Co-founder and retired executive of the Orlando Magic. Are Tampa Bay Rays considering Nashville relocation for MLB franchise? Maestas, a member of Sports Business Journals Forty Under 40 class of 2015. The team and county officials put out a joint statement Thursday night saying, in part, that after a joint assessment of the damage, both parties have determined there is not adequate time before the Rays 2023 spring training is scheduled to begin to get the park in suitable condition to host games. Tampa, while a great city, is not exactly a great sports town, even during the best of times (the Bucs and Lightning have won championships but consistent attendance is a problem. Tampa Bay Rays moving spring training site due to hurricane damage Skip to main content Skip to navigation > ESPN Search You have come to the ESPN Africa edition, for other ESPN editions,. Ron DeSantis' Tampa Bay hometown has evolved. Does it still claim him? Why? Co-founder and retired executive of the Orlando Magic Pat Williams has made a direct appeal to Rays management about a move to the city of Orlando. Mayor Ken Welch of St. Petersburg, Florida, chose a partnership between the Rays and the Houston-based Hines development company from among four proposals to transform an 86-acre (34-hectare) downtown site where Tropicana Field now sits. The Toronto Blue Jays will now play the Rays at Tropicana Field on that date. CHARLOTTE COUNTY Sean Doherty, director of tourism for the Punta Gorda Englewood Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, can recall when the area's name recognition increasedafter the Tampa Bay Rays moved theirspring training headquarters to Charlotte Sports Park. I was at the infamous David Price Tweet game last year when the Rays had a chance to clinch a playoff spot against the Orioles. Other Franchises: San Antonio Spurs (four championships), San Antonio Silver Stars. Charlotte is a great city that baseball should look to expand to, but for the Rays, its not the right option. There isnt really an issue with this proposal. The downsides of this proposal are apparent. Your email address will not be published. The Braves used the Disney facility for 22 years, most recently in 2019, before moving their Spring Training operations to CoolToday Park in North Port. "At the moment there's not something concrete with any of these clubs, but I'm told he's open to make a top club move in the summer so it's one to watch for sure. But, lets say the Rays come to town. Archived post. The Rays easy solution to fixing their money and attendance problems is to simply move north to Tampa.