https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2019/10/04/tampa-is-back-in-the-game-of-luring-the-rays-across-the-bay/
Tampa is back in the game of luring the Rays across the bay
St. Petersburg officials confirmed Friday that Hillsborough County can talk to the team about a Tampa ballpark.
Tampa and Hillsborough County are back in the hunt for a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark
TAMPA — Once compared to a corpse, the dream of bringing Major League Baseball to Tampa has suddenly shown signs of life.
On Friday, Kevin King, St. Petersburg’s chief of policy and public engagement,...
(Follow link for full article.)
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/307610-what-is-hillsborough-paying-its-rays-stadium-consultant-for
What is Hillsborough paying its Rays stadium consultant for?
Even after striking out on finding a way to pay for a new Rays stadium in Ybor City, some Hillsborough County leaders still say they know how to make a ballpark work in Tampa. But they didn’t seem to know there is nothing in the Rays’ contract prohibiting the two sides from talking about a new stadium in 2028.
The Tampa Bay Times reported Friday “Tampa is back in the game of luring the Rays across the bay,” as Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill realized he was, in fact, allowed to talk to the team about what they’ll do after their use agreement expires in St. Petersburg after the 2027 season.
Merrill told the Times it was “the most positive thing that has happened in a long, long time,” apparently referring to reporters Charlie Frago, Josh Soloman, and Anastasia Dawson educating him that St. Petersburg’s deal prohibits the Rays from discussing relocation before 2028, but not after that.
In addition to not being familiar with the Rays’ contract, it would seem Merrill doesn’t read the Times, either, as a Frago/Soloman story in June explained, “The team cannot even talk to anybody about playing games elsewhere before the contract expires — but it can talk about where it will play in 2028 & beyond.”
One has to wonder — what exactly is Hillsborough paying its stadium consultant, Irwin Raij, for?
The attorney hired in 2014 to represent and advise the county behind-the-scenes has billed taxpayers more than $750,000 over the past five years.
Raij, who did not respond to a request for comment, was contracted by the county until late last year, when Merrill and County Commissioner Ken Hagan moved his consulting contract out from under an increasingly-reluctant county commission, and over to the stadium-friendly Tampa Sports Authority (TSA), which is funded by both county and city dollars.
It’s not clear what specific services Raij is currently providing, given Hillsborough’s failure to entice the Rays during a three-year negotiating window and the ten months of confusion/gridlock since. But WTSP-TV documented how he played a key role — along with Hagan — in coordinating land and developers in Ybor City before the team went public with its preferred Tampa stadium location.
WTSP-TV also reported last year how Raij was consulting for the Oregon investors trying to lure a team — possibly the Rays — to Portland.
It seems clear the Rays are aware of their ability to talk about relocation in 2028, telling St. Petersburg officials their ongoing talks with Montreal investors pertain only to life after their current contract expires.
It also seems clear the team’s lack of talks with Hillsborough County stems not from a prohibition in its contract, but a disinterest with what’s been offered to date.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2019/10/07/this-may-be-the-rays-last-chance-and-ours/
This may be the Rays’ last chance, and ours
John Romano: The Rays have their first playoff game at Tropicana Field in six years on Monday. Will it also be their last?
Groundskeepers hand paint the ALDS logo on the turf at Tropicana Field on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019 in St. Petersburg.
ST. PETERSBURG — Come 1:05 p.m., the past does not exist.
Not the warnings from the owner, nor the insults from the outsiders. Not the shortcomings at the box office, nor the trespassing of Montreal.
On...
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/dctsja/eggcellent_prank_espn_fc/
Eggcellent Prank (ESPN FC)
Y'all it got shared by ESPN FC!
https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1179775953641377792
(Follow link for full article.)
https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1179775953641377792
ESPN FC
@ESPNFC
An eggcellent prank 😂
(via
@TampaBayRowdies
)
0:15
11:11 AM · Oct 3, 2019·Spredfast app
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/dccg2r/tropics_wflawtta_announce_partnership_for_live/
Tropics, WFLA/WTTA announce partnership for live television broadcasts of all 12 home MASL games
BIG NEWS OUT OF LAKELAND!
Would be great to have Rowdies on WTTA from March-November & Tropics from November-April
Yes and yes!'
Especially away games. ESPN+ Is nice but a weird request in a pub!
