Thursday, May 16, 2013
The Rays player called the school yesterday and asked if he could bring his family to meet the class after they sent him letters earlier in the year.
Fifth graders at Central Baptist Christian School in Brandon learned a valuable lesson on Thursday. They found out that asking nicely sometimes really does pay off. Earlier in the year, the students sent letters to Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Ben Zobrist, inviting him to visit their class. On Wednesday, the phone rang at the school with a phone call from the man that fans call "Zorilla." Zobrist wanted to know if he could bring his family to meet the class the following day. So, shortly before 11 a.m. today, all 235 students gathered with teachers and staff outside of the school. They erupted in cheers and screams as Zobrist walked towards the school with his family, greeted by the school's principal, Steve Lindquist. Zobrist spent about…
Monday, February 4, 2013
The Major League Baseball team says it needs a new stadium to be successful in the Bay area. Some St. Petersburg leaders insist they must stay in the city. We want to hear what you think should happen.
It’s no secret that the Tampa Bay Rays have been talking with government officials outside of St. Petersburg about the need for a new stadium. They’ve gone on a road show of sorts, talking with officials on both the Hillsborough and Pinellas county commissions. Team management has made it clear that attendance numbers need to rise for the Rays to remain viable in the Tampa Bay area. They’ve also made it abundantly clear that Major League Baseball has lost its faith in Tampa Bay. While Hillsborough and Pinellas county officials want to lend a hand to restore that faith – and possibly a location for a shiny new stadium in their own backyards – St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster is adamantly opposed to letting the team out of its contract to play at …
Friday, February 1, 2013
Government and business leaders are in talks with team officials about a potential move.
Despite winning consistently and investing more than $20 million into Tropicana Field stadium, Rays executives say the games continue to lag behind in attendance. "We've been winning consistently, but attendance has been trending downward," said Michael Kalt, the team's senior vice president of development and business affairs in a presentation before the Hillsbrough County Commission last week. "We've gone from 26th overall [in attendance] down to last in 2012, with an average of slightly over 19,000 people coming to games and that's with the extraordinary roll we've had on the field." Kalt was joined by other upper echelon members of the Rays organization, including the team's principal owner Stuart Sternberg and team president Matt …
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The Tampa Bay Rays say they need a new stadium. St. Petersburg officials say the team is contractually obligated to remain at Tropicana Field for another 14 years. What do you think should happen, Tampa Bay?
It’s a brouhaha that’s been brewing in the Tampa Bay area for years: The Tampa Bay Rays say they need a new stadium. The City of St. Petersburg holds a contract that says the Major League Baseball team is obligated to play at Tropicana Field through the year 2027. Even so, the Rays haven’t been quiet about their perceived need for a newer, better stadium. A few years back, they floated the idea of building a new stadium on St. Petersburg’s waterfront. That idea was nixed in the court of public opinion. Now, team officials are planning to meet with both the Hillsborough and Pinellas County Commissions. The Hillsborough meeting, which will be open to the public, is set up for Jan. 24. The meeting with Pinellas officials takes place Jan. 29. …
Friday, February 17, 2012
The right fielder will visit the North Brandon Little League complex in Seffner at 7 p.m. Feb. 17 to present a $10,000 check from his Sweet Swingin' Baseball Camp.
Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Matt Joyce will present a $10,000 check to the North Brandon Little League at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, according to TBO.com's Rays Report blog. Joyce, a graduate of Colson Elementary, Burnett Middle School and Armwood High and a former North Brandon Little Leaguer himself, helped raise the money through his Sweet Swingin' Baseball Camp, held there last month. He'll also throw out the ceremonial first pitch Friday night at the little league complex, 2915 N. Kingsway Ave., Seffner, with a special announcement to follow, Rays Report's Roger Mooney writes. The $10,000 donation represents the largest single sum North Brandon Little League has ever receieved, vice president Rob Turkett previously told TBO.com, with …
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Tampa Bay Rays outfielder and Armwood High product visited North Brandon Little League in Seffner to help raise money and teach baseball fundamentals, TBO.com reports.
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder and Greater Brandon native Matt Joyce paid a visit to his old stomping grounds recently, teaching kids the fundamentals of the game and raising money for the same Little League fields he once roamed. Joyce held his Sweet Swingin' Baseball Camp on Jan. 27 at North Brandon Little League in Seffner, TBO.com reports. The 2002 Armwood High graduate brought along fellow major leaguers Grant Balfour of the Oakland Athletics and Jonathan Albaladejo of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Together, they fired up the nearly 100 Little Leaguers in attendance for their upcoming season and helped raise $10,000 for the league. That represents the single-largest donation North Brandon Little League has ever received, vice president Rob …
Jeff Kirkpatrick
2:12 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Well....as a fan, they should stay. But thinking of it as a business choice, they should leave st pete. No one likes driving way down there to see a game. Parking is horrible, and shouldnt be more expensive than the game. And its not really the fans fault....its how expensive concessions are at the games. People know they can spend 10 bucks to go see the game....but after a beer and a hot dog, … more ›