Buckhorn: "We Need to Start Looking at Other Options"

In one of his most direct comments on the Rays' Stadium Saga since taking office, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn told WTVT today that "we need to start looking at other options" after Commissioner Bud Selig once again criticized Tampa Bay's attendance.

"If the business model doesn't work in St. Petersburg, if the fans are not attending, if the corporations are not buying tickets, if the stadium is outdated, then something needs to change and something will change, whether we like it or not," Buckhorn told the station.

However, as I've said countless times, we still have no evidence that "the business model doesn't work." As WTSP's Adam Freeman reported today, the Rays are one of the league's most profitable teams and the franchise is worth double what it was when Stu Sternberg purchased it.

"Nowhere in our agreement with the Rays has the city accepted responsibility for attendance at the Trop," St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster told WTVT. "Per our agreement that runs through 2027, we build the house. We pay for the house and you play baseball."

Buckhorn acknowledged that he's "got to be careful because they have a contract," but added that "I can't see the Rays continuing to play in that environment with that type of fan support."

Bud Don't Wanna Work, He Just Wants to Bang on the Drum All Day

It may be the All-Star Break, but MLB Commissioner Bud Selig keeps banging the Rays' attendance drum at every opportunity, calling their 29th-ranked average "inexcusable" and "disappointing."

But the good folks at DRays Bay put the situation in a bit of perspective and fire right back at the commissioner:

It bears repeating that the team is one of 17 teams in baseball whose 2012 attendance figures are ahead of the 2011 pace. When you consider the fact the team has been without its marquee player since the end of April and has limped through the games since with more injuries and usage of players that were picked up off scrap heaps, it is rather amazing the team has seen an increase of 1,314 per game over last season.

After three consecutive seasons of declining attendance, the team is seeing an improvement at the turnstiles this season. At the current pace, 138,035 more fans will have taken in a game at Tropicana Field in 2012 than they did last season.
...
Mr. Selig, it is rather inexcusable that the teams currently in first and second place in the A.L. Central are down in their attendance figures this season than last season. The Chicago White Sox are seeing 1,285 less fans per game this season despite the fact they are leading the division while Cleveland is seeing 1,851 less fans despite being just one game out of the wildcard at 44-41. How about the Angels, who are 48-38 and leading the wildcard standings and yet are seeing 1,755 less fans per game?

It is inexcusable to keep beating this dead horse unless the master wants to help fix the situation by facilitating a move to the more populated side of the bay. Over the last 18 months, the Tampa side of the bay has seen their population grow by more than three percent while the St. Petersburg side of the bay has grown just one-tenth of a percent. It should be more inexcusable that the Twins have a gorgeous new stadium and are seeing 4,313 less fans per game this season in a market where they are they have at least two generations of fans. It should be more inexcusable that your players can be arrested for drunk driving and not be suspended. It should be inexcusable that you let your personal bias about instant replay take over the national discussion despite the fact the majority of fans do want replay (Rasmussen 2009, mlb.com 2011).

Mr. Olney - if we all could make choices so easily. Those choices can be influenced by a still higher than national average unemployment rate, or the unpopular surcharges implemented by the Rays when purchasing tickets within 5 hours of first pitch, or even the tiered-pricing model that they and other teams around the league use as a pricing model. I want to take my son to the game on Sunday for his 7th birthday but I would be lying if the $48.90 pricetag for two seats in the upper deck of the left field area did not give me great pause while staring at a higher electric bill due to the blistering summer heat in central Florida in these summer months. It could also be the fact the stadium is poorly located and there are only so many people that can make an hour-long commute in bay-area rush hour traffic to make a game during the week.

The choice that should be made here is to stop pointing fingers and start talking and writing about solutions to the issues, in the best interest of the sport. If bloggers from their proverbial basements can do it, certainly it can be done at the national level.

By no means do I think the Rays' attendance situation is a "good" one, but the more you remind fans of it, the more likely it is to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

UPDATE: Rays Index writes, "Hey Bud Selig, Shut The Hell Up"

Selig Echoes Support for New Rays Stadium

Not exactly breaking news: Bud Selig tells a group of reporters the Rays need a new stadium:

"They need a new ballpark, there's no question," Selig said. "I talked a lot to Stu Sternberg and he's talking to people. He and I have had many conversations, and we'll just monitor the situation. He's doing what he should do. He's there, he's talking to all parties trying to see what he can do."

For those of you keeping score at home, Selig said the same thing two weeks ago as well as two years ago. He's helped almost every MLB team open up new ballparks over the past few decades and you can bet he's hoping to add two more (Rays & A's) before he's done.

