http://content.usatoday.com/communi...1/07/tampa-bay-rays-tropicana-field-yankees/1
7/20/2011:
First Pitch: Rays' love-hate relationship with Trop continues
Comments
By Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY
Updated 6m ago
The path the Tampa Bay Rays are on has been well-established before them. The trick is delaying, for as long as possible, the inevitable arrival at their destination.Their predecessors: The Oakland Athletics. Their fate: A small-market team stuck in a decaying facility.We figured this was the week we would bury the Rays as we now know them: A smart and odds-defying franchise faced with the near-impossible task of competing with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the AL East. With seven consecutive games against those clubs and the trade deadline and its potential to sell off assets and save money lurking after that, this seemed to mark the end of an era that produced a pennant and two unlikely playoff appearances.On the field Tuesday night, the Rays delayed the expected. Jeremy Hellickson pitched superbly, giving up five hits in seven innings as the Rays beat the Yankees to pick up a game on both AL East front-runners.Off the field, there were more reminders of their predicament.In a pregame media briefing, manager Joe Maddon seemed at his wit's end about Tropicana Field, which came under withering criticism by ESPN analyst John Kruk after glass from a shattered light bulb -- broken by a pop fly -- landed on the field.Maddon did not defend his club's facility. Rather, he piled on, launching into a thoughtful diatribe that noted the park was not appropriate for the major leagues, and what the club needed going forward.Said Maddon: http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/rays/content/maddon-trop-improper-mlb-its-time-move?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter""(Kruk is) right. We do need a new ballpark. He's absolutely right. And he's right, this ballpark is improper for Major League Baseball. He's right. I can't deny that."You shouldn't play with all these obstructions, and all these caveats. Of course not. It's runs it's course. It was here for a moment. It served it's purpose. And now it's time to move on. Absolutely it is. And to deny that, everybody has just got their head in the sand, period."From my perspective, what I'm reading, it should be about location. And for me location should be where everybody benefits the most. I believe it's a regional assest, it's not a city asset. When you start looking at at it as mine, and not everybody's, that's where things get skewed or not work out well."Maddon certainly is staying on the message established by owner Stuart Sternberg, providing the unique perspective of a field manager. And if all this sounds familiar, it should.The Rays and Oakland Athletics are, essentially, the only major league clubs in dire need of a new ballpark now that the Florida Marlins are getting out of their cavernous pit of a football stadium.And Maddon's comments sound strikingly similar to those espoused by Oakland officials.You remember the Athletics, right? They, like the Rays, used smarts and savvy to overcome their small-market pedigree, producing three consecutive playoff appearances last decade, even as key players departed. Sounds dramatic enough for a book, maybe even a movie.Now, years after the exodus of their brightest stars, their message is very focused: San Jose or bust. http://www.mercurynews.com/oakland-as-move .The A's lease at the Coliseum (now known as the O.co, for those fascinated with naming rights) expires in 2012. In some regards, the club views its hoem facility the way some homeowners facing foreclosure might view their dwellings. Pride of ownership? Not so much.These days, the ballclub is as bland as the facility it populates.As for the Rays? They still have a franchise cornerstone in Evan Longoria, locked up until 2016. They still have tons of excellent young pitching, with more on the way. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...MiDQuWhh_ln8Uw&sig2=kBTpP97lZ9ueDhYBRWtpsgAnd they still have a puncher's chance this season. After Tuesday's games, the Rays are seven behind the Red Sox, 5 1/2 behind the Yankees for the wild card.Heck, their "quirky" facility even gives them a break sometimes. Tuesday's win was sparked by a fly ball that http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/article1181382.ece Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson lost amid the pale backdrop of the Trop's roof."I love the Trop," Maddon said later, shifting his tune with perhaps a hint of sarcasm. "The Trop and I have had a lot of conversations over the last couple of years."Maddon knows well he might as well revel in the opportunity that still remains. It sure beats thinking about the future.
The path the Tampa Bay Rays are on is well-traveled. The trick is delaying, for as long as possible, the inevitable arrival at their destination.
Their predecessors: The Oakland Athletics. Their fate: A small-market team stuck in a decaying facility.
We figured this was the week we would bury the Rays as we now know them: A cash-poor but smart franchise faced with the near-impossible task of competing with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the AL East. With seven consecutive games against those clubs and the trade deadline and its potential to sell off assets and save money lurking, this month could mark the end of an era that produced an AL pennant and two unlikely playoff appearances.
On the field Tuesday night, the Rays delayed the expected. Jeremy Hellickson pitched superbly, giving up five hits in seven innings as the Rays beat the Yankees to pick up a game on both AL East front-runners.
Off the field, there were more reminders of their predicament.
In a pregame media briefing, manager Joe Maddon seemed at his wit's end about Tropicana Field, which came under withering criticism by ESPN analyst John Kruk after glass from a shattered light bulb -- broken by a pop fly -- fell on the playing surface.
