I Agree With Stu

If professional baseball - a.k.a. the Tampa Bay Rays - is going to survive in the Bay Area the team is going to have to move out of St. Petersburg. Owner Stuart Sternberg has laid down the gauntlet and I agree with him.

I know this opinion will not make my friends in St. Petersburg and Pinellas County happy, but the attendance records speak for themselves. As they say, the truth hurts, and ownership of this team cannot sustain itself if attendance remains the way it has over years.

We have a great team doing exciting things and only when the Yankees or Red Sox come to town do the attendance numbers soar. There are other teams in smaller markets that draw better than the Rays.

The problem is The Trop's location. It's just not convenient for folks in northern population areas to make the trip. I know some say it's the stadium that's the problem - poor design, etc. But it is air conditioned and that is a big plus. The real issue is, however, location, location, location. For people who don't live in St. Petersburg or south and central Pinellas, it is a pain to get there and get home.

What's the best location? My personal opinion is either Westshore or Channelside in Tampa. But even Toytown in Pinellas would be better than where the Trop is located.

Just think of this: The saying "build it and they will come" did not work for the Rays. But if you said "build it where it's easy to get to" then they will really come.

Bill Ratliff