Selig Talks Rays on Opening Night 2012

According to ESPN's Jayson Stark, Bud Selig sees the Rays heading down the same road as the Marlins. He tweeted:

Selig on whether Rays will open new park any time soon: "Five or 10 years ago, you could make a case this (Marlins Park) would never happen"

He also told TCPalm.com that the Rays are "playing in a stadium where they can't make it."

Meanwhile, since Selig seems content with drawing the Rays' situation out into the next 5-10 years, you can keep yourself occupied with fine pieces of journalism like this from the Huffington Post's Ethan Casey.

Casey admits he's bitter that Fenway Park dodged the wrecking ball while his beloved Tigers Stadium could not. As I've written before, both stadiums were considered derelicts 15 years ago (much like the Trop is now), but image is everything and the Red Sox have actually done better than they could have ever imagined without the new digs.

Grass-Roots Group Wants Selig Intervention

Yesterday I reported on 10 News/WTSP that the grass-roots group, "Build it Downtown Tampa," has written MLB commissioner Bud Selig a letter urging him to intervene in the stalemate between St. Pete and the Rays.

Then, this morning, we chatted about the developments (and lack thereof) again:

Bud Selig: Commissioner for Life!

Good read this week from Maury Brown (The Biz of Baseball) about how Bud Selig won't retire as planned and may just be comissioner for life.

And why not? He's helped most of the teams in the league get new stadiums and taken MLB from a $1 billion business to a $7 billion business. Which is why he's not done yet.

Aside from another increase in revenues, 2012 will likely gift baseball with a resolution to the A's stadium saga, leaving Selig to focus fully on Tampa Bay in 2013.

Baseball: I live for this!

Selig Weighs in on Stadium Saga

Times reporter Marc Topkin reported Thursday night that MLB Commissioner Bud Selig had some not-so-endearing comments about the Rays' stadium search while appearing on a SiriusXM radio show:

Said Selig: "I like Stu Sternberg a lot, as you probably know. I have a great deal of respect for him. He's a very thoughtful, very interesting guy, done a great job there, done a brilliant job there. I, too, am concerned about their attendance. I track attendance every day. He knows it. I've talked to him a lot. They are a wonderful organization, produced a terrific team this year and finished last in the American League in attendance. I'll let you draw your own conclusion. That's bad."

Russo then asked, Is the stadium situation in Tampa (Bay) a lost cause?

Selig's response: "I can't answer that yet but I'm usually an optimist and I don't have any reason to be too optimistic."

Sure, Selig said in July he would stay on the sidelines of the stadium stalemate, but we knew it wouldn't be long before he jumped back into the game.

As I wrote at the start of the season, "Expect a steady dose of Sternberg and Bud Selig comments designed to grow that fear (of relocation). It's your choice to buy into it or not."

Going to be a long decade in the Stadium Saga...

Rays Stadium Saga is MLB's Problem

Yesterday, I wrote how the Rays' Stadium Saga is like the U.S. debt ceiling debate. Except, of course, MLB could keep going down the same path and remain profitable.

But the issue deserves more attention because despite all the noise about small-market teams losing money, MLB has had an anti-trust exemption for almost 90 years and, in many ways, functions as a single business, not 30 individual businesses (see how they're trying to rescue the Dodgers).

With $7B in revenue last year, there's plenty of profit in MLB to go around. And although revenue sharing is considered by some a crutch and a problem, it's neither; revenue sharing is a symptom of the league allowing teams to spend dollars proportional to their cities' size (because its more profitable that way).

As much as the Steinbrenners and Lucchino/Werner/Henry clans may want revenue sharing reduced, it will remain an important part of the MLB business model as long as salaries continue to grow (which they will). But since the big clubs profit more if the smaller clubs profit more, a stadium in Tampa Bay is so important to everyone in the league.

A good point is raised by Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball, who says MLB owners already padded their pockets on the backs of Tampa Bay:

St. Pete built the then-Florida Suncoast Dome in 1986 to try and bring MLB to the market. When it was completed in 1990, it, and Tampa Bay-St. Pete became a lever to get new stadiums around the league built. Whether it was the White Sox, Giants, or Mariners, all used relocation to the new Dome as a way to get shiny ballparks built.

The stadium debate isn't about the Rays - it's about the profits of all 30 MLB clubs. If simply building a new stadium was the instant fix some people suggest, MLB would step in to help close the $200 million funding gap Tampa Bay faces in building a $500-$600 million stadium. But it's not. Unfortunately, the stadium debate is much like the national debt debate and there's no instant fix.

The problem in Tampa Bay isn't just about the fans or the market - it's about MLB. It allowed its business expenses to skyrocket, and now it wants you to help fix it.

How the Rays Stadium Saga is Like the National Debt Debate

We already know the Trop is like Pensacola Beach after an oil spill and the Rays are like "Big Oil," but the stalemate in the Stadium Saga has remarkable comparisons to the national debt showdown.

