Tampa Bay Rays: Dick Vitale Supporting Push to Keep Team in Town

Dick Vitale may be best known for being a thoroughly animated college basketball announcer, but that is not his only interest. A fan of the Tampa Bay Rays, Vitale is lending his support to the effort to keep the Rays in town.

The Tampa Bay Rays are known for their payroll issues, stemming from the fact that they play in what may be considered the worst stadium in baseball. Tropicana Field had once been one of the more innovating stadiums in the country, and a legitimate location for teams threatening to move elsewhere. However, by the time the Rays came into existence, it had already become obsolete.

That stadium is considered to be one of the biggest drawbacks for the Rays in regards to generating revenue. Despite having the 13th best ratings of MLB teams based in the United States, the Rays were dead last in total attendance. Given that the Rays did not draw well even during their best years, a great deal of blame has been placed upon the Trop, and the less than ideal location that it possesses.

As the Rays have been in a difficult position in regards to locating a spot for a new stadium, and how their lease at Tropicana Field is still ongoing, there has been plenty of talk of the team relocating. However, a movement to keep the Rays in town has sprung up, called Baseball Forever. This initiative, backed by the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Rick Kriseman, has the support of both residents and fans alike. Amongst those supporting the plan to keep the team in town are Dick Vitale.

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Vitale is a popular presence at Rays games, frequently appearing in the crowd when his schedule permits. He is lending his support to the venture, which includes having the Rays build a new ballpark in downtown St. Petersburg on an 86 acre plot of land. The development would also include office buildings, a park, and residential and commercial buildings as well.

Such a move would certainly help to vitalize the city. Likewise, as Vitale said, it would be an easier commute for fans in nearby locales to get to Rays games. And, it would keep the Rays in their home town, where they began almost 20 years ago.

Of course, all of these ideas are still in the development stage. Even the Rays quest for a location outside St. Petersburg for a ballpark has yet to go beyond a preliminary search. But keeping the team in St. Petersburg with a new ballpark could give the city the chance it deserves to show that Major League Baseball can thrive there.

Next: Managers and executives on the hot seat

It may be expected that the Tampa Bay Rays will still relocate at some point in time. However, the city is doing their best to keep the team in town.