Q&A with Vince Naimoli
By MARC TOPKIN
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 31, 1998
 . Did you think this day would ever get here?
A. From the Giants day I was not ever sure it would get here.
From March 9, 1995, I knew it would but it sure looked a long
way out. And then it came crashing upon us.
Q. Did you expect the path to get a team to be so rough?
A. I really didn't. It's been so complicated, so complex. Arduous
is exactly the right word. I never thought it would be like that.
Q. What was the bleakest moment in the pursuit?
A. I think when we didn't get the Giants, when we were at the
hotel for the owners meetings and we got the word. But there's
an old saying that things turn out for the better. It was one
of the bleakest moments of my life but when I look back we're
probably quite fortuitous that we didn't get them. The fans would
not have been happy with the stadium (since there would not have
been time for major improvements). We were able to put all the
amenities in since we had time to do it and transform it into
a 21st century stadium. And we would have inherited the Giants'
culture and their farm system. Instead we had a chance to start
with a blank piece of paper and create our own culture and that's
certainly advantageous.
Q. Was there a day or night when you ready to quit and say, "Forget
it'?
A. There were a number of times. When we didn't get the Giants,
a number of times over the next couple years and again on that
Tuesday (March 7, 1995) when the owners came back to us and said
it was going to be X dollars more. At that point I was real close
to packing up and walking out the door. The only thing that kept
me there and kept me negotiating was the huge fan support and
all the people who worked so hard. I knew I couldn't let them
down so I had to negotiate the best I could. Believe me, Marc,
I was one step from the door and I was taking Jerry (Colangelo,
the Arizona owner) with me.
Q. When did you first know Tampa Bay was going to get a team?
A. It's not as if someone told me absolutely foolproof but for
an entire three months before, I knew it was going to happen.
There's an old saying that nothing's over until it's over and
I wasn't going to leave anything to chance. But I first got a
good feeling when Bud Selig convened the expansion committee and
I saw the people on it. From that moment on I had a good feeling
because the majority of the people were in favor of us having
a team.
Q. What is the best part of having a team in Tampa Bay?
A. It's going to be fun. It's going to be exciting. It's going
to be a rallying point for everyone in our area. It's a form of
unification for all of our different areas. It will be great notoriety
for the entire area. There will be a terrific economic impact
and the creation of a tremendous amount of revenue streams. But
for the average fan and family, it's going to be fun. It's going
to be entertaining. It's going to be an outing, an event. Something
people have fun doing over and over.
Q. What will be the moment of realization for you today?
A. When our pitcher throws our first pitch and our catcher catches
it. At that point I'll breathe a sigh of relief.
Q. Given the benefit of hindsight, what would you have done differently?
A. I think early on I would have conferred with the officials
in our area about the stadium and its shortcomings. If I had done
that we would have had a lot more time to prepare and get things
right. In retrospect, we have got things right but at higher costs,
particularly to the team. Besides that it's great to look back
at what might be mistakes and what might be correct but I think
we're pretty fortunate overall. I guess in looking back there's
some words I would like to take back, the ones I said to you one
day (when he said he was solely responsible for bringing baseball
here) which I have apologized for. I had a bad day and a slip
of the tongue.
Q. What do you think of the way the ticket-buying public has responded
to the team?
A. It's gone quite well and I think we'll see more and more. The
history of our area says it's a walk-up (ticket purchase) market.
We've sold somewhere over 50 percent of our available tickets,
which is more than history told us because walk-up crowds are
some 70-80 percent of sales. And whereas I said we sold over 50
percent of our total tickets, when you take out the tickets we
sell prior to the homestand (such as the $3 and $1.50 tickets)
we've probably sold closer to 70 percent of our available tickets.
Q. And what about the way the business community responded?
A. I think it's going very well. It was slow at the beginning
but now we are getting terrific support. We all know we have various
size companies in our area. When you see the signs in our stadium,
our TV ads, our program, what you'll see is we have broad-scale
support on a broad spectrum. We got all of our national sponsors
first shot out of the blocks and the local businesses hadn't responded.