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.fltropics.com/news/tropics-wfla/wtta-announce-partnership-for-live-te
TROPICS, WFLA/WTTA ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP FOR LIVE TELEVISION BROADCASTS OF ALL 12 HOME MASL GAMES
(Follow link for full article.)
https://pittsburghsoccernow.com/2019/10/04/race-to-first-loudoun-stuns-rowdies/
Race to First: Loudoun stuns Rowdies
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nxGrM3PBps
Tampa Bay Rowdies Highlights at Loudoun United FC - October 4, 2019
Tampa Bay Rowdies
🎥 FULL HIGHLIGHTS of tonight's 2-0 defeat to Loudoun United FC.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/dd9hb9/rays_game_2_watch_party_this_saturday_night_at_al/
Rays Game 2 Watch Party – This Saturday Night at Al Lang...
meh..... we've worked so hard to get stick ball out of Al Lang, and now this? lol
(Follow link for full article.)
https://twitter.com/RaysBaseball/status/1180116432090259459?s=20
Tampa Bay Rays
@RaysBaseball
Take these games in amongst friends.
Here are our official watch party locations for the ALDS!
#StayHungry
9:44 AM · Oct 4, 2019·Twitter for iPhone
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/ddh1ps/that_sucked/
That sucked.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.caughtoffside.com/2019/10/04/video-tampa-bay-players-trick-teammates-into-heading-an-egg-in-hilarious-dressing-room-prank/
Video: Tampa Bay players trick teammates into heading an egg in HILARIOUS dressing room prank
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.draysbay.com/2019/10/4/20898613/baseballs-better-with-a-crowd-here-are-your-alds-watch-parties
Baseball’s better with a crowd! Here are your ALDS watch parties.
You can choose your preferred side of the Bay, gathering either at Al Lang Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, or bringing a blanket to Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Park.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.blackandredunited.com/2019/10/4/20897881/loudoun-united-tampa-bay-rowdies-2019-time-tv-schedule-and-how-to-watch-usl-championship-online
Loudoun United vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies 2019: Time, TV schedule and how to watch USL Championship online
The last game of a home run won’t be easy.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilyprice/2019/10/05/these-are-the-best-beers-in-america/#13183d1e31b0
These Are The Best Beers in America
The Great American Beer Festival is underway this weekend in Denver, Colorado. In addition to being one of the country’s largest beer festivals, the festival is also one of the nation’s largest beer competitions.
This year 2,295 breweries submitted 9,497 beers to be judged in the competition. Only 283 of those breweries walked away with medals, 37 of those for the first time.
Here’s the official list of winners:
Category 1: American-Style Wheat Beer - 80 Entries Silver: Cumberland Punch, East Nashville Beer Works, Nashville, TN Bronze: Termes Beer, Spearfish Brewing Co., Spearfish, SD
Category 2: American-Style Fruit Beer - 144 Entries Gold: Salt River, Historic Brewing Co., Flagstaff, AZ Silver: Quat, Tampa Bay Brewing Co. - Ybor City, Tampa, FL Bronze: Boom Dynamite, O.H.S.O. Brewery + Distillery, Phoenix, AZ
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2019/10/04/creators-of-blair-witch-project-and-final.html
Creators of 'Blair Witch Project' and 'Final Destination' franchise share plans for filming in Ybor City
The duo are working together on two different films that will highlight Ybor City.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/american-food-tourism-florida
America’s Next Major Food Destination Is Not Where You Think
While the shiny, lauded food scenes in cities like Portland, Austin, and L.A. continue to inflate, another, quieter culinary movement also thrives, likely unbeknownst to you. That movement lives in Florida.
Beyond the scenic beaches, the Miami-bound bachelor parties, and the hordes of families fraternizing with life-size versions of their favorite cartoon characters, new, eclectic kitchens and classic haunts across the state are expanding the scope of Florida's reputation.
With the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Atlantic on the other, fresh seafood in Florida is a given — but landscape aside, the real reason for the state’s culinary prominence lies with its people. One in every five Florida residents is an immigrant, the vast majority of whom hail from Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, and Colombia, bringing with them rich culture, history, and of course, flavor. The state’s population continues to grow larger and more eclectic by the day — and as a result, so too does its food scene.
Florida has always had a pretty impressive roster of iconic, staple dishes: stone crab, key-lime pie, fried gator. And perhaps most prolific among them is the Cuban sandwich — a delicacy that is, counterintuitively, native to Florida rather than Cuba. The riff on your classic ham and cheese has been popular since the mid 1800s, when they were crafted en masse to feed Cuban workers in Key West and Ybor City, Tampa — two of Florida’s largest Cuban immigrant communities. There are a number of variations, but the classic is a sub sandwich, grilled and stuffed with melted Swiss cheese, sliced ham, roast pork, mustard, and pickles.
