Yes Yes Yes a million times YES! .... Now the Diamondbacks playing in the World Series and visiting the Rangers new stadium want a new stadium because their 20+ year old stadium is no longer good enough. These teams are out of their minds. My motto is: If you can afford to buy a team and pay those outrageous player salaries then you can afford your own stadium.
@@robbyel3958 On the other hand, if they really want a new stadium, try building a super cheap one, like Foxboro Stadium. The Patriots paid for it with their own money: $7 million.
The biggest reason for the Rays poor attendance has been location. It takes forever to get out there to see a game. The stadium actually isn’t that bad. It’s true that it has that bland multipurpose look but it’s very clean and comfortable. if they build a new stadium in the same area, their attendance issues will continue. It needs to be in downtown Tampa or perhaps near the fairgrounds where I4 and I 75 are located.
@@themaestro3034 I feel that if it was in Tampa they would draw people in from more areas. Perhaps Orlando plus Tampa is a bigger city that has many subdivisions like Carrollwood, Town and country, Ybor city plus its easier to access for the entire part of Central Florida. Thats just my thoughts.
I was at the wildcard game against Texas and there were only 19k in attendance. Its the location. The new stadium will be nice but still seems like parking will be an issue as well as location. Moving the stadium to the Tampa area the Rays would have more people that would come to the games
Who would want to drive miles and miles after a game? Especially after having some beers at the stadium. Which to be realistic most do. It is just a better idea to have it in Tampa in my opinion.
Yes! A stadium in Tampa would be much better. And it would be more accessible from the many subdivisions and St Petersburg and Central Florida cities and towns. And dont forget the actual city they play for (Tampa) Which is much more populated anyway. It only makes sense!
This will be a long term disaster. People outside that area are still not going to travel to see the games due to the commute times. If all of this "redevelopment" around the stadium does occur, there will not be enough "residents" to support the team by buying tickets to make any meaningful increase in attendance. And if they are not going to travel to see baseball due to the inconveniences, why are people outside St Pete going to do there to "shop"?and eat? So the retailers and eateries will be dependent strictly on game day sales.
just visited for the first time during spring training this year. I completely agree. all the quirks made it endearing to me. and the a/c felt amazing. after visiting about half the mlb parks, the Trop ranks higher than cleveland or toronto (roof closed, admittedly, and before the recent rennovations) for me.
The trops problems are very overblown outside of location. I like going to games but it's over an hour of a drive from the eastern tampa suburbs, even more with traffic
Hello, LaBreece, I've been enjoying your content for a year now and I would really enjoy a Modern Ruins video about the Kingdome in Seattle. The Kingdome was the only stadium in US history to host four major league sports teams at one time: Seattle Mariners (MLB), Seattle Seahawks (NFL), Seattle Sounders (MLS), and Seattle Supersonics (NBA). The Kingdome hosted so many notable events in such a short life (24 years). Thank you for reading and God bless you!
Having lived in Vancouver BC, throughout the 1980s and '90s, I had several friends and girlfriends in Seattle, I also lived there for a while during the mid-1980s. I attended several concerts, and NFL and MLB games in that dome. I was shocked at the announcement of its pending demise. Of course, I drove down to witness the demolition. Only ever saw the Sonics play at the Coliseum. Also a much better concert venue.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!!! A new stadium in the same spot will NOT change attendance. Anyone who lives here KNOWS that driving those bridges are THEE #1 reason why no one will attend!!
@@brianbroussard4433 thanks man I’m out here in Cali. The bridge on google maps over the water is insane. Must be a nice drive in summer with no traffic
I know that you mainly focus on construction and buildings but I would love to see a video on the USFL-XFL merger after the details get more ironed out. Maybe including the recent history of both leagues would help too add context to the formation of the "NSFL". Love your videos btw.
I went to a Rays game in April… in fact, I went there pretty much straight from the airport with a friend who arrived the night before. The stadium is kind of antiseptic on the outside, but inside it’s not bad at all. Even a crowd of 20,000 can be really loud and intimidating. The sight lines are good, and you can even walk around the entire stadium while still able to watch the game. The only real issue is the location; apparently, St. Petersburg built the stadium on speculation hoping to attract the Chicago White Sox before they nailed down a deal for a new stadium, and most recently, the team and Tampa could not come up with a deal to build a new stadium there, so they elected to build anew in St. Pete.
Its dumb tbh. Its really annoying to get to as someone on the other side of the bay. I can get to Amalie arena in 30 minutes, traffic or not. To get to Tropicana? An hour plus, with basic traffic issues. Turns into a whole day thing, but with baseball being 162 games and having 81 home games, its Definitely underwhelming
This will be a financial disaster and drown the Rays and St Pete with debt. They keep blaming the Trop for low attendance but arent listening when everyone complains about the team being in St Pete. That new billion dollar venue will be dead as well.
I lived in Northern California in the early 1990's and first heard about Tropicana Field when the San Francisco Giants were considering moving there. The building of the stadium seemed well-intentioned. In looking at the outside and inner design of the stadium, I can see now why people dislike the stadium and unfortunately why the stadium has gotten negative publicity. Florida would seem like the perfect place for Major League Baseball because residents of the State do not need to see teams depart when spring training is completed. For that reason I do not understand the poor attendance of the Marlins and Rays (who should have kept their original name).
