.
“Baseball has always been a part of my life, and now I get to join an ownership group for a team I’ve admired for years,” said Bill Cosgrove, co-chair of the Tampa Bay Rays and member of the group that purchased the Rays, according to a press release by the MLB website. “It’s humbling, and I can’t wait to share this journey with the fans and the Tampa Bay community.”
This big move does not only mean a lot to the franchise but also to the fans and surrounding communities in the Tampa Bay area. Many fans are excited to see a change within the organization, as, over the years, there have been conversations on topics such as finding the Rays a new ballpark.
Over the last 10–15 years, the idea of a new stadium has been brought up, but action has yet to be seen. This is something Rays fans considered when expressing their reaction to this move by Sternberg and Zalupski. One local Rays fan shares his excitement and why he is excited.
“Well, I was happy about the change, because Sternberg has been talking for years about moving the team to Tampa and infusing it with the additional capital for building a stadium. They’ve been talking about that for 15 years, and it still hasn’t materialized,” said Kim Payne, instructor of marketing and communication at Saint Leo University.
Over the past several years, the Rays have had issues selling out at their home ballpark, the Tropicana Field in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Many fans say it is because the ballpark itself is rundown or outdated; others say it is because of the location.
“I’ve only gone to a dozen games collectively over the last 15 years. I would go to 10 or 12 games a season if the stadium had been in Tampa,” stated Payne. “I’d probably have a partial ticket plan.”
Moving the team to a highly populated city like Tampa can have a huge impact on the Rays’ attendance and surrounding businesses, which could benefit the local economy.
“If they do finally decide to move the team to Tampa, the positive impact is the economic impact that it is going to have on the city of Tampa,” said Payne.
Tampa, especially in areas that contain many bars, restaurants, and hotels which attract fans, will see a positive improvement in their business, but, unfortunately, may cause Saint Petersburgeconomics to take a hit.
This is another topic fans have talked about: how they would want the ballpark within reach of additional entertainment locations such as bars and restaurants. Also, for hotels, this change will attract more attention to the Tampa from tourists.
Many believe the Tampa Bay Rays historically had the lowest payroll across the League, and the low number of tickets being sold plays a big factor in this situation. Moving the stadium or building a stadium that attracts attention can bring better profit for this organization.
Payne explained that if the owners are bringing in money to help strengthen the team, by keeping the players they want and adding new ones who fit well with the team, that will be a good thing.
Payne also believes this was the right time to sell the franchise and sees it as having a potential positive impact for the franchise moving into the future.
Between the Rays now former owner, Sternberg, Major League Baseball, and local officials, ideas of moving or staying put and building a new stadium have floated around with the goal of staying within reach of the Rays fan base.
Since this will be the first season under Zalupski and his staff ownership, there aren’t any real expectations for a new stadium announcement anytime soon, but there is confidence that this announcement is on the horizon.
“I think, overall, it’s a very positive thing,” said Payne. “I think they’re receptive to seriously wanting to move the team to Tampa.”