Maddon did not defend his club's facility. Rather, he piled on, launching into a thoughtful diatribe that noted the park was not appropriate for the major leagues and that the club needed a regional facility going forward.
Said Maddon:
"(Kruk is) right. We do need a new ballpark. He's absolutely right. And he's right, this ballpark is improper for Major League Baseball. He's right. I can't deny that.
"You shouldn't play with all these obstructions, and all these caveats. Of course not. It's runs its course. It was here for a moment. It served its purpose. And now it's time to move on. Absolutely it is. And to deny that, everybody has just got their head in the sand, period.
"From my perspective, what I'm reading, it should be about location. And for me location should be where everybody benefits the most. I believe it's a regional assest, it's not a city asset. When you start looking at at it as mine, and not everybody's, that's where things get skewed or not work out well."
Maddon, providing the unique perspective of a field manager, certainly is staying on the message established by owner Stuart Sternberg. And if all this sounds familiar, it should.
The Rays and Athletics are, essentially, the only major league clubs in dire need of a new ballpark now that the Florida Marlins are getting out of their cavernous pit of a football stadium.
And Maddon's comments mirror those expressed by Oakland officials.
You remember the A's, right? They, like the Rays, used smarts and savvy to overcome their small-market pedigree, producing three consecutive playoff appearances last decade, even as key players departed. Sounds dramatic enough for a book, maybe even a movie.
Now, some eight years after the exodus of their brightest stars to richer markets, the A's message is very focused: San Jose or bust.
The A's lease at the Coliseum (now known as the O.co, for those fascinated with naming rights) expires in 2012. In some regards, the club views its home facility the way some homeowners facing foreclosure might view their dwellings. Pride of ownership? Not so much -- not when the club thinks the stadium is a deterrent to free agents.
And so these days, the ballclub is as bland as the facility it populates.
As for the Rays? They still have a franchise cornerstone in Evan Longoria, locked up until 2016. They still have tons of excellent young pitching, with more on the way.
And they still have a puncher's chance this season. After Tuesday's games, the Rays are seven behind the Red Sox, 5 1/2 behind the Yankees for the wild card.
Heck, their "quirky" facility even gives them a break sometimes. Tuesday's win was sparked by a fly ball that Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson lost amid the pale backdrop of the Trop's roof.
"I love the Trop," Maddon said later, shifting his tune with perhaps a hint of sarcasm. "The Trop and I have had a lot of conversations over the last couple of years."
Maddon knows he might as well revel in the opportunity that still remains. It sure beats thinking about the future.
7/20/2011:
First Pitch: Rays' love-hate relationship with Trop continues
Comments
By Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY
Updated 6m ago
The path the Tampa Bay Rays are on has been well-established before them. The trick is delaying, for as long as possible, the inevitable arrival at their destination.Their predecessors: The Oakland Athletics. Their fate: A small-market team stuck in a decaying facility.We figured this was the week we would bury the Rays as we now know them: A smart and odds-defying franchise faced with the near-impossible task of competing with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the AL East. With seven consecutive games against those clubs and the trade deadline and its potential to sell off assets and save money lurking after that, this seemed to mark the end of an era that produced a pennant and two unlikely playoff appearances.On the field Tuesday night, the Rays delayed the expected. Jeremy Hellickson pitched superbly, giving up five hits in seven innings as the Rays beat the Yankees to pick up a game on both AL East front-runners.Off the field, there were more reminders of their predicament.In a pregame media briefing, manager Joe Maddon seemed at his wit's end about Tropicana Field, which came under withering criticism by ESPN analyst John Kruk after glass from a shattered light bulb -- broken by a pop fly -- landed on the field.Maddon did not defend his club's facility. Rather, he piled on, launching into a thoughtful diatribe that noted the park was not appropriate for the major leagues, and what the club needed going forward.Said Maddon: http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/rays/content/maddon-trop-improper-mlb-its-time-move?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter""(Kruk is) right. We do need a new ballpark. He's absolutely right. And he's right, this ballpark is improper for Major League Baseball. He's right. I can't deny that."You shouldn't play with all these obstructions, and all these caveats. Of course not. It's runs it's course. It was here for a moment. It served it's purpose. And now it's time to move on. Absolutely it is. And to deny that, everybody has just got their head in the sand, period."From my perspective, what I'm reading, it should be about location. And for me location should be where everybody benefits the most. I believe it's a regional assest, it's not a city asset. When you start looking at at it as mine, and not everybody's, that's where things get skewed or not work out well."Maddon certainly is staying on the message established by owner Stuart Sternberg, providing the unique perspective of a field manager. And if all this sounds familiar, it should.The Rays and Oakland Athletics are, essentially, the only major league clubs in dire need of a new ballpark now that the Florida Marlins are getting out of their cavernous pit of a football stadium.And Maddon's comments sound strikingly similar to those espoused by Oakland officials.You remember the Athletics, right? They, like the Rays, used smarts and savvy to overcome their small-market pedigree, producing three consecutive playoff appearances last decade, even as key players departed. Sounds dramatic enough for a book, maybe even a movie.Now, years after the exodus of their brightest stars, their message is very focused: San Jose or bust. http://www.mercurynews.com/oakland-as-move .The A's lease at the Coliseum (now known as the O.co, for those fascinated with naming rights) expires in 2012. In some regards, the club views its hoem facility the way some homeowners facing foreclosure might view their dwellings. Pride of ownership? Not so much.These days, the ballclub is as bland as the facility it populates.As for the Rays? They still have a franchise cornerstone in Evan Longoria, locked up until 2016. They still have tons of excellent young pitching, with more on the way. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...MiDQuWhh_ln8Uw&sig2=kBTpP97lZ9ueDhYBRWtpsgAnd they still have a puncher's chance this season. After Tuesday's games, the Rays are seven behind the Red Sox, 5 1/2 behind the Yankees for the wild card.Heck, their "quirky" facility even gives them a break sometimes. Tuesday's win was sparked by a fly ball that http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/article1181382.ece Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson lost amid the pale backdrop of the Trop's roof."I love the Trop," Maddon said later, shifting his tune with perhaps a hint of sarcasm. "The Trop and I have had a lot of conversations over the last couple of years."Maddon knows well he might as well revel in the opportunity that still remains. It sure beats thinking about the future.
