Rays’ ownership is trying to work out a stadium deal in Tampa.
Personal injury attorney John Morgan is ready to pick up the pieces and hire the moving trucks and haul Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays franchise to Orlando if Rays’ ownership cannot get funding from the city of Tampa, Hillsborough County and the state of Florida to build a stadium-village in Tampa. Rays’ ownership wanted a financial deal done by June 1st so it could start building a venue that could open by the start of the 2029 season. The Rays’ ownership’s deal with the city of St. Petersburg to use the municipality’s stadium ends after the 2028 season. Morgan seems pretty confident that someone in the Orlando area will free up public money to build a stadium.
“They don’t have the votes over there, and the (National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay) Lightning wants stuff, and the (National Football League’s Tampa Bay) Bucs want stuff,” Morgan said. “This is where it could still be.” Morgan does not believe the Tampa Bay market will ever support Major League Baseball. MLB owners reluctantly awarded St. Petersburg a franchise in 1995 and the team began play in 1998. The team has never been well supported in St. Petersburg. “Just because you’re moving across the bridge I don’t think it’s going to make a big difference,” Morgan said. “It didn’t work in Tampa. It’s not going to work in Tampa again. It’s a mistake.” Orlando though is better according to Morgan because it has tourists. “The reason Orlando is the place is we have 80 million visitors. The (National Basketball Association’s) Orlando Magic is probably the sorriest franchise in the history of sports, but yet they fill arenas all the time. Why? 80 million tourists? That’s why it should be here.” Orlando theme parks owners don’t want the visitors to leave their properties to go elsewhere for entertainment and that could be a problem.
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