All across the state, beloved old-school haunts sling authentic Cuban fare — like Versaille, a local institution since 1971 in Miami’s Little Havana. By day, La Ventanita, the restaurant’s narrow take-out window, serves charred guava pastelitos and cafecitos — a popular order amongst regular patrons. Come evening, the eccentric, 275-seat dining room fills instantly: While popular among tourists, the place remains a community gathering space — an “unofficial town square” — for Cuban immigrants. At the same time, Florida's Cuban food scene is not stagnant. New, experimental kitchens are constantly looking for contemporary, innovative ways to build on classic Cuban flavors — like Finka, where the menu is derived from a mélange of Peruvian, Korean, and Cuban influences.
While Florida is indisputably Southern in the geographic sense, it may not be the first spot that comes to mind when you think of classic Southern eats. That said, chefs across the state are bringing culinary influence from their Southern hometowns, and in the process, rethinking what Southern cooking even means. First, consider Cask & Larder, labeled one of the “best new restaurants in America” upon opening in Winter Park. From husband and wife duo James and Julie Petrakis — the recipients of many a James Beard Award nomination — the restaurant slings updates on classic Southern fare with dishes like fresh Key West shrimp in a spiced pepper relish with stone-ground grits, or corn fritters served with smoked honey aioli and micro cilantro.
Following suit, Soco is yet another venue with a distinctly Southern accent. Located in Thornton Park, Orlando, the restaurant is helmed by exec chef Greg Richie, who cut his teeth cooking for two major celeb chefs, and here, serves dishes like chicken-fried cauliflower steak in vine-ripe tomato gravy, lobster dumplings with chicken breast and soy butter, and fried green tomatoes loaded with thin-cut country ham and drizzled in a horseradish remoulade.
This new wave of Floridian cooking is not all about the South, though. Miami in particular is also home to some wildly innovative, globally inspired, and locally sourced restaurants, like Ghee. Here, the creative Indian venue’s chef, Niven Patel, draws the majority of the menu’s ingredients from his own two-acre farm, Rancho Patel, located just south in the town of Homestead. “His Gujarati background penetrates through all of the flavors,” says Diana Garcia, the restaurant’s GM. “Dining here is sort of a culturally enriched experience.” From an open kitchen, the restaurant serves bold and eclectic dishes, utilizing the best of Florida’s local offerings — namely: Gulf Coast catch of the day, marinated in turmeric and served with coconut, fennel, and curry leaves.
Rooster & The Till, stationed in Tampa Heights, comes from another chef of note: Ferrell Alvarez, who was born to a Colombian immigrant father and a Long Island Italian mother — the influence of which can certainly be seen in his cooking. Alvarez was among 2017’s James Beard Foundation semi-finalists for Best Chef: South, and the restaurant itself has twice earned the top slot in the Tampa Bay Times’ restaurant rankings — along with the numerous mentions across notable food magazines highlighting the place for its innovative American cooking (think: foie gras with sous vide pear, house-made cashew butter, and local huckleberry).
Alvarez and his team are long-time local residents — and rather than adhere to long-standing culinary tradition, they’ve made it a priority to maintain a kitchen far more focused on evolving along with Florida’s population. “We love this city,” says Rooster & The Till general manager Myles Gallagher, “and we’re so proud of our growing neighborhood.” Within the past year, the team has opened two other Tampa spots: a sprawling, fast casual venue with shuffleboard courts and room for bocce ball called Nebraska Mini-Mart, and a take on the classic taqueria called Gallito. And Gallagher says he doesn’t expect that growth to stop anytime soon — as the state’s lively, varied population expands, the food scene does too.
Finally, beyond the influx of newer craft kitchens, the state is still home to a number of what you might call “classically Florida” venues: Unassuming, old-school seafood spots, all of which have been dishing out fresh fish to Floridians for several decades. You’ve got The Back Porch in Destin, Stewby’s Seafood Shanty in Fort Walton Beach, Schooners Seafood House in St. Augustine, and perhaps most notably, Miami Beach's Joe’s Stone Crab — a legendary local crustacean institution since 1913. Your order here is obvious: stone crab. Native to the area, it will arrive alongside a wedge of lime, hash browns, and creamed spinach. Naturally, this will be the best stone crab you've ever had.
As with its population, there is no one thing — or person, for that matter — that defines the Florida food scene. “The culinary scene in Florida is a perfect representation of the people that are here,” says Bradley Kilgore, foreman at Kilgore Culinary Group, one of the largest and most notable dining groups in South Florida. “It’s eclectic and electric, there is so much going on. The rapid growth of our culinary scene reflects the growth of the state, which keeps our company inspired.”