The path the Tampa Bay Rays are on is well-traveled. The trick is delaying, for as long as possible, the inevitable arrival at their destination.
Their predecessors: The Oakland Athletics. Their fate: A small-market team stuck in a decaying facility.
We figured this was the week we would bury the Rays as we now know them: A cash-poor but smart franchise faced with the near-impossible task of competing with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the AL East. With seven consecutive games against those clubs and the trade deadline and its potential to sell off assets and save money lurking, this month could mark the end of an era that produced an AL pennant and two unlikely playoff appearances.
On the field Tuesday night, the Rays delayed the expected. Jeremy Hellickson pitched superbly, giving up five hits in seven innings as the Rays beat the Yankees to pick up a game on both AL East front-runners.
Off the field, there were more reminders of their predicament.
In a pregame media briefing, manager Joe Maddon seemed at his wit's end about Tropicana Field, which came under withering criticism by ESPN analyst John Kruk after glass from a shattered light bulb -- broken by a pop fly -- fell on the playing surface.
Maddon did not defend his club's facility. Rather, he piled on, launching into a thoughtful diatribe that noted the park was not appropriate for the major leagues and that the club needed a regional facility going forward.
Said Maddon:
"(Kruk is) right. We do need a new ballpark. He's absolutely right. And he's right, this ballpark is improper for Major League Baseball. He's right. I can't deny that.
"You shouldn't play with all these obstructions, and all these caveats. Of course not. It's runs its course. It was here for a moment. It served its purpose. And now it's time to move on. Absolutely it is. And to deny that, everybody has just got their head in the sand, period.
"From my perspective, what I'm reading, it should be about location. And for me location should be where everybody benefits the most. I believe it's a regional assest, it's not a city asset. When you start looking at at it as mine, and not everybody's, that's where things get skewed or not work out well."
Maddon, providing the unique perspective of a field manager, certainly is staying on the message established by owner Stuart Sternberg. And if all this sounds familiar, it should.
The Rays and Athletics are, essentially, the only major league clubs in dire need of a new ballpark now that the Florida Marlins are getting out of their cavernous pit of a football stadium.
And Maddon's comments mirror those expressed by Oakland officials.
You remember the A's, right? They, like the Rays, used smarts and savvy to overcome their small-market pedigree, producing three consecutive playoff appearances last decade, even as key players departed. Sounds dramatic enough for a book, maybe even a movie.
Now, some eight years after the exodus of their brightest stars to richer markets, the A's message is very focused: San Jose or bust.
The A's lease at the Coliseum (now known as the O.co, for those fascinated with naming rights) expires in 2012. In some regards, the club views its home facility the way some homeowners facing foreclosure might view their dwellings. Pride of ownership? Not so much -- not when the club thinks the stadium is a deterrent to free agents.
And so these days, the ballclub is as bland as the facility it populates.
As for the Rays? They still have a franchise cornerstone in Evan Longoria, locked up until 2016. They still have tons of excellent young pitching, with more on the way.
And they still have a puncher's chance this season. After Tuesday's games, the Rays are seven behind the Red Sox, 5 1/2 behind the Yankees for the wild card.
Heck, their "quirky" facility even gives them a break sometimes. Tuesday's win was sparked by a fly ball that Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson lost amid the pale backdrop of the Trop's roof.
"I love the Trop," Maddon said later, shifting his tune with perhaps a hint of sarcasm. "The Trop and I have had a lot of conversations over the last couple of years."
Maddon knows he might as well revel in the opportunity that still remains. It sure beats thinking about the future.