Getting there is a nightmare for most people, it’s too far and the bride to get there is a nightmare to drive across. Something in Tampa would be ideal but it’s far too expensive to build that close to the city
The place is too far away. I live 30 miles away and it took 2 hrs to get there due to traffic on the interstate. I went one time 10+ yrs ago when someone had free tickets for "The Banker's Note" which was an area where all food and drinks were free. It was a $90 ticket gifted to me otherwise would have NEVER gone. The Tampa traffic plus St. Pete traffic to get there for an evening game was horrific then. The area has serious infrastructure/transportation problems that Hillsborough/Pinellas Counties refuse to address. Also, they tore down dozens of homes and small businesses to build the place and now they want to tear it down? Let the team go. Not wanted or needed by the regular, sane people who live here. Only politicians are somehow benefitting from this boondoggle.
The real issue here is people from Tampa treat the bridges like they are 100 miles long. Its not just Rays games, but many other events in Pinellas. People from Tampa just dont like coming to Pinellas county. I traveled to a game from my home in north Pasco county. It took me just over 1.5 hrs to get therer. I used to live in Cape cod and people from all over new england wolud travel more than 2-2.5 hours to come the the dump that is Fenway Park. I traveled via car then subway then walk to get there from the Cape. I have also been to Atlanta to watch the Rays vs Braves. the wait to get out of the parking garage which was a 25 minute walk from the stadium was almost an hour. then another hour to get out of the area . the biggest bouns is its air conditioned. you simply cannot have a open stadium in Fl in June - september. too much rain / lightning and too much heat and humidity.
Now all we need is to replace Oakland (the last stadium in the MLB that also had to accommodate an NFL team in its design and upgrades) with something that's purpose built for baseball.
Why will Tampa have a new stadium? Fan attendance is regularly one of the lowest although Rays have been a top team last 5 years. Is more revenue expected to come from parking deals on the new site? Average attendance at this new stadium will be under 20,000.
Well it’s St.Pete and not Tampa . They think that the fans that majority live in Tampa are going to cross that bridge just because it’s a new stadium but that’ll only last for a year or two unless they build a high speed railway to connect Tampa to St.Petersburg which I doubt
The Answer is not the venue, is the location. I am guessing people don't really listen a new venue will still be empty. Good Luck. I stay in Tampa and hate the drive, parking is a nightmare and existing the game another headache.
They should build the parking on the first few floors , and should build a train from Tampa over the Howard bridge when they update it later to the ball park area would help a lot
It would be great if better transportation options were available. Buses, ferries, trollies (like in downtown Tampa), and even monorails or passenger rail that connected St. Pete to Tampa to Orlando to Jacksonville? Imagine the traffic if 75% of the attendance took their own car. Absolutely unlivable.
I have SO many things to say on this. First, I’m 44, a big MLB fan, grew up in the Midwest until I was 19, and have lived in the Orlando area since mid-1998 during the Rays first season. Admittedly, I’m a huge Cubs fan, so I suppose what does my opinion matter? Well, I’ve been a central Florida resident for over 25 years now and half of my life, and the Trop is the only place I can realistically see any MLB games at all. I agree first off that the Trop is ugly and has no personality or decent amenities. Even though they’ve tried improving it. But my GOSH is the biggest problem that it’s in St. Pete. By FAR. Most people who I know refer to the team either as the Rays or just as Tampa. Can you imagine if the team was called the St. Pete Rays? They’d be laughed at! Why? Because no one wants to go to St. Pete!! Even when I do frustratingly go to games there, I’m only ever at the Trop. I have absolutely zero interest in anywhere else around there. Now Tampa? Yes! There’s a lot more around there I’d stick around for. Getting beyond that, even most Tampa Bay residents who I know actually living in Tampa complain about having to get to St. Pete for Rays games. Getting across the bay and causeway on I-275 from Tampa is a constant mess, and out of the way for pretty much anyone but St. Pete residents. And for me coming from Orlando, or most anyone else coming into the area, that stretch of I-4 from Orlando to Tampa is consistently ranked as THE worst stretch of interstate in the whole country mile for mile, as accidents and backups go. It’s absolutely excruciating to drive even at odd times, and has taken me as long as over 3 hours on a stretch of road that should take maybe ONE hour. And half the time it’s pouring rain on the drive over, being that baseball season is in the summer and in the afternoons or evenings, and my car is absolutely smothered with bugs by the end. No…fun. As the new ballpark itself’s design goes? I really don’t care what they go with at all. Another dome, a pyramid, a retractable roof, a district around it, whatever. But for gosh sake do NOT build it in St. Pete again. That is just the dumbest move they could make of ANY aspect of all this. But there have been so many seemingly set proposals over the last 25 years, that I’ll believe this once I see shovels in the ground. I sure hope they reconsider the site. Ybor City right on downtown Tampa would be SO smart in my opinion. It’s basically in the city the team takes its name from, and very near the confluence of I-275, I-4, I-75 and the 618 Selmon Expressway. It’s also on the east side of town where more people could access it from all over Florida. Ybor is also a historic district that could play into the historic nature of not only baseball but the area itself too. If situated on McKay Bay there too, the ballpark could open in a way on good weather days, that home runs could go into the water like at Oracle Park in San Francisco too. Just DO all of this, Rays!
I don’t get the fact that they’ve always been worried about the location being an issue for people commuting, and yet they not only stay in the same spot, where are 10,000+ people supposed to park if they only have 14k parking spots?
as someone that lived in that area, that stadium wasnt totally bad to enjoy a game. the neighborhood is total hood, crime ridden, and getting to it is beyond sucky and its ghetto just getting there.
I agree with you 100%. We went for a game in August of this year and stayed 9 miles from the Trop at Miderna beach and when we drove down it took us through the hood and we parked in the grass lot under 275. Overall want a bad experience.
I'd personally would love the Rays to move to Tampa itself. Maybe in Ybor? Maybe near Amale Center, or near Raymond James Stadium. I kind of agree. Tampa needs to pay only half of the bill, and Rays ownership needs to pay the other half. Another thing I personally would love to see, is the Rays to build a stadium with a retractable roof.
To me, I love the fact they are actually building a new and appropriate stadium. But, I think they should have built it on the mainland and not in St. Pete again, as it will still be a pain to get to, outside of the Pinellas County area! You want more fans to attend the games, make it easier for us fans to get there! Sternburg should have bought land in Hillsbrough County next to I-75 and start building for a completion date of 2027! Hey, why not nix this plan and Relocate BETWEEN Tamp and Orlando off I-4 in Polk County! Then you have 2 MUnicipality areas to draw fans to the games!
With High Speed Rail coming to Tampa by 2030. I was literally hoping they would get the Stadium in Orlando. I lived in St Pete. Traffic and parking is a nightmare even with 10k people showing up. Yankees or Red Sox games forget it. I have kids and it's not affordable for me so I never go. The $10 tickets are great but sell out fast. I've now moved an hour north and have even less interest in going to a game. Maybe I'll go to the last game at the Trop and the opening game at the new Pavillion if it gets built. Other than that I have no real interest in going. I can watch them on TV with my kids for free. This city and area is changing and I've been here the entirety of my 35 years on this planet. It's no longer affordable. 600 units is great but I'm one of 16,000 people on a waitlist. Also it's 4-5 years away. Orlando made more sense with the tourism to me. We have bigger problems in Tampa Bay Area than a supporting a cheap MLB Team. *Cheap in terms compared to Major Market Teams*
Rays' attendance is never going to be high because no one is FROM Tampa, people MOVE to Tampa with pre-existing loyalties. People come to watch their team destroy the Rays while enjoying nice weather and a beautiful city. It's a win-win for fans of the Red Sox, Yankees, etc.
You can't write checks to ghost. No one alive today was a slave during the civil war. How about right slavery that's still exist in the world and maybe educate yourself because Africans sold Africans so maybe ask Africa for some money but I'm pretty sure slavery still going on there.
On a baseball tour back in '96, I remember we drove past White Sox Park (or whatever it was called back then) and the outside of it wasn't very appealing to this longtime baseball lover.
@@alonenjersey yeah, it's a very rough part of town. But in all seriousness you're usually going to be safe as long as you're not looking for trouble (read: drugs) and making yourself a target
Actually I meant to say how disappointed@@shaunnichols1743I've been since Day One that very little of the home of the white sox reminds one of Comeisky Park. I did however enjoy the atmosphere in & around Wrigley Field.
Florida teams have a tuff time drawing people except the Florida gators not sure about Florida state but CONCLUSION : see Marlins-Dolphins-Hurricanes ,Florida does not have good attendance
I've lived in Jacksonville Florida my whole life. The only time I've ever made the trip down to The Trop was for a Metallica concert in December of 1999. I thought the stage pyrotechnics were going to set the roof on fire. But this whole thing is pretty similar to the situation with the Jaguars and their owner and aging stadium. We love the Jags but man, that stadium and the whole area needs help. So, let's move the Rays to Jacksonville and build a MLB and NFL stadium. There. I fixed it.
Worst to the WORSTER stadium. Billions of tax dollar give-away multimillionaire owners and bureaucrats. Have the owners finished suing each other? What was the verdict? Oh, I want them to move to Cuba. I'm sure they will get all the free money and more!!
It's sad listening to all the stadium problems. It's nothing new though. Why is it sad? Well, my name is Steve and I've been a lifelong fan..... Of the Montreal Expos. Although all of your issues about stadium locations and who should pay are eerily like ours were. We may be over 27 hours away, by car. But we're much closer, in other ways. We didn't have a Stadium Downtown. Our stadium was 'ugly ,cavernous', a huge block of cement and completely paid for, by the taxpayers, almost until the day the team left. It used to take me and my friends 2 and a half hours to get to the Olympic Stadium, from out homes in the Western part of the city! Just to clarify. That is 2.5 hours, one way! After a game, we normally got home at 1A.M. and had to walk the last 3 miles. We were in our early teens and we would trek down there, 15 to 20 times a year, (I still have every ticket Stub! :) Please understand. I am not complaining and would do it all again, in a heartbeat! The one Big difference, between our two franchises, is we only made the playoffs ONCE, In 35 Years. It happened in 1981 and I was 4. I spent around 20 years, dreaming and wishing and hoping, for a Pennant Win. (The wild card only started in 1995.) That was the year after our team was having it's best season ever. In mid August of 94, We were 6 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves. We were finally going to see What I had dreamt for!! Then the players went on strike and every day after, was akin to waking up on Christmas morning and finding the tree bare, with nothing but thistles, beneath it and no movement on ending the strike. It was like that for the next 6 to 8 weeks or so. I don't remember the exact day that the dream died. The day in September, when they cancelled the season and it all froze. Exactly where it was. Being the best team in the league was no solace. That was the beginning of the end, even though there were 10 more years, of drafting and developing stars, only to see them be offered more money and leave, just around 2 years into their peak years. That can only happen so many times, before the fans stop caring. I kept going, right until the end. Can you imagine having a player like Pedro Martinez, see him win a Cy Young and then be forced to trade him because you can't afford to keep him? Now imagine similar happenings, year after year! Carter, Dawson, Raines, Grissom, Alou, Reardon. and Vladamir Guerrero, Ver. 1.0 The greatest player I ever got to see! It was a catch 22. Win, or you loose your players. But also win to have enough money to pay those players! The MLB game was rigged against small market teams, from the start. But we kept going, until the doors were locked and there was no more ball, left to be played. I've been watching videos on the history of the (Devil) Rays. Your story is almost our story. I keep hearing the same things, over and over. With one big difference. Your team did get to make the Playoffs, numerous times. To come all the way back, in 2008, I beleive. Then lose in the World series is not a great end but what a run!! That just happened to our hockey team, 3 years ago. We lost in the finals, to the Tampa....oh! Well, I guess you know that story well. ;) Like I said, we have a lot of similarities. You and we. I guess if you're still reading. You know, I'm still bleeding. I don't think these wounds will ever close but I do want to ask you guys a favor. If you're ever talking sports and the Expos come up. Go to bat for us! No lies. Just the truth, which is.... We didn't fail Major league Baseball. Major league Baseball, failed us, over and over again, for 35 years. Thanks for listening and I hope you guys get everything you want and deserve, as True fans of the Game! Cheers from Montreal Quebec Canada Love and Luck to you all. Steve, from Montreal :)
Worst stadium is Comerica Park in Detroit. Tropicana Field is climate control, quirky in its own way. Nothing wrong with the facility, we just love spending tax payer funds for billionaires to build fancier homes I mean stadiums.
As long as the millionaires can have their pet projects funded by the pocket of the taxpayer I say raise the ticket prices. Screw the public, pay for my toy.
This year they had the lowest playoff attendance since the early 1900's (can't remember the exact year) But yeah, that's sad. Can't even support their team in the playoffs.
St Pete and the Rays are making the best of situation that rushed to put up a covered venue to attract a team. If they do it right they can really help St Pete grow up into a real city. They got the land, they need to tie down towards the bay and do it right! I use to drive to Ray games across the bay, most will if they are winning and they do the new stadium. Hell what other baseball teams have their own Interstate system to and from them? Good stuff my friend.
Use code LBTV50 to get 50% off your first Factor box at bit.ly/3Rsx9pw!
Charging taxpayers for stadiums is one of the more disgusting problems this country has
"He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want" (Proverbs 22:16, KJV).
Yes Yes Yes a million times YES! .... Now the Diamondbacks playing in the World Series and visiting the Rangers new stadium want a new stadium because their 20+ year old stadium is no longer good enough. These teams are out of their minds. My motto is: If you can afford to buy a team and pay those outrageous player salaries then you can afford your own stadium.
@@robbyel3958 On the other hand, if they really want a new stadium, try building a super cheap one, like Foxboro Stadium. The Patriots paid for it with their own money: $7 million.
Whoa really? 🔥😱@@davidlafleche1142
That $7 million is $51 million in 2022 dollars! @@davidlafleche1142
The biggest reason for the Rays poor attendance has been location. It takes forever to get out there to see a game. The stadium actually isn’t that bad. It’s true that it has that bland multipurpose look but it’s very clean and comfortable. if they build a new stadium in the same area, their attendance issues will continue. It needs to be in downtown Tampa or perhaps near the fairgrounds where I4 and I 75 are located.
Makes absolutely no sense to anyone how the team isnt building a new stadium in or around Tampa instead of St Pete.
@@themaestro3034 I feel that if it was in Tampa they would draw people in from more areas. Perhaps Orlando plus Tampa is a bigger city that has many subdivisions like Carrollwood, Town and country, Ybor city plus its easier to access for the entire part of Central Florida. Thats just my thoughts.
I was at the wildcard game against Texas and there were only 19k in attendance. Its the location. The new stadium will be nice but still seems like parking will be an issue as well as location. Moving the stadium to the Tampa area the Rays would have more people that would come to the games
Who would want to drive miles and miles after a game? Especially after having some beers at the stadium. Which to be realistic most do. It is just a better idea to have it in Tampa in my opinion.
Yes! A stadium in Tampa would be much better. And it would be more accessible from the many subdivisions and St Petersburg and Central Florida cities and towns. And dont forget the actual city they play for (Tampa) Which is much more populated anyway. It only makes sense!
This will be a long term disaster. People outside that area are still not going to travel to see the games due to the commute times. If all of this "redevelopment" around the stadium does occur, there will not be enough "residents" to support the team by buying tickets to make any meaningful increase in attendance. And if they are not going to travel to see baseball due to the inconveniences, why are people outside St Pete going to do there to "shop"?and eat? So the retailers and eateries will be dependent strictly on game day sales.
They’re going to put a new stadium in the same $hithole as Tropicana Field. How stupid is that?
Apparently, the Rays couldn’t get a deal done with the city of Tampa.
ultra stupid plan
And they are still on the wrong side of the bay. A new stadium is still
Not gonna get filled.
My aunt and uncle live in Tampa so I have been to Tropicana a few times. I personally enjoyed being there and watching the game
just visited for the first time during spring training this year. I completely agree. all the quirks made it endearing to me. and the a/c felt amazing. after visiting about half the mlb parks, the Trop ranks higher than cleveland or toronto (roof closed, admittedly, and before the recent rennovations) for me.
Totally agree. It is not near as bad as these pundits outside Tampa Bay think. It has a quirky charm. I love it!
The trops problems are very overblown outside of location. I like going to games but it's over an hour of a drive from the eastern tampa suburbs, even more with traffic
Hello, LaBreece, I've been enjoying your content for a year now and I would really enjoy a Modern Ruins video about the Kingdome in Seattle. The Kingdome was the only stadium in US history to host four major league sports teams at one time: Seattle Mariners (MLB), Seattle Seahawks (NFL), Seattle Sounders (MLS), and Seattle Supersonics (NBA). The Kingdome hosted so many notable events in such a short life (24 years). Thank you for reading and God bless you!
Script in process!
@@LaBreeceTV Thank you very much. I've waited a long time for this one!
Of course, after a certain incident, fans rapidly tiled of the Kingdome.
@@MarsJenkar love the pun
Having lived in Vancouver BC, throughout the 1980s and '90s, I had several friends and girlfriends in Seattle, I also lived there for a while during the mid-1980s. I attended several concerts, and NFL and MLB games in that dome. I was shocked at the announcement of its pending demise. Of course, I drove down to witness the demolition. Only ever saw the Sonics play at the Coliseum. Also a much better concert venue.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!!! A new stadium in the same spot will NOT change attendance. Anyone who lives here KNOWS that driving those bridges are THEE #1 reason why no one will attend!!
it needs to be in downtown Tampa, not St. Pete
What’s wrong with the bridges and how long does it take to cross going towards Tropicana stadium?
@SpaceGhostPurps can take anywhere from 20min to over an hr depending upon the time of day.. and it's less than 20 miles
@@brianbroussard4433 thanks man I’m out here in Cali. The bridge on google maps over the water is insane. Must be a nice drive in summer with no traffic
I personally think they need a transit shuttle across the bridge on its own dedicated track or lane. Instead they're adding more lanes. 🙄
You made a small mistake. The Lightning began play in 1992 and actually played its first season at the Expo Hall at the Florida State Fairgrounds.
Terrible stadium, terrible attendance, terrible location. The answer: build new ballpark in the exact same location.🤦🏼♂️
I know that you mainly focus on construction and buildings but I would love to see a video on the USFL-XFL merger after the details get more ironed out. Maybe including the recent history of both leagues would help too add context to the formation of the "NSFL". Love your videos btw.
I went to a Rays game in April… in fact, I went there pretty much straight from the airport with a friend who arrived the night before. The stadium is kind of antiseptic on the outside, but inside it’s not bad at all. Even a crowd of 20,000 can be really loud and intimidating. The sight lines are good, and you can even walk around the entire stadium while still able to watch the game. The only real issue is the location; apparently, St. Petersburg built the stadium on speculation hoping to attract the Chicago White Sox before they nailed down a deal for a new stadium, and most recently, the team and Tampa could not come up with a deal to build a new stadium there, so they elected to build anew in St. Pete.
I still wouldn't go their. . No tax money should use for any stadium
The fact that they’re spending all that money and taking a huge gamble by staying in the same location. Wild!
Its dumb tbh. Its really annoying to get to as someone on the other side of the bay. I can get to Amalie arena in 30 minutes, traffic or not. To get to Tropicana? An hour plus, with basic traffic issues. Turns into a whole day thing, but with baseball being 162 games and having 81 home games, its Definitely underwhelming
This will be a financial disaster and drown the Rays and St Pete with debt. They keep blaming the Trop for low attendance but arent listening when everyone complains about the team being in St Pete. That new billion dollar venue will be dead as well.
too bad its still in St. Petersburg so same issue with attendance
Location is the problem, not the stadium. Put it at fairgrounds and attendance problem will correct itself.
I live in Tampa and only been there twice. The ball park is on the wrong side of the bay.
I lived in Northern California in the early 1990's and first heard about Tropicana Field when the San Francisco Giants were considering moving there. The building of the stadium seemed well-intentioned. In looking at the outside and inner design of the stadium, I can see now why people dislike the stadium and unfortunately why the stadium has gotten negative publicity. Florida would seem like the perfect place for Major League Baseball because residents of the State do not need to see teams depart when spring training is completed. For that reason I do not understand the poor attendance of the Marlins and Rays (who should have kept their original name).
This is going to be considered a huge failure in the future mostly because of location. It needs to be in Tampa or another city altogether.
It makes zero sense keeping this team in St. Pete. No support for this team.
Getting there is a nightmare for most people, it’s too far and the bride to get there is a nightmare to drive across. Something in Tampa would be ideal but it’s far too expensive to build that close to the city
The place is too far away. I live 30 miles away and it took 2 hrs to get there due to traffic on the interstate. I went one time 10+ yrs ago when someone had free tickets for "The Banker's Note" which was an area where all food
and drinks were free. It was a $90 ticket gifted to me otherwise would have NEVER gone. The Tampa traffic plus St. Pete traffic to get there for an evening game was horrific then. The area has serious infrastructure/transportation problems that Hillsborough/Pinellas Counties refuse to address. Also, they tore down dozens of homes and small businesses to build the place and now they want to tear it down? Let the team go. Not wanted or needed by the regular, sane people who live here. Only politicians are somehow benefitting from this boondoggle.
The real issue here is people from Tampa treat the bridges like they are 100 miles long. Its not just Rays games, but many other events in Pinellas. People from Tampa just dont like coming to Pinellas county. I traveled to a game from my home in north Pasco county. It took me just over 1.5 hrs to get therer. I used to live in Cape cod and people from all over new england wolud travel more than 2-2.5 hours to come the the dump that is Fenway Park. I traveled via car then subway then walk to get there from the Cape. I have also been to Atlanta to watch the Rays vs Braves. the wait to get out of the parking garage which was a 25 minute walk from the stadium was almost an hour. then another hour to get out of the area . the biggest bouns is its air conditioned. you simply cannot have a open stadium in Fl in June - september. too much rain / lightning and too much heat and humidity.
Now all we need is to replace Oakland (the last stadium in the MLB that also had to accommodate an NFL team in its design and upgrades) with something that's purpose built for baseball.
Why will Tampa have a new stadium? Fan attendance is regularly one of the lowest although Rays have been a top team last 5 years. Is more revenue expected to come from parking deals on the new site? Average attendance at this new stadium will be under 20,000.
Well it’s St.Pete and not Tampa . They think that the fans that majority live in Tampa are going to cross that bridge just because it’s a new stadium but that’ll only last for a year or two unless they build a high speed railway to connect Tampa to St.Petersburg which I doubt
Unless the build the new stadium in Tampa and not St Pete you'll have an empty new stadium 🤣🤪🤷🏻🤦🏻😵😵💫
The Answer is not the venue, is the location. I am guessing people don't really listen a new venue will still be empty. Good Luck. I stay in Tampa and hate the drive, parking is a nightmare and existing the game another headache.
They should build the parking on the first few floors , and should build a train from Tampa over the Howard bridge when they update it later to the ball park area would help a lot
It would be great if better transportation options were available. Buses, ferries, trollies (like in downtown Tampa), and even monorails or passenger rail that connected St. Pete to Tampa to Orlando to Jacksonville? Imagine the traffic if 75% of the attendance took their own car. Absolutely unlivable.
Funny how this is recommended to me after hurricane milton!
I have SO many things to say on this. First, I’m 44, a big MLB fan, grew up in the Midwest until I was 19, and have lived in the Orlando area since mid-1998 during the Rays first season. Admittedly, I’m a huge Cubs fan, so I suppose what does my opinion matter? Well, I’ve been a central Florida resident for over 25 years now and half of my life, and the Trop is the only place I can realistically see any MLB games at all. I agree first off that the Trop is ugly and has no personality or decent amenities. Even though they’ve tried improving it. But my GOSH is the biggest problem that it’s in St. Pete. By FAR. Most people who I know refer to the team either as the Rays or just as Tampa. Can you imagine if the team was called the St. Pete Rays? They’d be laughed at! Why? Because no one wants to go to St. Pete!! Even when I do frustratingly go to games there, I’m only ever at the Trop. I have absolutely zero interest in anywhere else around there. Now Tampa? Yes! There’s a lot more around there I’d stick around for. Getting beyond that, even most Tampa Bay residents who I know actually living in Tampa complain about having to get to St. Pete for Rays games. Getting across the bay and causeway on I-275 from Tampa is a constant mess, and out of the way for pretty much anyone but St. Pete residents. And for me coming from Orlando, or most anyone else coming into the area, that stretch of I-4 from Orlando to Tampa is consistently ranked as THE worst stretch of interstate in the whole country mile for mile, as accidents and backups go. It’s absolutely excruciating to drive even at odd times, and has taken me as long as over 3 hours on a stretch of road that should take maybe ONE hour. And half the time it’s pouring rain on the drive over, being that baseball season is in the summer and in the afternoons or evenings, and my car is absolutely smothered with bugs by the end. No…fun. As the new ballpark itself’s design goes? I really don’t care what they go with at all. Another dome, a pyramid, a retractable roof, a district around it, whatever. But for gosh sake do NOT build it in St. Pete again. That is just the dumbest move they could make of ANY aspect of all this. But there have been so many seemingly set proposals over the last 25 years, that I’ll believe this once I see shovels in the ground. I sure hope they reconsider the site. Ybor City right on downtown Tampa would be SO smart in my opinion. It’s basically in the city the team takes its name from, and very near the confluence of I-275, I-4, I-75 and the 618 Selmon Expressway. It’s also on the east side of town where more people could access it from all over Florida. Ybor is also a historic district that could play into the historic nature of not only baseball but the area itself too. If situated on McKay Bay there too, the ballpark could open in a way on good weather days, that home runs could go into the water like at Oracle Park in San Francisco too. Just DO all of this, Rays!
I TOTALLY agree! Well said
Trop 2.0 seems like a sure fire failure.
MOVE THE RAYS TO TAMPA
I don’t get the fact that they’ve always been worried about the location being an issue for people commuting, and yet they not only stay in the same spot, where are 10,000+ people supposed to park if they only have 14k parking spots?
They really replacing the worst stadium with an equally awful stadium
No Thank You ! Waste of money !!
This video aged like wine after Hurricane Milton.
as someone that lived in that area, that stadium wasnt totally bad to enjoy a game. the neighborhood is total hood, crime ridden, and getting to it is beyond sucky and its ghetto just getting there.
I agree with you 100%. We went for a game in August of this year and stayed 9 miles from the Trop at Miderna beach and when we drove down it took us through the hood and we parked in the grass lot under 275. Overall want a bad experience.
Been there, the surrounding area is indeed a pit.
The bridge to get there is a nightmare to drive
I'd personally would love the Rays to move to Tampa itself. Maybe in Ybor? Maybe near Amale Center, or near Raymond James Stadium.
I kind of agree. Tampa needs to pay only half of the bill, and Rays ownership needs to pay the other half.
Another thing I personally would love to see, is the Rays to build a stadium with a retractable roof.
To me, I love the fact they are actually building a new and appropriate stadium. But, I think they should have built it on the mainland and not in St. Pete again, as it will still be a pain to get to, outside of the Pinellas County area! You want more fans to attend the games, make it easier for us fans to get there!
Sternburg should have bought land in Hillsbrough County next to I-75 and start building for a completion date of 2027!
Hey, why not nix this plan and Relocate BETWEEN Tamp and Orlando off I-4 in Polk County! Then you have 2 MUnicipality areas to draw fans to the games!
With High Speed Rail coming to Tampa by 2030. I was literally hoping they would get the Stadium in Orlando. I lived in St Pete. Traffic and parking is a nightmare even with 10k people showing up. Yankees or Red Sox games forget it. I have kids and it's not affordable for me so I never go. The $10 tickets are great but sell out fast. I've now moved an hour north and have even less interest in going to a game. Maybe I'll go to the last game at the Trop and the opening game at the new Pavillion if it gets built. Other than that I have no real interest in going. I can watch them on TV with my kids for free. This city and area is changing and I've been here the entirety of my 35 years on this planet. It's no longer affordable. 600 units is great but I'm one of 16,000 people on a waitlist. Also it's 4-5 years away. Orlando made more sense with the tourism to me. We have bigger problems in Tampa Bay Area than a supporting a cheap MLB Team. *Cheap in terms compared to Major Market Teams*
Rays' attendance is never going to be high because no one is FROM Tampa, people MOVE to Tampa with pre-existing loyalties. People come to watch their team destroy the Rays while enjoying nice weather and a beautiful city. It's a win-win for fans of the Red Sox, Yankees, etc.
😂 destroy a black neighborhood waste millions of dollars and piss and shit on the idea of reparations… America the lost empire.
You can't write checks to ghost. No one alive today was a slave during the civil war. How about right slavery that's still exist in the world and maybe educate yourself because Africans sold Africans so maybe ask Africa for some money but I'm pretty sure slavery still going on there.
Why aren't they moving to Tampa?
The Rays don't need a new stadium. They need a new city. Move them to Montreal.
You had your turn with the Expos, who left due to poor attendance 😂
how about no dude
@@bongjovi94, in a hockey - mad city and province.
And to think, the Giants came close to playing in this place instead of AT&T Park. Talk about dodging a bullet.
And I remember Tampa trying to lure the White Sox there from Chicago. Now there's another bullet dodged.
@@alonenjersey well, if there's one thing White Sox fans should be good at...
On a baseball tour back in '96, I remember we drove past White Sox Park (or whatever it was called back then) and the outside of it wasn't very appealing to this longtime baseball lover.
@@alonenjersey yeah, it's a very rough part of town. But in all seriousness you're usually going to be safe as long as you're not looking for trouble (read: drugs) and making yourself a target
Actually I meant to say how disappointed@@shaunnichols1743I've been since Day One that very little of the home of the white sox reminds one of Comeisky Park. I did however enjoy the atmosphere in & around Wrigley Field.
Now that this is out of the way, I bet expansion to Salt Lake and Nashville are just a couple years away.
Nice to see the 7/7 tribute from the Rays as a brit
I'm just glad the rays aren't relocating from central Florida.
Florida teams have a tuff time drawing people except the Florida gators not sure about Florida state but CONCLUSION : see Marlins-Dolphins-Hurricanes ,Florida does not have good attendance
A stadium sponsored by Tropicana orange juice where you cannot buy freshly squeezed orange juice smh
The worst fan base too! They are lucky to fill a 10,000 seat Stadium. 🤷🏼♂️
I've lived in Jacksonville Florida my whole life. The only time I've ever made the trip down to The Trop was for a Metallica concert in December of 1999. I thought the stage pyrotechnics were going to set the roof on fire. But this whole thing is pretty similar to the situation with the Jaguars and their owner and aging stadium. We love the Jags but man, that stadium and the whole area needs help. So, let's move the Rays to Jacksonville and build a MLB and NFL stadium. There. I fixed it.
Not going to happen, I still think the jags are Europe bound. The Kahns have a fetish with the UK.
The 2021 and 2024 Royal Rumbles were held at Tropicana Field.
They should of taken Orlando's offer..
Worst to the WORSTER stadium. Billions of tax dollar give-away multimillionaire owners and bureaucrats.
Have the owners finished suing each other? What was the verdict?
Oh, I want them to move to Cuba. I'm sure they will get all the free money and more!!
I just wish that the new stadium retains the air conditioning that Tropicana Field was best known for.
It will, the new Trop will fully enclosed with AC, it’s a must in FL.
No. You don't build a domed baseball park.
I don’t like domes in any sport just like I don’t like basketball or wrestling performed in outside stadiums
@@jstoli996c4sthey shouldn't get a new stadium there isn't nothing wrong with Tropicana field
@@bigoredneck1993 the actual ballpark and watching a game are fine. But the infrastructure, facilities, restrooms, etc is sorely outdated.
There is a lot of money to the team riding on them staying there. I know more than I am at liberty to talk about.
Worse than the "Vet"? I refuse to believe it.
They should’ve just changed it from Tampa bay to Florida
If the new TB Rays Ballpark fails, in 2027 is Montreal, Quebec’s turn for Major League Baseball in Canada 🇨🇦 ⚾️ at Olympic Stadium
Did you forget about the Expos? 😂 You had your turn
They left Montreal due to low attendance 😂
@@bongjovi94 you mean how they became the Washington Nationals
@@manuelgrothe608 No shit lol. Still left the city 🤦
The Astrodome was a neat Baseball Park!
"Was" until the new millennium came around 😄
this may be a dumb critisism but that music at the very beginning was very shrill and hurt my ears.
Ive had some great times at the Sumbro!!
It's sad listening to all the stadium problems. It's nothing new though.
Why is it sad? Well, my name is Steve and I've been a lifelong fan.....
Of the Montreal Expos.
Although all of your issues about stadium locations and who should pay are eerily like ours were. We may be over 27 hours away, by car. But we're much closer, in other ways.
