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Rays To Play 3-Game Series At Disney Again

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By MARC LANCASTER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 12, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Sometime soon, the Rays would like their home games to be in enough demand that moving regular-season contests elsewhere won't be a consideration, but they aren't there yet.

For the second consecutive season, the Rays plan to leave Tropicana Field for three days and play a home series at Disney's Wide World of Sports. The team officially announced the long-expected move Friday, asking the St. Petersburg City Council to approve the shift of the Rays' April 22-24 series against the Toronto Blue Jays to Disney.

The council will consider the request at its Jan. 24 meeting. According to an agenda posted on the city's Web site, city administrators have recommended approval of the resolution, which includes various compensatory measures offered up by the Rays.

Among them:

•The city will be compensated for its share of ticket revenues for the three games based on the average attendance for Monday through Thursday games played at Tropicana Field last season.

•The city will receive 20 field box seats and six suite level seats for each game at Disney, along with one parking pass for every two tickets.

•The city will get use of Progress Energy Park at no cost during the 2008 and 2009 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg races.

In a letter addressed to St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, Rays president Matt Silverman emphasized that the team's aim in moving another series to Disney was to continue to expand its fan base beyond the Tampa Bay area and "has absolutely no connection with the proposals currently under discussion regarding the construction of a new ballpark in downtown St. Petersburg and the redevelopment of the Tropicana Field site."

A few other entities, such as the Florida State League, still must officially sign off on the move, but the Rays don't expect any trouble there. The Blue Jays already are on board with the plan.

As was the case last season, when the Rays moved a three-game midweek series against the Texas Rangers in May to Disney, season-ticket holders will be able to purchase roughly equivalent seats for the relocated games or choose between compensation in "Rays dollars" for use at concession stands and a credit to their account.

The Rangers series last year drew an average of 8,806 fans, peaking with a crowd of 9,635 in the final game. Tampa Bay won all three games, sealing the sweep with a walk-off home run by Delmon Young in the 10th inning of the finale. The Rays hope last year's experience will help bring better crowds to this year's games.

"The first time you do anything, it's always harder," Silverman said. "We get to build upon last year's momentum and hopefully enjoy three sellouts."

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.

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