Tampa Bay Rays original owner Vince Naimoli passes away

Vince Naimoli, the original owner of the Tampa Bay Rays, passed away on Sunday night. He was 81 years old.

In the years before the Tampa Bay Rays franchise came into existence, the Tampa Bay area was viewed upon as a potential place for a relocating team. Those franchises that sought a new stadium from their local governments used Tampa Bay as a threat. Tropicana Field was considered state of the art at the time, a viable draw for an existing major league team.

Florida businessman Vince Naimoli was at the forefront of those efforts to bring a team to the Tampa Bay area. He attempted to purchase the Mariners in 1991 to bring the team south, but was unsuccessful. However, he had better luck with the Giants, entering an agreement to purchase the team in 1992, with the idea that they would move to Tampa Bay. Instead, the owners refused to approve of the sale, and stalled until an ownership group in San Francisco could be found.

Eventually, Naimoli would get his team. Major League Baseball agreed to put an expansion franchise in the area in 1995, with their first season coming in 1998. Then named the Devil Rays, Naimoli was the first owner in franchise history, a fitting end to his up to then quixotic quest to bring a major league team to the region.

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Unfortunately, the Rays would not have much success. While the Diamondbacks, their fellow expansion team that year, won the 2001 World Series, the Rays only had one season where they even won 70 games under Naimoli’s tenure. They won exactly 70 games in 2004, the one season in their first decade where they were not in the basement of the AL East.

It was not for a lack of trying. The Rays ranked tenth in payroll on Opening Day in 2000, with the likes of Vinny Castilla and Juan Guzman each signing $6 million (or more) contracts prior to the year. Fred McGriff was making just under that amount, with closer Roberto Hernandez also making that $6 million figure.

Naimoli, for all of his efforts to build a winner, also managed to burn bridges in the community. He would refuse to do business with companies in the area unless they bought season tickets to the Rays, and demanded payment from the visitors bureau to use the images of Rays players on their brochures. Naimoli ejected a Mets scout from Tropicana Field after he accidentally used his private bathroom, and had copies of the Tampa Bay Times removed after the newspaper jokingly suggested that actor James Gandolfini should play him in a story of his life.

Those missteps did not end with various businesses. He once reportedly had a local marching band pay their way into the stadium when they were supposed to perform the National Anthem (that proved to be a miscommunication). Even charities were not safe from Naimoli’s wrath, as he shunned a fundraiser for those needing medical help because it was not held at the Trop.

Yet, Naimoli had another side as well. He insisted on any printouts being double sided so as to not waste paper. His charitable works were well known, including donations to Notre Dame University, the University of Tampa, and the University of South Florida, amongst others.

For all of his missteps, charitable contributions, and reputation for being able to cut costs and turn any company profitable, the Tampa Bay Rays will end up being his lasting legacy. His refusal to give up, and his constant pursuit of a major league franchise finally paid off when the Rays came to be.

Our thoughts go out to Vince Naimoli’s family and friends at this time.