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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 8, 2007

An Orchestrated Ploy

Regarding "The Rays' New Game Plan" (Commentary, Dec. 2):

Contrary to the smooth and evasive Stuart Sternberg, this is not a "game plan," but a carefully orchestrated ploy, and only the first step.

It's important to recognize what's under way here. After suffering through the arrogance of Vince Naimoli, the incompetence of Chuck Lamar and the 10 losing seasons - 9 out of 10 years in last place - we're now witnessing the first step in the Wall Street Whiz Kid's real plan to move the team out of the Tampa Bay area.

Current management's previous baseball experience involved limousine trips to New York stadiums and a couple of hours in a luxury suite.

It's obvious that these Whiz Kids are unaware of our area's reputation as the "lightning capital of North America." Otherwise they would recognize the danger and foolishness of an open-air ball field, regardless of a retractable cover, plus a pole that will also serve as a lightning rod! That one reason alone refutes their rationale.

Wake up, Tampa Bay. The con is on, and the carpetbaggers are in swing unless St. Petersburg decides to prove that it's not still stuck on stupid.

DAN CALABRIA

South Pasadena

Plan Is Too Large

The Rays have a massive plan for a massive amount of money for a bigger and better stadium. The statistics tell the story.

Zero additional parking says it all. There is no interest in growing the fan base. Why bother? The average Joe can't afford their prices, let alone season tickets.

All of this grandiose growth is for the indulgence and luxury to bask in the glory of perceived success. All of this just to be able to watch a good, old-fashioned game of baseball.

MARY DOYLE

N. Redington Beach

Players Win Games

As a Rays' season ticket holder for 10 years, I was looking back on the Rays inaugural program and the article written by Vince Naimoli, then managing partner, welcoming the fans to Tropicana Field. Naimoli proudly heralded the stadium as a "state of the arts sports facility" and described Tropicana Field as "one of the most unique enjoyable facilities in the country and a ballpark that would be the talk of baseball for years to come."

This was written after approximately $100 million was spent to acclimate Tropicana for Major League Baseball.

Now a new majority ownership group, controlled by out-of-state investors, is attempting to ask the taxpayers to once again participate in the funding of a new facility despite the fact that Tropicana is a functioning ballpark, air-conditioned throughout, with ample parking and with easy access to the interstate from adjoining counties.

New ballparks, uniforms and team names do not win or lose games - players do. Specifically, unless out-of-state ownership opens its pockets to bring in quality free agents to play with the Rays' young collection of talent, the team will continue to lose and be the subject of comic relief on the late-night talk shows.

Rather than spending money on architectural fees, public relations gimmicks and the like, it would be much more productive for ownership to commit to increasing players' salaries commensurate with the average spent by other teams in Major League Baseball.

Slogans such as "It's a whole new Ballgame," "Heart and Hustle" and "Hit Parade" are getting old, and it is time to stop operating the team on the cheap and further diverting the fans' attention from the business at hand, which does not include a taxpayer-supported new stadium.

RICHARD A. HIRSCH

Tampa

Just What City Needs

I am 62 years old and a huge baseball fan. I have not been this excited about baseball since I was a young man playing the game. The news of the new Rays proposed stadium is music to my ears.

I come from Pennsylvania and attended games at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium. It was a concrete pit where you drove to the game, saw the game, then fought traffic for over an hour to get out. It was a baseball game experience.

I also attended games at Baltimore's downtown Camden Yards. On game days in Baltimore, the restaurants, bars and shops at the nearby Inner Harbor as well as the Eutaw Street area at the stadium were a flurry of activity, with people having a good time and spending money. It was more than just a baseball game; it was an eventful experience with a baseball game at a beautiful stadium in a beautiful location. After the game many fans hung out, walked to the harbor and continued to have a good day.

The proposed stadium plans look like a beautiful structure in a beautiful location, one that any city should be proud to call theirs. People are crying for a better team. A better team comes from better attendance and a better facility, not the other way around. With this new stadium, St. Petersburg will have both, and having both will make players want to come here and be a part of Rays' baseball.

As Rays' officials have stated, it will be a win-win situation for all. I hope St. Pete residents will not have tunnel vision for the immediate dollars but look at the long-range plan and how it will benefit the community for many years to come.

JESSE SHROM

Tampa

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