Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Devil Rays-Marlins Games in Orlando Next Season?

'The Devil Rays are exploring the possibility of playing several regular-season games in the Orlando area, perhaps as soon as the upcoming season, as part of an effort by the franchise to broaden its fan base beyond Pinellas and Hillsborough counties....

'In order to change venues, even temporarily, the Rays would need approval from Major League Baseball and likely would have to negotiate an agreement with the players' association.

'Also, moving games away from Tropicana Field would require negotiating with the city of St. Petersburg, which holds the lease on the stadium and receives a portion of ticket sales.

'St. Petersburg mayor Rick Baker said he has been approached by the Rays about the idea...

'A spokesman for Disney's Wide World of Sports said that Disney and the Rays have had "very preliminary" discussions about using the baseball stadium there for regular-season games. The listed capacity at Disney's stadium is 9,500, but the Braves drew 11,431 fans for a spring game against the Yankees this past March, and six other Braves games drew more than 10,000 this year.

'A spokesman for MLB said the Rays have not yet contacted the commissioner's office, an indication that the idea remains in the exploratory stage. If the plan picks up steam for next season, one possibility would be to move the scheduled three-game home series against the Marlins (May 18-20).' (TBO.com)

No comments: