ST. PETERSBURG — If the Rays don't get a new baseball stadium, how easily could they leave town?

That question — critical to any negotiations between St. Petersburg and the team — has taken center stage in the city's mayoral race.

Kathleen Ford says the Rays are committed by contract to play at Tropicana Field through 2027. She refuses to even speculate on alternatives.

"I'm more concerned about the local economy and having more officers on the street and decreasing taxes,'' Ford says.

Bill Foster can foresee concrete rising from the ground as early as 2016, when the current bonds expire on Tropicana Field.

Yes, the city could try to enforce the Trop agreement until 2027, Foster says, but teams break contracts all the time and no telling how messy a lawsuit could be.

"In the meantime,'' he says, "we would be spending a lot of time and money litigating against one of our partners.''

Any new stadium would take years of planning and negotiations before voters could approve or reject it in a referendum.

How Ford or Foster navigates that process could determine whether the city ends up with a ribbon cutting or a court battle.

Legal experts say the Trop lease is not as ironclad as Ford suggests, because a judge could refuse to enforce key provisions.

On the other hand, other factors make it difficult for the Rays to leave town any time soon.

That dichotomy leaves the next mayor with a balancing act:

Jettison the Trop too quickly and you sacrifice leverage that translates into tax dollars.

Push too closely to 2027 and good-bye baseball.

'Use agreement'

Most leases call for rent payments over a specified term. If tenants leave early, courts usually award the landlord whatever money is owed for the full term.

City officials are quick to stress that the Trop contract is a not a lease and little rent is paid.

The contract is a "use agreement,'' they say. The Rays got a stadium in 1996 under original owner Vince Naimoli. In return, he and any successors pledged to play there for 30 years.

Benefits to the city cannot be measured in dollars alone, the contract says. Baseball brings jobs, taxes, promotion, a higher quality of life and civic pride.

Both sides agreed that the city could enforce its interests by seeking an injunction to keep the Rays from leaving early. The contract forbids the Rays from even talking to another city about moving.

Forcing sports teams to stay in town has some legal precedent.

In 2002, a state judge blocked Major League Baseball's attempt to "contract'' or eliminate the Minnesota Twins. And in 2008, a federal judge forbade the Seattle Sonics from moving to Oklahoma City before the lease expired.


http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/new-stadium-for-rays-what-the-lease-has-to-say/1037488

But the thing is, the Seattle Super sonics still left Seattle.

But the thing is, the Seattle Super sonics still left Seattle.


yeah, not until after their lease expired. The Rays lease doesn't expire until 2027!!!

After losing to the Phillies in the WS I would like if they left the league-lol

After losing to the Phillies in the WS I would like if they left the league-lol

You always measure everything up to Philadelphia. It gets annoying.

You always measure everything up to Philadelphia. It gets annoying.

It's always sunny in Philadelphia!

How's that?

You always measure everything up to Philadelphia. It gets annoying.


Sorry Kyle I don't like seeing anything about the Rays after causing me aggravation last year. If I had the Power they all would be out the league

Sorry Kyle I don't like seeing anything about the Rays after causing me aggravation last year. If I had the Power they all would be out the league


:lol:

:lol:


LOL, Take down Boston and lose to Phillies. Still unbelievable

LOL, Take down Boston and lose to Phillies. Still unbelievable


I still say if the Red Sox won that series against the Rays, they would've beaten the Phillies.

I still say if the Red Sox won that series against the Rays, they would've beaten the Phillies.


I know they would have, the Rays were too much on a High from beating Boston and forgot it was more baseball to play which is why they lost Game 1

LOL, Take down Boston and lose to Phillies. Still unbelievable

Wouldn't you think- the Rays beat Boston, Tampa is better then Boston, and the Phillies beat Tampa, so therefor they are better then Boston and Tampa. But no, you make excuses and say oh if they played this team, they would of lost. tampa had 97 wins last year.

I know they would have, the Rays were too much on a High from beating Boston and forgot it was more baseball to play which is why they lost Game 1


That's what happened to the Yankees in 2003??? They beat the Sox on an Aaron Boone HR then lost to the Marlins in the World Series.

It's always sunny in Philadelphia!

How's that?

The show is funny. And responding to your metaphor, it is great!

How is Cleveland?

and I am not insulting you by asking that.

I know they would have, the Rays were too much on a High from beating Boston and forgot it was more baseball to play which is why they lost Game 1

http://image.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/340x(30).jpg

That's what happened to the Yankees in 2003??? They beat the Sox on an Aaron Boone HR then lost to the Marlins in the World Series.


Took them lightly

yeah, not until after their lease expired. The Rays lease doesn't expire until 2027!!!
The Rays have only been in existence for what, a decade?? :confused:

The show is funny. And responding to your metaphor, it is great!

How is Cleveland?

and I am not insulting you by asking that.

As in the song "Hotel California"...

We've haven't had that spirit here since 1989. (I know the song was 1969, but that was the last year the Browns were legend and not just...'browns').

Took them lightly


Very true

The Rays have only been in existence for what, a decade?? :confused:


Yeah, there stadium is a dump though.

Brian, I have to say I am surprised. Even though you hate Philly teams, Boston is the team you (should) hate most. Oh well.

Yeah, there stadium is a dump though.
I have to agree there - I think the only baseball arena uglier than the Rays' is the Twins'. The Kingdome in Seattle was pretty ugly, too - but that was thankfully put out of its misery. :eek: :lol:

I have to agree there - I think the only baseball arena uglier than the Rays' is the Twins'. The Kingdome in Seattle was pretty ugly, too - but that was thankfully put out of its misery. :eek: :lol:


Minnesota is getting a new stadium, so the Rays will be the only team with an ugly dome.

Brian, I have to say I am surprised. Even though you hate Philly teams, Boston is the team you (should) hate most. Oh well.

Question

Why do you care what teams Brian hate?

Why are you bothered by my Hate for Philly Teams?

But the thing is, the Seattle Super sonics still left Seattle.

They were just a bunch of greedy jerks, who cared more about money than about their fans, so my answer to this is Good Riddance! :rolleyes:

Minnesota is getting a new stadium, so the Rays will be the only team with an ugly dome.


They should be playing in the park-lol

The Kingdome in Seattle was pretty ugly, too - but that was thankfully put out of its misery. :eek: :lol:
I was at work when they imploded the Kingdome and our Lead Supervisor let us watch it on TV. We could feel it all the way to Bellevue. It was SO cool! That thing was ugly, but I think they should have built another "all-purpose" one that could accommodate both football and baseball..

Although I have to admit that Safeco Field is really cool! I haven't been to Qwest Field yet, but I'm sure it's just as awesome!!!

Andrea

Minnesota is getting a new stadium, so the Rays will be the only team with an ugly dome.
Oh, when do the Twins get a new stadium?

I was at work when they imploded the Kingdome and our Lead Supervisor let us watch it on TV. We could feel it all the way to Bellevue. It was SO cool! That thing was ugly, but I think they should have built another "all-purpose" one that could accommodate both football and baseball..

Although I have to admit that Safeco Field is really cool! I haven't been to Qwest Field yet, but I'm sure it's just as awesome!!!

Andrea
I still remember the Indians vs. Mariners game in the Kingdome when the earthquake hit!! That was May of 1996 and I remember listening to it on the radio. Of course, it was a 10 PM start for us here on the East Coast and I was about to drift off when it happened!! :eek:

I still remember the Indians vs. Mariners game in the Kingdome when the earthquake hit!! That was May of 1996 and I remember listening to it on the radio. Of course, it was a 10 PM start for us here on the East Coast and I was about to drift off when it happened!! :eek:

Wow, I didn't hear about the 1996 earthquake! I didn't move here until July of 96. The reason we could feel the ground shaking from the Kingdome was because of the vibrations from the explosion, or so I was told. It was only for a minute though. The worst was the REAL earthquake on Feb 29th, 2001. Of all days, it had to pick Leap Day!!!

They were just a bunch of greedy jerks, who cared more about money than about their fans, so my answer to this is Good Riddance! :rolleyes:


I agree, the move didn't make much sense.

Wow, I didn't hear about the 1996 earthquake! I didn't move here until July of 96. The reason we could feel the ground shaking from the Kingdome was because of the vibrations from the explosion, or so I was told. It was only for a minute though. The worst was the REAL earthquake on Feb 29th, 2001. Of all days, it had to pick Leap Day!!!
Yes, I remember hearing about that earthquake in 2001.

Question

Why do you care what teams Brian hate?

Why are you bothered by my Hate for Philly Teams?

Use common sense. I am a Philly fan. People hate Philadelphia teams. Why should I be happy about that?

And your hate is more of an obsession hate. You would pick dying over a Philly team winning. Another thing, you bring it up constantly. I hate Dallas, but you don't see me making 20 threads on it, or any threads on it for that matter.

Use common sense. I am a Philly fan. People hate Philadelphia teams. Why should I be happy about that?

And your hate is more of an obsession hate. You would pick dying over a Philly team winning. Another thing, you bring it up constantly. I hate Dallas, but you don't see me making 20 threads on it, or any threads on it for that matter.


Well as long as I'm not directing it toward you then it shouldn't be a problem. And I guess you are bothered because I hate the eagles the same way you love them which makes me annoying-lol But it's nothing I can do about that because I been hating the Eagles before you were watching football and it's not going to stop.

Well as long as I'm not directing it toward you then it shouldn't be a problem. And I guess you are bothered because I hate the eagles the same way you love them which makes me annoying-lol But it's nothing I can do about that because I been hating the Eagles before you were watching football and it's not going to stop.

i don't remember you ever specifying why you hate them.

and you don't just hate the eagles. you have 4 teams on your profile. don't lie.

We won the championship. 2 people in here are jealous and wanna play games. Just accept it. I don't go around saying "oh the 1999 braves could of beat the yankees." if a team wins it, they win it.

Well, I don't know anything about Philadelphia sports teams, but I can say that the O'Jays (I believe) were from Philadelphia and they were a good group.

I'm sure most people here remember their song Love Train and they also did Backstabbers and, my favourite, I Love Music. I remember Tony Blackburn saying on the radio that he liked the Philadelphia sound of the O'Jays.

Well, I don't know anything about Philadelphia sports teams, but I can say that the O'Jays (I believe) were from Philadelphia and they were a good group.

I'm sure most people here remember their song Love Train and they also did Backstabbers and, my favourite, I Love Music. I remember Tony Blackburn saying on the radio that he liked the Philadelphia sound of the O'Jays.

Philly has some great groups and some great food from what I've seen on the Food Network! My husband really wants to go there! ;)

Philly has some great groups and some great food from what I've seen on the Food Network! My husband really wants to go there! ;)

One of the best musicians calls Philadelphia Home...Todd 'The Runt' Rundgren!