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Talk of the bay

After eight years, Rays' hometown still a stumper

By STEVE HUETTEL
Published September 19, 2005

By now, St. Petersburg City Council member Bill Foster figures, out-of-towners ought to know the Tampa Bay Devil Rays don't play in Tampa.

But the mistake popped up again last week, this time in a New York Times story about how some Yankees anticipated the upcoming series with the Rays.

Pitcher Randy Johnson was quoted about "our nemesis in Tampa" and continuing the team's winning ways "in Tampa." The paper then misidentified the city where the games would be played.

"It irks the stuffing out of me," Foster fumed at a meeting Wednesday of the Pinellas County Tourism Development Council. "They should figure it out after eight years, and they haven't."

He suggested the panel pass a resolution asking the Devil Rays to do, well, something to fix the situation. Maybe post signs or notices in press kits that reinforce the location of Tropicana Field.

The team will try to think up new ways to help, spokesman Rick Vaughn said. But previous efforts haven't helped.

The Rays list St. Petersburg as their home in press materials and on the Tropicana Field logo. Media representatives routinely give visiting broadcasters a friendly reminder where they are, Vaughn says.

"It's just a common mistake," he said. "It's a challenge. I don't know how many teams play in a city that's not part of their name."

In Major League Baseball, six do. Four use their home states (Florida Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies and Texas Rangers). Then there's the Los Angeles - actually in Anaheim - Angels.

Maybe they have some ideas.

[Last modified September 16, 2005, 20:25:03]