It’s not the Cuban sandwiches or the fresh fish or the swath of old-school haunts that make Florida’s dining scene so unique. It’s not the new, exciting roster of experimental kitchens. Instead, it’s the compound of everything at once: the ever-changing, ever-growing amalgam of cultural influences and advancements blending together in service of some truly remarkable plates of food.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pinellas/fans-ready-to-support-rays-during-playoffs-despite-uncertain-future
Fans ready to support Rays during playoffs, despite uncertain future
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning have turned playoff watch parties into big events, with thousands showing up.
But Wednesday as the Rays return to the post season for the first time in six years, the team is not hosting its own official event.
RECOMMENDED: What to know about the Rays Wild Card showdown with the A's
“I’m not seeing the team capturing in the fan’s interest," said Michael Lortz.
Lortz is a big Rays fan, he even blogs about the good and bad of baseball in Tampa Bay.
He says what the team has done on the field is great.
But he questions the franchise’s commitment to marketing.
“What are they doing to get fans involved. You see these gigantic banners for the Lighting, the Bucs, even the Rowdies have some really good marketing in downtown St. Pete.”
RELATED: Rays fans travel across country to cheer on team and favorite coach
Down Central Avenue we didn’t see any grand gestures for support as the Rays enter the playoffs.
No flags. No signs. No banners.
Meanwhile, Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan says Rays leadership is pumped for the playoffs and keeping baseball here.
“As a Rays fan all season long they had dozens of watch parities so I still believe they are fully committed to Tampa and Hillsborough County.”
RELATED: Tampa Bay Rays enter 2019 MLB postseason with longest odds to win World Series
Hillsborough County is where Hagan would like to see the Rays relocate and even though the first attempt at getting a new stadium in Ybor City failed, he’s not giving up.
Fans like Lortz aren’t either.
“Carpe Diem. We seize the day. Just root for the team today. And let the front office business play out as it is," said Lortz.
There are watch parties at several bars and restaurants around Tampa Bay, even one at Charlotte Sports Park where the Rays play their spring training games in Port Charlotte.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.hawkeyenews.net/features/2019/10/02/look-at-all-those-chickens/
Why did the chicken cross the road?
The Hawkeye
An Ybor City chicken crossing the road.
You’ve seen them on your way to school, strutting across the street with a puffed chest and a cocky attitude.
They’re unrestrained, oftentimes reckless and almost always vocal. One was accused of destroying property, a few have been caught engaging in “romantic frenzies” out in the open.
Their history of delinquent behavior has led most of their neighbors to go so far as to label them pests. Still, others retain the belief that they’re a staple of our historic community.
But whether you like them or not, one thing is for certain: while some places are known for their breathtaking landscape and others for their distinct cuisine, Ybor City is known for its chickens.
The chickens are the descendants of the earliest residents’ livestock and are protected by a law that declares Tampa a sanctuary for all birds. Over 100 years later they still live in the neighborhood, amusing tourists and cawing their way into the hearts of citizens.
As absurd as it sounds, the feral chicken population is integral to the city’s culture. Their presence has inspired an annual New Orleans-styled parade, which honors the death of a beloved chicken by the name of James E. Rooster. At one point they even managed to draw attention from the likes of ABC Action News and The New York Times.
Despite this, their residency in Ybor has ruffled the feathers of a few members of the community for decades now.
The Hawkeye
According to Dylan Breese of the Ybor Chicken Society, there are roughly 300 feral chickens in Ybor City.
In 2017, Dylan Bresse rose to their defense by establishing the Ybor Chicken Society. An organization that, according to their website, aims to “preserve harmony between Ybor’s business and chickens.” Breese’s movement was able to get more than 2,000 signatures for a petition that aimed to keep the chickens included under the city ordinance.
A topic that has been the subject of numerous political debacles, with many believing the birds no longer warrant special protection. The debate eventually made it to the city council in 2018, where it was ultimately decided not to remove their rights.
The city’s decision came as a victory to some and an annoyance to others.
About the differing views of the chickens that endure, Ybor City Online wrote, “If you live in Ybor City, you can’t dislike the chickens, because like it or not they have been there longer than you.”
Ybor City has recently unveiled a vision plan for the neighborhood in 2020, which provides a road map for the historic district’s future. While it appears that in the next few years there will certainly be some changes to the city, our feathered-friends will remain with us for the ride.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.tampabay.com/news/tampa/2019/10/02/jane-castor-says-tampa-is-a-baseball-town-as-she-raises-team-flag/
Jane Castor says Tampa is a baseball town as she raises Rays flag
The mayor says Tampa’s long tradition of baseball has the city excited about the Rays first playoff appearance since 2013.
ampa Mayor Jane Castor at a City Hall flag-raising for the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.
TAMPA — As a Tampa Bay Rays flag was raised atop Old City Hall in downtown Tampa on Wednesday, Mayor Jane Castor said the sport’s long tradition in the state’s third-largest city made tonight’s...
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.lavidabaseball.com/ybor-city-and-its-longtime-latino-baseball-roots/
IS YBOR CITY AND ITS LONGTIME LATINO BASEBALL ROOTS THE KEY TO KEEPING THE TAMPA BAY RAYS IN THE AREA?
Baseball in the Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla., area is a complicated present built on a proud past. How locals mitigate the aesthetic of Tropicana Field (or lack thereof) against a vibrant, colorful, cigar-fueled history of an area that has produced almost 100 major leaguers is fascinating.
Now, local leaders are building up the area as a place for baseball to stay long term. Can the Rays get a deal done to finally put down permanent roots in a new, adequate facility? The community hopes so, because baseball is part of the soul in Ybor City.
THE PAST
The Tampa area has a long history and connection to baseball. The first organized baseball team in the area took the field in 1878. Soon thereafter, Cuban immigrants flooded the area as the cigar industry exploded, bringing with them an exquisite knowledge of tobacco and a passion for baseball.
Since then, Tampa has been a part of the history of the game. The Cubs were the first team to open a spring training camp in Tampa in 1913. They were later joined by the Reds, Red Sox, Tigers, White Sox, Yankees and Washington Senators. In the minors, the Tampa Smokers were a founding franchise in the Florida State League in 1919.
For many in the area, like Jason Fernandez, baseball was part of the family.
Today, Fernandez is one of the leading restauranteurs in the Tampa area. He is a proud fourth generation Ybor City local who came back after a few years away to reinvest in the community. He now owns three of the area’s top restaurants in the entertainment district and is working hard to attract locals and tourists alike to spend their time and money in Ybor City.
Fernandez grew up with baseball and food in his family. His great-grandfather was one of the original bartenders at the famous Columbia Restaurant, one of Florida’s most historic establishments. His maternal grandfather, Nilo Priede, played in the Dodgers organization in the early 1950s with the likes of Don Zimmer, Sandy Koufax and Jackie Robinson. The stories he told kept the family captivated as he later traveled the world as an engineer.
Fernandez, like so many kids, chose to be the contrarian in the family. He didn’t cheer for the Dodgers growing up. He was a Yankees fan.
Ironic, then, that one of Fernandez’s high school classmates – Tino Martinez – would play such an important role in the Yankees returning to dynastic prominence in the mid-1990s. And years later Fernandez would become friends with the late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner; they spent a great deal of time together opening Malio’s steakhouse in Tampa.
Like Fernandez’s life, baseball and food are tied together in the heart of the Tampa community. When the Rays looked to find a location for a new stadium last year (again), Ybor City was an area the team targeted.
“Ybor City is the definition of local authenticity,” team president Brian Auld said at a press conference unveiling a stadium proposal last year. “It is brimming with multi-cultural history. It has an incredible baseball history to tell, too. Jackie Robinson stayed at the Jackson House. Babe Ruth cavorted at the Columbia Restaurant.”
How would the cigar-rolling history of Ybor City embrace a dynamic new stadium?
Tampa Bay Rays
✔
@RaysBaseball
Tampa Bay’s future ballpark. https://atmlb.com/2L4QDik
#RaysUp
View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter
11.6K
2:26 PM - Jul 10, 2018
Twitter Ads info and privacy
5,509 people are talking about this
THE PRESENT
On March 9, 1995, the area was granted an expansion franchise by Major League Baseball. The inaugural season of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays was played in 1998. Ten years later, the club won its first American League East title, making it all the way to the World Series behind AL Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria and manager Joe Maddon. Tampa made the postseason in three of the following five seasons.
Over the years more than 80 baseball players from the area have made it to the majors. Teams still call the area home for spring training each year, and young players travel to the city for guidance from legendary coaches like Orlando Chinea, who has worked with stars like the late José Fernández.
However, over the past five years the Rays have finished last in the American League in attendance; they rank 29th out of 30 teams this season, ahead of only Miami. The Rays have finished last in the AL in attendance in 14 of the 22 seasons the organization has existed. Many point to “The Trop,” their home ballpark, as one of the biggest issues holding the Rays back.
Tropicana Park has had almost as many tenants as it has had names. It has housed the Arena Football League’s Storm and Lightning as well as the Rays. It is also the last stadium in MLB that has a fixed roof. Driving up to the stadium doesn’t elicit the same awe as Fenway Park, Wrigley Field or Yankee Stadium.
The Trop isn’t the only issue, however. Many kids, including Fernandez’s, have opted to play other sports. Fernandez has a son who plays hockey and a daughter who chose volleyball.
Hockey has grown in the area in recent years, and for good reason. The Tampa Bay Lightning have done a great job of evangelizing the Tampa area for hockey and are only four years removed from a Stanley Cup Final. Selling hockey in a baseball town hasn’t been easy, but according to Fernandez the commitment of the Lightning and their principal owner, Jeffrey Vinik, is important.
“[The Lightning] embrace the community,” Fernandez said. “They’ve done a fantastic job. They have embraced the community and I feel like they are always giving back. … The things that are important to the community are important to Mr. Vinik and important to the organization. What Mr. Vinik is doing down at Channelside is fantastic. It’s changing the city for the better.”
Local restaurateur Jason Fernandez wants to bring the Rays home to Ybor City.
THE FUTURE
This year, the two teams at the bottom of MLB’s attendance rankings are both in Florida. Fernandez acknowledged the ever-present argument that the state is better at supporting college teams and spring training than a full 162-game major league calendar. From the weather to the other options, Fernandez noted that entertainment is always available in Florida, and baseball has become expensive.
“There are so many different options for entertainment even within the stadium itself,” he said. “It’s so expensive. You go to a Rays game and it’s $14 for beer, and that’s not just the Rays stadium – it’s all stadiums.”
A transient population and the feeling of constant rebuilding has amplified the issues that begin with the building. Fernandez, a business leader in the community, also noted that the Rays and MLB didn’t do themselves any favors when there was news of a proposed split season between Tampa and Montreal for the Rays.
With new transportation options, including a speed train between Orlando and Tampa, and the continued improvements in the entertainment district, Fernandez has hopes that the Rays will find a way to get their stadium done and become part of the new foundation of Ybor City.
“Obviously I’m biased in this, but I think the Ybor City location is perfect for a new stadium,” he said. “In my heart I want baseball to grow. I want to figure out how to get more kids involved in Little League – something the Rays do very well. In the Latin community where I come from, baseball is it. It’s been part of our community for more than 100 years and is still very important to our Latin community.”
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news/learning-how-to-roll-cigars-at-tabanero-in-ybor-city/
Learning how to roll cigars at Tabanero in Ybor City
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – People who call Tampa home might not realize it was once known at “Cigar City.”
Tampa’s historic district, Ybor City was founded in 1885 by a group of cigar manufacturers, and Cuban, Spanish and Italian immigrants worked factories in the once-thriving industry.
It’s a labor of love, to keep the art of hand rolled cigars alive.
In the heart of Ybor City is Tabanero Cigars.
Every Cuban cigar at Ta is handmade from start to finish.
“We do everything Cuban style. We make cigars like they did 100 years ago. One artisan will start and finish the cigar we don’t work in pairs,” said owner Yanko Maceda.
Tabanero Cigars has a large window where tourist can see how cigars are made, and maybe roll inside for a slow burn and a hot cup of café con leche.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/ny-rays-al-wild-card-montreal-20191002-26nuwh4pfbafbd75iphexcguay-story.html
Rays owner will host group interested in bringing baseball back to Montreal at AL Wild Card game
Tampa Bay Rays’ owner Stuart Sternberg invited Stephen Bronfman — head of the Montreal group interested in bringing the Rays to play future home games in the Canadian city — to the team’s American League Wild Card game in Oakland.
Sternberg had organized Bronfman’s tickets, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin, though there’s no word yet whether the two will sit together.
The Rays play the A’s Wednesday in the win-or-go home affair.
Though the plans are still up in the air, it’s likely Bronfman would be minority owner of the team in that split-city scenario.
In June, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced the league was giving formal permission to the Rays to explore splitting the location of half of their regular season home games. Prior to that there had already been a movement to bring baseball back to Montreal and to move the Rays out of its current situation in St. Petersburg.
William Jegher
@wjegher
The Montreal Baseball Group is on its way to Oakland for the AL Wild Card game. Hoping for a @RaysBaseball victory! #RaysUp
View image on Twitter
155
8:34 AM - Oct 2, 2019 · Maple Leaf Lounge (Transborder)
Twitter Ads info and privacy
138 people are talking about this
Aside from long-standing attendance woes, Tropicana Field has plenty of issues. In the beginning of the season while playing against the Yankees, there was a power outage inside the dome and Yankees players said they weren’t surprised given the condition of the stadium.
