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MARC TOPKINCommissioner says Rays have a bright future if they have new digs.
ST. PETERSBURG - Commissioner Bud Selig watched his first game at Tropicana Field on Wednesday and said he sees a bright future for the Devil Rays that - eventually - must include a new stadium.
Selig said the changes baseball has in its economic system and changes the Rays have made, including the addition of Stuart Sternberg to the ownership group, will enable the Rays to be successful, but a move out of Tropicana Field eventually will be necessary.
"They eventually, at some point, are going to have to think about a new stadium which produces more revenues, but I realize its premature today," Selig said. "It's tough competing with cities that have new stadiums that produce basically a lot more revenues. People say, well, new stadiums are not the panacea. They are not the panacea. But there are some cities, for example take Detroit, they couldn't continue in Tiger Stadium. At least (the new stadium) gives them a lot more revenue to be competitive."
"I think the Devil Rays right now with their ownership, the new system and everything else are positioned right, and sometime in the future they're going to have to think about a new stadium."
Selig did not put a timetable on the issue, which he often raises when he visits the less-successful franchises to at least stir debate if not raise concerns.
Rays managing general partner Vince Naimoli said he did not consider a new stadium a priority. "I think in the future it is a consideration; I can't tell you what the date of the future is," Naimoli said. "It's not something which is on our radar screen at the moment."
While a new stadium would provide the Rays additional revenues needed to offset advantages other teams have, Selig said he was confident they could be competitive without one, even in the rugged AL East.
"No question," he said. "I think the system does that, the demographics of their area do that and given what they've done with ownership, my answer is unequivocally yes."
Though the Rays rank ahead of only Montreal in terms of attendance, Selig insisted the future was strong.
"I'm very confident," he said. "They know they have to get their attendance up, there's no secret about that. But I think the ownership change, bringing Lou Piniella here, I think Vince has understood. I'm very confident where the Devil Rays are today. Frankly, I don't really have any concerns about the Devil Rays at all."
He went as far as saying the changes in the economic system, specifically increased revenue sharing, will allow the Rays to compete fairly against large-market teams such as the Yankees and Red Sox.
"Let me suggest to you that before the (latest) labor agreement I couldn't have looked at you and said they could," Selig said. "The demographics of this area are outstanding. I mean in terms of market size, in terms of households, in terms of per capita income, this is absolutely a major-league city. If we didn't change the economic order the answer to your question would be no. That's why the labor agreement is so critical."
For those who don't share Selig's optimism, the long-term future still might be good. The new labor agreement prevents the elimination of any teams through 2006, and Selig said he does not expect contraction to be an issue even after that.
In other issues, Selig expects realignment, which could get the Rays out of the East, to be given serious consideration ("I think it's something we need to do," he said); that the unbalanced schedule format probably won't be changed; the Rays have applied to host an All-Star Game and will get consideration; the likelihood of the playoff field being expanded soon is decreasing; and that there have been no complaints about teams, such as the Rays, that don't spend all their revenue sharing money on major-league payroll.