Hagan has eye on the ball

Hillsborough County Commission Chairman Ken Hagan is right to invite a group that studied ways to keep the Tampa Bay Rays in the region to discuss its findings with officials on this side of the bay.

So far, St. Petersburg officials have foolishly rejected the chance to meet with A Baseball Community (ABC) coalition, obviously miffed that the group of community leaders identified two Tampa locations as desirable ballpark sites and only one in Pinellas County.

St. Petersburg, which raised so many objections to the Rays' proposed waterfront ballpark that the team shelved it, isn't acting like a major-league city. Its leaders seem to forget the coalition was formed at the request of former Mayor Rick Baker. Members spent more than 16 months researching possible stadium locations and other issues key to the Rays' future.

Hagan simply offers the volunteer group the chance to present its findings. This is not an attempt to steal the Rays from St. Petersburg or Pinellas. But it would be irresponsible for Hillsborough not to seek information about a major enterprise that could leave the region.

If Nielsen Media Research, Honeywell or Raytheon - all major Pinellas County employers - were eyeing new locations, Hillsborough and Tampa would be foolish not to hear what they needed.

The coalition's report is clear: The region faces losing the Rays, whose economic impact is estimated at between $136.5 million a year and more than $200 million. The team, whose lease expires in 2027, needs a new ballpark to replace antiquated Tropicana Field, which soon will be the last such dome in the big leagues. Downtown St. Petersburg is too far from the population center. North St. Petersburg and Tampa's downtown and WestShore areas "represent the best options in terms of demographic trends, potential fan attraction and corporate support."

Hillsborough and Tampa don't have any public money for a new ballpark and a third professional major sports franchise. Still, the funding issue and current recession shouldn't preclude local leaders from gathering facts for a possible future decision.

If St. Petersburg and Pinellas can't come through, Tampa and Hillsborough should be ready to go to the plate. As Hagan puts it, "I am not asking for any action, but it's in the region's best interest to have an open dialogue. We just want to hear what they are reporting."