The Rays are likely to make a move from the St. Petersburg-Tampa area following the end of its Tropicana Field lease in 2027. Sternberg even said it’s “highly unlikely” the Rays would pursue a full-time home in the Florida cities.
“I just don’t see it happening in St. Petersburg and I’d be hard-pressed to see it working in Tampa from what I know.”
Following news of the potential Montreal plan in June, St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman said he would bar all talks between the Rays and Bronfman’s group. The mayor and other local leaders in both cities would prefer the team explore different options in the surrounding area, though negotiations over permanence in Florida have seemingly fallen flat with Sternberg fully intending to move forward in the split game decision, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Charlie Frago.
“None of us, Montreal, Tampa, St. Petersburg, can support 81 games on their own,” Charlie Gerdes, chairman of the St. Petersburg City Council, said Friday. “(Sternberg) told St. Petersburg, to our face, to the mayor, to me... You build me a stadium on the Al Lang site, on the water, I will not give you 81 games. He’s told us that. I don’t think he’s negotiating. I think he’s being honest.”
(Follow link for full article.)
https://theathletic.com/1266890/2019/10/04/bronfman-nows-the-time-and-this-is-the-place-for-baseballs-return-to-montreal/
Bronfman: “Now’s the time, and this is the place” for baseball’s return to Montreal
Public hearings at the Office de consultation publique de Montréal, an independent body that issues recommendations on civic planning initiatives, take place in a large, nondescript space on the 14th floor of a downtown office building.
Presentations have a tendency toward the tedious, and thus tend to be sparsely attended. But on Thursday night, the room was better than half full, although the numbers were skewed by the number of reporters in attendance. The topic they were there to cover was baseball.
The wheels of civic bureaucracy turn slowly, in Montreal and elsewhere, and a few minutes before 8 p.m., Stephen Bronfman walked in through a set of double-doors to try and nudge them a few degrees.
The man who would bring baseball back was on hand to pitch his “dream project” to the OCPM, which will issue a report in the coming months on how best to redevelop an industrial area the size of 400 football fields south of the city’s...
(Follow link for full article.)
https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/stephen-bronfman-presents-his-vision-for-a-baseball-stadium-at-the-peel-basin-1.4622189
Stephen Bronfman presents his vision for a baseball stadium at the Peel Basin
MONTREAL -- Stephen Bronfman and his right-hand man Pierre Boivin will present their vision for the development of the Peel Basin to the hearings of the Montreal Public Advisory Board for the development of the Bridge-Wellington area on Thursday evening.
The executive chairman of Claridge, who wishes to bring a Major League Baseball team back to Montreal, will present his vision for the neighbourhood, which would include a 32,000-seat baseball stadium.
Boivin, president and CEO of Claridge, is leading the neighbourhood's residential and commercial development, which will be done in partnership with developer Devimco, which will be heard in the afternoon.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2019/10/03/the-rays-arranging-for-montreal-group-to-be-in-oakland-is-a-bad-look/
The Rays arranging for Montreal group to be in Oakland is a bad look
John Romano: Accommodating a prospective Montreal partner on wild-card night reminds Tampa Bay that the Rays are eager to stadium shop in Canada.
Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg, left, and Rays president Brian Auld are seen on the field just prior to the America League wild-card game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019 in Oakland.
OAKLAND — Why not invite Bud Selig, too?
Or Jerry Reinsdorf? How about Bill White? Why not invite every other owner/executive who has teased, impeded or otherwise been a thorn in the side of Tampa Bay...
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2019/10/02/rays-sternberg-will-host-montreal-group-leader-at-wild-card-game/
Rays Sternberg arranged for Montreal group leader to attend wild-card game
Stephen Bronfman and colleagues are heading west to see the team they hope will play part of future seasons in Montreal.
Tampa Bay Rays Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg, far right, is seen on the field just prior to the America League Wild Card game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland Athletics Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019 in Oakland.
OAKLAND, Calif. — Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg arranged for the leader of the effort to bring baseball back to Montreal to attend Wednesday’s AL wild-card game.
And he didn’t think there was...
(Follow link for full article.)
https://patch.com/florida/southtampa/visit-these-sites-if-you-dare-tampas-most-haunted-places
Visit These Sites If You Dare: Tampa's Most Haunted Places
Here are some places in Tampa where spooks reportedly roam year round.
