The Tampa Bay Rays‘ proposed plan to split the season between Florida and Montreal was rejected by Major League Baseball.
Rice’s principal owner, Stewart Sternberg, announced the news on Thursday.
“Today’s news is full of deflation,” Sternberg said.
The idea of playing in both the Tampa Bay area and Montreal has been debated in recent years after failed attempts to build a new full-time football stadium locally.
“It’s progressed really well and things have been going really well, and then recently it’s sort of turned south and we’re not sure exactly why,” Sternberg said. “I have no doubt that what we have tried to achieve with the Sister City plan will become acceptable in all professional sports. Major League Baseball just isn’t ready to go that far now. »
When asked if he felt somewhat betrayed by his co-owners, Sternberg replied, “It’s a word. »
“The game is weird in many ways, and things happen for many reasons,” Sternberg said. “Sometimes for good, but always in good faith for the same game. We often have different opinions on what that might mean. »
“Sometimes people don’t like to be first,” Sternberg added. “There was a colleague on this call when we came out of criticism a few years ago and he was like, ‘I get it, I get it, but why should you be first.’ It’s just different ways of approaching things. We don’t mind being the first to care.
Montreal had a major league team from 1969, when Expo began to grow, until 2004. Expo moved to Washington and became the national team for the 2005 season.
“They were just as devastating, if not more so, than I was on the news,” Sternberg said.
Montreal businessman Stephen Bronfman, who ran the Montreal group, told reporters Thursday that the shared plan for the season is “the way of the future.”
“It’s very progressive thinking and it will happen,” he said. “But most of the time it takes a first set, a first league and the first person to step in and take that leap of faith.
“We were going to prove to them that they were okay. They would have done the right thing with our support. Too bad they didn’t end up making that call. »
Bronfman said there is currently no “plan B” to bring baseball back to Montreal.
“I grew up with the game, I love Montreal and I believe in what we’re working on,” he said. “I think we’re all a bit exhausted today… but anything can happen. We’re putting a lot of work into that market and I think there’s a lot of data out there, and there’s a lot of positive news about what Montreal means to baseball, what it can accomplish.”
Success on the field does not lead to ticket sales
The Rays’ lease at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., where the team has played since its inaugural season in 1998, expires after the 2027 season.
Since Sternberg took over in October 2005, the once struggling franchise has had success in the field, but not at the box office.
Despite reaching the World Championships in 2008 and 2020, the Rays have ranked near the bottom in attendance each year. Rai fans averaged around 9,500 for home games last season, 28th in major tournaments and ahead of only Miami and Auckland.
Ken Welch, mayor of Saint Petersburg, said he believed a new stadium in his city was still a possibility. Government officials are working on a redevelopment plan for the Tropicana Field site.
“We are working with our county partners and the city council to develop the best possible plan, which will work in tandem with my planned development of major development proposals at Tropicana Field,” Welch said in a statement. “Through this collaborative approach, I’m confident we can partner with the Tampa Bay Rays to create an iconic new full-time home for Major League Baseball in St. Petersburg while delivering historic equitable economic growth.” »
The city of Tampa in the mix to host Rise
The city of Tampa is also in on it.
“Our goal has always been to keep Rice in Tampa Bay,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a statement. “We have been working on sister cities and full season proposals, and now we can focus all of our energy on a full season. I’m optimistic that Rice will remember Tampa Bay for many years to come. »
Sternberg said the team will definitely explore options in the Tampa Bay area. He has no plans to sell the team or seek permission to explore the MLB transition.
“We will see what the stands will look like this year and the support we will receive, and that will help inform us and move our plans forward,” Sternberg said.
