ST. PETERSBURG - The Devil Rays opened their seventh exhibition season at Progress Energy Park on Saturday under sunny skies and a cloudy future.
The Rays' lease on the waterfront facility runs through 2005, and sometime in the next year team officials will weigh the baseball and business merits of staying vs. going somewhere else, if there is somewhere else to go.
"We're going to have to look at it," managing general partner Vince Naimoli said. "We're getting closer to (the time), but we just haven't started on it.
The Rays have plenty of reasons to stay, starting with the convenience and financial benefits of having one year-round base, saving on housing and travel. But they usually are at or near the bottom in terms of attendance, have to make do with separate facilities on different sides of town, deal with occasional distractions of being at home and have a tough time getting people excited about the start of a season because there is no buildup to their return from spring training.
"This year we're fortunate we're going to Japan so we have a break, but being here when you play on a Saturday and open the regular season on Monday, it really takes the bloom off the flowers," Naimoli said.
"But it's a complex issue because there's a lot of pluses, not the least of which is the players not having to pack up and move."
With rumblings of another multiteam complex being planned for Arizona, talk about the Florida Legislature coming up with additional baseball-related funding and everyone raving about the new Phillies facility in Clearwater, there may soon be another wave of spring flings.
If the Rays do leave, they likely wouldn't consider Arizona and would prefer a new all-in-one facility somewhere in Florida. There has been interest from Port Charlotte, but the old Rangers facility would need serious renovation.
RAYS RUMBLINGS: After the opening trip to Tokyo, the Rays are not included even once in the 108 games scheduled for national or regional telecast by ESPN and Fox. ... Kudos to event production director John Franzone for the concept and production of the witty and clever TV commercials. ... The sale of 48 percent of the team to New York investor Stuart Sternberg appears on track to close in the next two weeks. ... The first full-squad workout at minor-league camp is Wednesday. ... Tigers manager Alan Trammell on Delmon Young: "He doesn't look like a kid who was still in high school just a few months ago." ... Detroit's Dmitri Young, Delmon's older brother, had shortstop prospect B.J. Upton sign a bat for his collection.
EX-RAY REPORT: Wilson Alvarez looked finished when he left the Rays after the 2002 season, but the 33-year-old lefty is back for a second season with the Dodgers, signing a one-year, $1.5-million deal after going 6-2 with a 2.37 ERA. "I think I can do it again, because my arm is fine," Alvarez said. ... Brent Abernathy is in camp with the Tigers competing for the utility infielder job. ... Among the 108 hopefuls at the Dodgers open tryout were former Rays pitchers Bryan Rekar, Rusty Meacham and Jeff Sparks. None were signed.
PITCHING IN: Having made it back from the independent Newark Bears to the Royals last season, right-hander Jose Lima, 31, is trying to extend his career with the Dodgers. "Last year, I was nowhere," Lima said. "I was making $3,000 a month. My cell phone bill is higher than that. I thought my career was over. To be in a Dodger uniform ... it's like the Yankees, all the tradition. There's still a lot of Lima Time left."
MISCELLANY: Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria was pretty impressed with the hefty (14-carat, 4-ounce) rings he designed for his champions: "This ring is a glorious piece of sculpture. And you can wear it." ... The Diamondbacks' latest financing plan includes selling personal seat licenses to season-ticket holders. ... The Cubs may sell out the season before opening day. ... Former Dodgers infielder Steve Sax, now a financial adviser, is writing a book about finance and sports. ... One-time Cardinals phenom Rick Ankiel is rehabbing from Tommy John elbow surgery and may be ready to pitch by June. ... The Angels are talking about opening the season without a left-handed reliever. ... The Dallas Independent School District is considering naming a school after Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, a city native. ... The Twins are interested in reliever Ugueth Urbina, but probably not for more than $2.5-million.
- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.