But what happened within the last 45 days is people realized it's
here and now let's do it. We've had such a flood of things it's
absolutely incredible. Take our program, which I choose to call
a magazine. We've exceeded the budget and estimates.
Q. What do you think about the city's preparedness for baseball?
A. I think the city has been working diligently and I think if
you look at any city where they have huge events there will always
be people who can be detractors. I'd rather look at the positive.
The city has been doing a huge amount of work and by Opening Day
a huge amount will be accomplished. As the year goes on and as
the years go on, we'll see even more accomplished. It's a huge
undertaking. I've heard people be critical but what I'd rather
do is accentuate the positive. There's a huge amount done and
there's always more to do I'd rather compliment everyone involved.
Q. What kind of financial shape is the team in?
A. We're in good shape financially. From our original 1992 pro
formas which we gave out to the investors, we're only about 5
percent off. Fortunately, we're on the upside of revenues. We've
spent a whole lot more on training and development than we ever
expected to spend. Five percent difference is a pretty good accomplishment.
Q. Will you and your partners make money this year?
A. I certainly hope we do. School isn't out until the end of the
year. I'm too conservative to ever project income, which is a
lesson I learned with my public companies. Our first motivation
is not making money but getting a return of capital. What we want
to do is over the course of time is get our investment back.
Q. What is your break-even point for attendance?
A. I'm not at liberty to tell you but our goal is to break 3-million
(which would be an average of more than 37,000 per game).
Q. What do you think of what you've seen of the team on the field?
A. I don't want to go contrary to what Larry (Rothschild) and
Chuck (LaMar) say (about not drawing conclusions from spring training),
but as a fan for a minute, I'm pleased with what I've seen so
far. As time goes on, expectations will continue to increase and
as a fan I'm sure mine will continue to as well.
Q. During the games, what kind of fan will you be?
A. It will depend where I'm sitting. If I'm in my seats and I'm
sitting with the fans I'll probably be a little more controlled.
But if I'm sitting in my office or my suite I'll probably throw
my hat down and mutter under my breath about the umpires' calls.
Q. What makes the teams a success on field?
A. No. 1, if they play competitive and hard all the time, and
No. 2, if they act on and off the field as role models to all
the young people and to all our fans, and I really mean that.
As far as wins and losses, I'll tell you at the end of the year.
Q. But don't you have a number in the back of your mind?
A. Yes, but it's private.
Q. You certainly seem to enjoy winning; how will you handle a
season of 90 or 100 losses?
A. (Laughter) I guess the best answer is that I look at the exhibition
games every day and I know it really doesn't count if it's a win
or a loss, but a win always feels one heckuva lot better than
a loss.
Q. What will your blood pressure be like during a game?
A. It will be up and down. When you're emotionally involved as
any fan it does that.
Q. Who do you think will be the Rays biggest rivals?
A. I would have thought it was the Yankees. From what we've seen
on ticket sales it's across the board on a significant number
of teams -- the Braves, Red Sox, Orioles, Tigers, Indians, White
Sox. Because George Steinbrenner is in Tampa, I've always viewed
the Yankees as one of the biggest rivals but I'm not sure the
fans do.
Q. What is your most favorite part of the stadium?
A. If I were a fan and not recognizable I would go to The Beach.
Q. Would you take your shirt off?
A. I wouldn't do that.
Q. Do you think this is a Devil Rays town yet?
A. I really think it is. You see what people are wearing and buying.
I see more and more when I look in the stands and I see more and
more when we go to places like Dunedin and Lakeland, and more
people there cheering for us. And our store (in West Shore Plaza)
has been an absolute knockout.
Q. What kind of an owner will you be?
A. I'm not sure if there is someone else out there who will be
a role model. I know I have and will always have the fans' interest
at heart. The way I look at it, our fans are our customers and
without customers you don't have a business and you don't have
the sport.
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