Why just Why: The Rays

     Before I get to the big news of the Rays getting permission to play in Montreal as well along here in Tampa (well St. Pete really). I should talk about the history of Tampa trying to get a team to come here before the city was awarded an expansion in 1998. Tampa from the 1980s to the mid-1990s had close calls like the Texas Rangers before a group which had George W Bush (yes that guy) and possibly Rick Scott (yes that guy) bought the club and kept it Texas (ASSHOLES and these guys got voted in by Floridians?). Then there was the Chicago White Sox, then there was an expansion team that ended up being award to Miami in 1993 (more on them later), then the San Francisco Giants which was all a done deal but the National League Owner nixed the deal and move because San Francisco officials got bitchy about it and so did Florida Marlins owner at the time Wayne Huizenga (ASSHOLES), and then the Seattle Mariners before Tampa got the Devil Rays. Of course, we had to deal with the Expansion growing pains like losing for ten years unlike the Arizona Diamondbacks, who came in with the Devil Rays, won the World Series in their fourth year of existence (2001). Also, there's the then Florida Marlins who not only won before the Rays came to the league in 1997 (in their fifth-year of existence) they finished dead last the next season (yes worse than the Devil Rays and D-Backs, both expansion teams) and won another World Series five years later. While the then-Devil Rays were struggling in their first ten seasons. Doesn't help that they were in the same division as the Yankees and the Red Sox though they do help with the attendance with all the New York and Boston transplants. That changed in 2008 when the Devil Rays were rebranded the Rays and also led by a young core Evan Longoria, BJ Upton, James Shields, Carl Crawford, among others and by third-year manager Joe Maddon. They went all the way to the World Series where they lost to the Phillies but still a great season and led to three more playoff appearances in five seasons. Since then, things have been not great but not Devil Rays bad either. They had a 90 win season last year and we're in contention this season though the news about Rays splitting their seasons in Montreal could put a damper on things. Too soon to said but I'm sure the players probably didn't want to hear this news during the season trying to make the playoffs. It's no secret that attendance in St. Pete has been a problem, only the Marlins have lower attendance. I have talked about this issue a few times, not since last season where I only went to two games and so far nothing this season. I'll admit I'm one of the reasons why the Rays are having an attendance problem. Many people think that people from Tampa don't go to the games because it's played in St. Pete and I admit it is a bit of a drive. I would go to more games if the games were in Tampa. There's was a chance months ago about a plan of a Stadium in Ybor but that went bye-bye for a few reasons. Now I think owner Stuart Sternberg is trying to leverage this news to get the city of Tampa to approve a new stadium but this could have a negative effect as well. If he didn't like the attendance now, it could get worse because who would want to see a team will one foot out the door? Honestly, I don't know if I would see a game live or decide not to go because of this. Sternberg was born in Brooklyn, so I'm sure he had relatives who were hurt by the Dodgers moving to LA (Sternberg was born a few years after the Dodgers left). Also the last time a team split seasons with two different cities was when the Montreal Expos did it for their last two seasons between Montreal and San Juan. Now they're the Washington Nationals. Also, the Montreal Expos is also an example of what not to do to piss off a city. There were plans for a stadium for the Expos in 1998 but the city of Montreal shot down the proposal because they were pissed at the team for selling off most of their talent from their 1994 team which could have been a contender but the strike happened and ended the season without the playoffs and World Series. I think Sternberg made a terrible decision because I think the fans wouldn't bother coming anymore and unsure if the city of Tampa wants to talk new stadium if the team has one foot out the door (sure they will but who knows). Doesn't Montreal have plans to build a new stadium? Honestly, either work out a deal to stay in the Tampa Bay area or just move to Montreal, none of this playing in two cities crap. I want to Rays to stay but not with this bullcrap.                      

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