The Rays Owners are Smart
When it was announced that the Tampa Bay Rays were abandonning Al Lang Stadium and moving their spring training headquarters an hour or so south to Port Charlotte, there was a lot of gnashing of teeth about the move. The Rays owners said their motive was simple: to attract fans from south of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Skeptics and conspiacy theorists wondered whether this was the first step to take the Rays to Oklahoma City or Las Vegas or Mexico City. But no, Stuart Sternberg was telling the truth. He was looking for more fans. Last week Annie Miller, who helps run the Eckerd College Elderhostel Program, and I traveled to Port Charlotte to see the new digs. And they are beautiful. The stadium seats about 6,000, and already the best seats have been sold out to those buying season tickets. The name of the Class A Rays affiliate is the Port Charlotte Stone Crabs, and the logo is a hoot, a snarky crab with bg claws. I predict their shirts will become a hot item for Rays fans.