While the Rays have indicated they aren't generating enough revenue to remain competitive in the long-term, the same question many in Washington are asking should be asked here: does MLB really just have a spending problem?

Last year I suggested the Rays' inability to "keep up with the Joneses" was because MLB allowed major-market teams to jack up the going rate for star players:

You have teams like the Rays - very well-run and successful in player-development - that still can't compete in the standings every year because they can't compete on the free agent market.
This is a serious flaw in the game right now.

Whether the problem lies in revenue sharing or the league's inability to reign in the spending of major-market teams, the result is the same - teams like the Rays have no choice but to settle for long-term mediocrity...or plead for public dollars.

That's not the fault of the Rays' front office or its Tampa Bay fan base.

That's the fault of the Yankees, the Red Sox, Major League Baseball, and the mighty MLB Players' Association; all the parties that let the businesses' overhead (player salaries) grow faster than many cities can bear.

Unfortunately, the Stadium Saga is unlike the nation's debt debate in one way - there seems to be no foregone conclusion at the end of this predictable discussion.

Selig Stays on Sideline in Stadium Saga (for now)

As Times columnist John Romano writes, Commissioner Bud Selig didn't have a whole lot to say on the Rays' stadium search front:

It seems Tampa Bay is notable on Bud Selig's radar these days. The commissioner is impressed with the Rays on the field, concerned with attendance in the stands and bothered by the words of St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster.

On opening day at Tropicana Field, Foster said he was prepared for interference from Major League Baseball and all of the commissioner's "tricks" when it came to stadium issues in Tampa Bay.

Selig would not discuss the apparent stalemate between the Rays and the city but told the St. Petersburg Times that he took exception to the mayor's characterization of his role.

Selig also said that we could soon see more wild-card teams, an action Rays owner Stu Sternberg told me last winter he was very much in favor of.

St. Pete Retaining Bankruptcy Attorney

Remember those "tricks" Mayor Bill Foster said he and St. Petersburg were prepared for?

One of them is the possibility of the Rays declaring bankruptcy to get out of their iron-clad use agreement. The city is in the process of hiring a law firm to monitor the possibility and advise if necessary.

"We have no reason to believe we'll ever need their services," Foster said today of the firm, "but best practices says we should be prepared."

Foster added that he had no indication the Rays had ever - or would ever - consider bankruptcy. But other professional teams have used the strategy to get out of leases in other cities and overtures made by Bud Selig and other high-ranking officials leave the city on alert.

More Contraction-Bashing

I said it was Time to Redact the Contraction Talk. I said Why MLB Contraction Won't Happen. And I lampooned national writers who get used by the league.

Fortunately, there's a growing number of writers discrediting stories - and the people that write them - about contraction.

They now include:
Maury Brown from The Biz of Baseball
Craig Calcaterra from MSNBCJoe Henderson from The Tampa Tribune
And even Bud Selig himself (via The St. Petersburg Times)

Enjoy the reading.

New Season, Same Game in Stadium Saga

It's opening day and that means more talk of the Rays' antiquated stadium!

While I was tempted to simply re-post my "New season, same refrain" column from a year ago, I'll freshen it up. (Although I admit, it's a fun read one year later)

The 2011 season begins much the way the 2010 season did: Rays owner Stu Sternberg makes poorly-veiled threats about the team leaving town and the St. Petersburg Times wants St. Pete to cut the team a break and let it explore other stadium options.

For my readers that get worked up about every Sternberg comment and every rejection from St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster, I say this: relax, and enjoy some baseball.

This is all part of a very long and frustrating process that will continue to get painful for all parties involved. How do I know? As I explained in 2009, it always goes down that way.

But right now, the Rays have little leverage other than the fear that they may relocate (or get contracted, but that's silly).

So expect a steady dose of Sternberg and Bud Selig comments designed to grow that fear. It's your choice to buy into it or not.

I suggest, instead, you enjoy the Rays' exciting on-field action - they're poised for a number of real good years on their not-so-real Tropicana turf.

Why MLB Contraction Won't Happen. Period.

After writing why it's time to "Redact the Contraction Talk," I simply cannot stress enough that the threat of contracting the Tampa Bay Rays (and Oakland Athletics) isn't worth the paper (or LCD screens) the rumors are printed on.

While it may fall short of tortious interference, columnists and "experts" who toss around the C-word are irresponsibly creating leverage for the league. Bud Selig won't directly threaten contraction, but he may make a well-placed call to Ken Rosenthal or Peter Gammons. It has the same effect.

Why won't MLB contract?

The league grossed $7 billion in 2010. It's doing very well in a terrible economy. The Rays were a profitable team despite a bad television contract and a bad stadium location. Could they be more profitable? Sure. Do they hinder MLB's profitable operation? No.

