When I lived in Florida, I would regularly go to watch Tampa Bay Rays’ minor league team – the Pt. Charlotte Stone Crabs – play at their wonderful, open-air baseball stadium in Port Charlotte, Fla., rather than suffer through a Rays game at Tropicana Field.
It was a fraction of the cost – not just for tickets but for the concession stands and parking. The stadium in Pt. Charlotte was always filled. The fans are enthusiastic and the quality of baseball play is very, very good. Something happens when they get up to the big leagues and have to play in that dank, dismal, overpriced relic in Tampa.
I’m a life-long Red Sox fan and would regularly make the drive to Ft. Myers, Fla. to watch Red Sox spring training, but even when the Red Sox were playing the Rays, I wouldn’t drive to Tampa to see the game.
I lived in Florida from ’95 to 2000, during the time the (then) Devil Rays first appeared there. I remember the eager anticipation, how many in the area looked forward to having “their” team, how much fun the buildup was, and how ANYTHING the Rays did — a grand slam by Fred McGriff, say — was ruthlessly quashed and eclipsed by ANYTHING — a fart by Tino Martinez, for example — the Yankees, who held spring training in Tampa, did. They never had a chance. That ugly, smelly, claustrophic stadium did not help.
Need coffee over 5 years ago
Half the year in each…how stereotypical of both Florida and Quebec.
irishwolfhound over 5 years ago
They can change the team name to the Tampareal Snowgeese.
jagedlo over 5 years ago
part of the year in Montreal…you mean to make up for what was done to the Expos?
Bob. over 5 years ago
They’ve been told that there will be no tax-payer funded stadium where they are now.
JackBuckley over 5 years ago
Lamest few ever!
Linguist over 5 years ago
When I lived in Florida, I would regularly go to watch Tampa Bay Rays’ minor league team – the Pt. Charlotte Stone Crabs – play at their wonderful, open-air baseball stadium in Port Charlotte, Fla., rather than suffer through a Rays game at Tropicana Field.
It was a fraction of the cost – not just for tickets but for the concession stands and parking. The stadium in Pt. Charlotte was always filled. The fans are enthusiastic and the quality of baseball play is very, very good. Something happens when they get up to the big leagues and have to play in that dank, dismal, overpriced relic in Tampa.
I’m a life-long Red Sox fan and would regularly make the drive to Ft. Myers, Fla. to watch Red Sox spring training, but even when the Red Sox were playing the Rays, I wouldn’t drive to Tampa to see the game.
strictures over 5 years ago
Just remember, the White Sox wanted to move to Tampa.
Sailor46 USN 65-95 over 5 years ago
we can call them the Strays because they won’t have a home
Krank over 5 years ago
change their name to “The Snowbirds”.
jmworacle over 5 years ago
Well, what do you expect? Once the good players get close to free agency in order to cut cost and build" for the future. Same thing as the Marlins.
nisedc over 5 years ago
I lived in Florida from ’95 to 2000, during the time the (then) Devil Rays first appeared there. I remember the eager anticipation, how many in the area looked forward to having “their” team, how much fun the buildup was, and how ANYTHING the Rays did — a grand slam by Fred McGriff, say — was ruthlessly quashed and eclipsed by ANYTHING — a fart by Tino Martinez, for example — the Yankees, who held spring training in Tampa, did. They never had a chance. That ugly, smelly, claustrophic stadium did not help.