We didn't have a Stadium Downtown. Our stadium was 'ugly ,cavernous', a huge block of cement and completely paid for, by the taxpayers, almost until the day the team left.
It used to take me and my friends 2 and a half hours to get to the Olympic Stadium, from out homes in the Western part of the city!
Just to clarify. That is 2.5 hours, one way! After a game, we normally got home at 1A.M. and had to walk the last 3 miles.
We were in our early teens and we would trek down there, 15 to 20 times a year, (I still have every ticket Stub! :)
Please understand. I am not complaining and would do it all again, in a heartbeat!
The one Big difference, between our two franchises, is we only made the playoffs ONCE, In 35 Years. It happened in 1981 and I was 4. I spent around 20 years, dreaming and wishing and hoping, for a Pennant Win. (The wild card only started in 1995.)
That was the year after our team was having it's best season ever. In mid August of 94, We were 6 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves. We were finally going to see
What I had dreamt for!!
Then the players went on strike and every day after, was akin to waking up on Christmas morning and finding the tree bare, with nothing but thistles, beneath it and no movement on ending the strike.
It was like that for the next 6 to 8 weeks or so. I don't remember the exact day that the dream died.
The day in September, when they cancelled the season and it all froze. Exactly where it was. Being the best team in the league was no solace.
That was the beginning of the end, even though there were 10 more years, of drafting and developing stars, only to see them be offered more money and leave, just around 2 years into their peak years.
That can only happen so many times, before the fans stop caring. I kept going, right until the end.
Can you imagine having a player like Pedro Martinez, see him win a Cy Young and then be forced to trade him because you can't afford to keep him?
Now imagine similar happenings, year after year!
Carter, Dawson, Raines, Grissom, Alou, Reardon.
and Vladamir Guerrero, Ver. 1.0 The greatest player I ever got to see!
It was a catch 22. Win, or you loose your players. But also win to have enough money to pay those players!
The MLB game was rigged against small market teams, from the start. But we kept going, until the doors were locked and there was no more ball, left to be played.
I've been watching videos on the history of the (Devil) Rays. Your story is almost our story.
I keep hearing the same things, over and over.
With one big difference. Your team did get to make the Playoffs, numerous times.
To come all the way back, in 2008, I beleive. Then lose in the World series is not a great end but what a run!!
That just happened to our hockey team, 3 years ago.
We lost in the finals, to the Tampa....oh! Well, I guess you know that story well. ;)
Like I said, we have a lot of similarities. You and we. I guess if you're still reading. You know, I'm still bleeding.
I don't think these wounds will ever close but I do want to ask you guys a favor.
If you're ever talking sports and the Expos come up.
Go to bat for us! No lies.
Just the truth, which is....
We didn't fail Major league Baseball. Major league Baseball, failed us, over and over again, for 35 years.
Thanks for listening and I hope you guys get everything you want and deserve, as True fans of the Game!
Cheers from Montreal Quebec Canada
Love and Luck to you all.
Steve, from Montreal :)
I still can't see Montreal returning to MLB. Minor League Baseball maybe.
Bad neighborhood because of “you know who.” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
They should move to Tampa where all the other Tampa teams play
They won't be getting me back as a fan in no future
Worst stadium is Comerica Park in Detroit. Tropicana Field is climate control, quirky in its own way. Nothing wrong with the facility, we just love spending tax payer funds for billionaires to build fancier homes I mean stadiums.
As long as the millionaires can have their pet projects funded by the pocket of the taxpayer I say raise the ticket prices. Screw the public, pay for my toy.
I went to that church you showed in the beginning
Tampa and Florida in general should not have any sports teams.
Florida is a dump. They don't have the support for summer sports.
They should move to Orlando
@16:20 " decrepedaded "?
I'm going to start using that word lol😝
Probably couldn't decide between "decrepit" and "dilapidated"
I heard there is not going to be a new stadium period
Ah, the A's deserve it. (My BFF in San Francisco could not stand the Giants and would cheer on the A's.)
Decrepitated is a word but it's the wrong word.
Not sure if this is going to work out well…..sounds like a costly mistake
Ahhh the good ole St Petersburg Rays. A 1.3 billion dollar waste.
The Arizona serpents and the Devil Raise, introduced on the cusp of 1999 and the new world order. Coincidence. 👍
This year they had the lowest playoff attendance since the early 1900's (can't remember the exact year)
But yeah, that's sad. Can't even support their team in the playoffs.
I’ve been to this stadium it’s not that bad but I also went when the Braves where in town
Looks like a tilted Astrodome
I think you should due diligence Rob Manfred held that plan
its not a done deal yet, hasnt be voted on by the cuty and county yet, needss there approval
St Pete and the Rays are making the best of situation that rushed to put up a covered venue to attract a team. If they do it right they can really help St Pete grow up into a real city. They got the land, they need to tie down towards the bay and do it right! I use to drive to Ray games across the bay, most will if they are winning and they do the new stadium. Hell what other baseball teams have their own Interstate system to and from them? Good stuff my friend.
Florida doesn’t deserve any baseball teams
Well done!
Tropicana field is the best stadium is the best of all time!!!!!
We need a new college 🏀 game!
Oakland Coliseum is worse than
If the political figures are willing to paid for like the idiots they are, then why stop them?
Regentrification at its Finest but at least they're adding a Black American Museum 🤔🤔🤔🤔
Replaced for wht will be a more hated stadium after the honeymoon period.
Something die hard tampa fans will never understand
You actually have to buy tickets and go to the games occasionally 😂😂
The tin foil dome
Location. Location. Location.