And, when you consider the Rays are due for a huge windfall when their television rights are renegotiated in a few years, there's no way MLB would contract a team in the 14th-largest media market in the country.

Simply put, there's no traction for contraction (hat tip to friend Maury Brown at Biz of Baseball).

And even if MLB wanted to contract the Rays and A's, there are insurmountable problems with MLBPA union issues and various television deals.

For an idea of how tough it is to contract teams in a major professional league, look to the NHL - a league decimated by overexpansion. Both their product and profits have suffered in the last 20 years, but all 30 teams have somehow survived. Many of the Southern teams shouldn't have.

Right now, Anaheim is 25th in attendence despite a good record and playing in the No. 2 media market. Atlanta is 28th despite playing .500 hockey in the No. 8 media market. And Phoenix is 29th despite their second-place record in the 12th-largest media market.

If any league needs to contract, it's the NHL. Or maybe I'm wrong and all those teams simply need new stadiums to cure their attendance ills?

St. Pete Mayor: International Spring Training in '11 is Tryout for WBC Games in '13

Mayor Bill Foster, on his way to Tampa International Airport to welcome the city's first international spring training team, the Nexon Heros from Seoul, Korea, said he thinks a successful slate of games in 2011 can help St. Petersburg land World Baseball Classic games in 2013.

Foster says private donations will make up just about all of the subsidies the Canadian, Dutch, and Korean teams will receive. Additionally, the city will reap the rewards of hotel stays and retail sales from the squads' two-month visits.

The vision for international baseball in St. Pete is to host a 13-game slate in the spring of 2011, land World Baseball Classic play-in games in the fall of 2011, and a full round of WBC games in the spring of 2013.

While Foster and his sports lobbyist Jim Neader have done a great job of making international contacts in their first year, one has to wonder if the city's handling of the Rays' stadium demands will hurt its WBC chances. I also don't know if Bud Selig would allow WBC games to be played in the the league's only remaining domed stadium.

Selig, Sternberg Keep Meeting Details Quiet

Bud Selig and Rays' owner Stuart Sternberg had an opportunity to catch up Thursday at the MLB Owners' Meetings... but the rest of the world may never know if they did.

When asked how much face time Sternberg got with specific individuals during the meetings, he quickly answered, "whatever's needed."

But in October, Selig indicated a conversation with Stu was most definitely needed because of concerns for "clubs that are winning whose (attendance) is consistently below (the league average)."

Reports also surfaced that he advised the Rays to play hardball with Tampa Bay.

Continue reading story here.

Sternberg, Rays Hoping MLB Provides Some Relief

With all 30 owners and all 30 general managers all in the same building, the Rays' front office is hopeful for some good news on their future.

While Rays' majority owner Stu Sternberg didn't want to push the stadium issue, he said he was hopeful the next Major League Baseball Collective Bargaining Agreement would provide relief to teams constantly outspent by division opponents.

Commissioner Bud Selig is expected to address competition issues this week, including possibly expanding the playoffs by another wild-card team in each league. Changes would likely take place in 2012 or possibly even 2011.

Continue reading here.

Rays Avoiding "Financial Investments" in Tampa Bay?

Shocking (but not surprising) article on ESPN.com today about the Rays' stadium saga (h/t Cork Gaines at Rays Index):

According to sources, baseball commissioner Bud Selig has instructed Rays management not to make significant financial investments in the area until attendance indicators improve, suggesting the team could be investing in potential relocation sites.

I have no idea if it's true, but if it is, it would explain why some people around St. Petersburg are ticked the team hasn't utilized outdoor advertising as much it has in the past and why it didn't even communicate with the city in planning an airport pep rally.

I also suspect the "tip" someone (presumably from MLB) dropped to ESPN doesn't actually have to do with spending money in other cities as much as it has to do with creating leverage in the current situation. Remember, teams don't get stadiums until the region fears losing them.

Selig on Tampa Bay's Baseball Viability

When asked about Tampa Bay as a viable baseball market on Tuesday's Mike & Mike show on ESPN Radio, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said:

"I've talked a lot...to Stu Sternberg, the owner (of the Rays) - who has done a terrific job, by the way - about this subject and he and I are going to have a lot of conversations in the offseason about it. I mean, they have produced a remarkable organaization...The average Major-League club in this year drew 2,436,000 people. And so, for those clubs that are winning whose average is consistently below that, you always have to wonder why and there has to be concern. So, we have some work to do, and as I say, Stu and I have had a lot of conversations and will continue to have."

Selig will be asked a LOT about Rays' attendance this fall and it's clear he's not afraid to suggest (ever-so-slightly) that the team could move. It's also clear that while Sternberg isn't eager to talk about the subject to the media or St. Petersburg's mayor, he has been talking to Selig about it behind-the-scenes.

Fortunately, the issue shouldn't occupy too much of our time until after the playoffs...