According to locals, the Tampa Theatre is haunted by a number of spirits including Foster "Fink" Finley, the theater's first projectionist. (Visit Tampa Bay)
TAMPA, FL -- It's one thing to visit a staged haunted house during the Halloween season. But are you brave enough to venture into a building where visitors have reported seeing real spectral figures?
There are a number of historic buildings in Tampa where spooky happenings are reported year round.
Tampa Theatre
Movie-goers enjoyed silent films featuring actors Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Buster Keaton when the Tampa Theatre at 711 N. Franklin St. opened in 1926. Today, the theater continues to be a popular venue for classic films for movie lovers - alive and dead.
According to locals, the Tampa Theatre is haunted by a number of spirits including Foster "Fink" Finley, the theater's first projectionist. Finley worked in the theater starting in the 1940s and reportedly died there from a heart attack in 1965.
Theater staff believes he continues to roam the theater. Finley was a chain-smoker and, at times, staff has seen cigarette smoke hovering in the air of the projection booth. Theater-goers occupying the back two rows of the balcony nearest the projection booth swear to smell cigarette smoke although smoking has long been prohibited.
The ghost of Rosa Rio may also linger in the theater.
The theater's Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ is a 1,400-pipe instrument installed to accompany silent films and Rosa Rio was the organist who played it until she died in 2010 at the age of 107.
Video by Aaron1912
On nights when the public has gone, staff claim to hear Rosa playing the organ. She's also very protective of the antique instrument. A theater manager accidentally stepped back into the orchestra pit and was about the fall on top of the organ when Rosa diverted her fall so she wouldn't damage it.
Then there's the Lady in White who has been seen pacing backstage and the mysterious man who appears in seat 308.
Courtesy Tampa Theatre
The theater hosts the Ghosts of the Tampa Theatre Tour on selected nights in October but reservations are a must because tours sell out quickly.
The 75-minute tour kicks off in the lobby and includes climbing stairs and extended periods of standing. Doors open 15 minutes before tour time.
Tickets are $15. There are still tickets available for tours at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 18; 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 and 26; 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20 and 27; 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, Oct. 21-25 and Oct.28-29; 10:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25; and 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31.
Ybor City
No place in Tampa Bay can claim more hauntings than Ybor City.
Founded in 1885, the city was built on the backs of Cuban and Italian immigrants who came to America seeking a better life. Many ended up working for one of the city's cigar factories. And hundreds were killed in fires in the city's hastily constructed wood-frame buildings and during the yellow fever epidemic in the 1900s.
The largest fire in Tampa's history occurred on March 1, 1908, at 1914 12th Ave., according to Tampa Fire Rescue. The fire originated in the wood-shingled roof of a boarding house and quickly spread to more than 17 city blocks. An untold number of adults and children perished in the blaze. Store owners swear they can still hear the laughter of the fire's youngest victims.
During Prohibition, Ybor City became a notorious hangout for gangsters. Gambling czar Charles Wall used political connections to set up a bolita gambling racket in Ybor City during the 1920s and opened the lavish sporting parlor, the El Dorado Lounge, at 8th Avenue and 14th Street. It became a refuge for underworld figures and the scene of drive-by shootings at the hands of Wall's rival, Salvatore Trafficante Sr.
Additionally, the upper floors of the El Dorado were rumored to be the "largest house of ill-repute outside of New Orleans."
Between 1930 and 1959, Tampa witnessed more than 25 gangland killings, most of them in Ybor City. Among them, on Nov. 10, 1936, George "Saturday" Zarate, a drug trafficker for New York gangster Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was gunned down in front of the El Dorado. A year later, Joe Vaglichi, whose brother was Al Capone's bodyguard, died in a hail of bullets from another passing car in front of the gaming parlor.
Ybor City's former Don Vicente Hotel is considered one of the most haunted buildings in the United States, according to Haunted Rooms.. Built in 1895, the structure served as a hotel, a meeting house (El Bien Publico) and a medical clinic.
Jose Luis Avellena Jr. and his disembodied nurse are said to haunt the basement of the Don Vicente. There are also reports of a mad doctor who experimented on patients and then burned the bodies in the basement incinerator.
Courtesy Historic Ybor
When the hotel was operating, Room 305, in particular, was a reported hot spot for paranormal activity. Guests reported seeing the apparition of a man at the foot of the bed. Other common hauntings in the Don Vicente included flickering lights, creaky footsteps, doors opening and closing and faucets turning on and off.
Another infamous haunted venue is the The Cuban Club. Built in 1917, it was named one of the most haunted buildings in the U.S. by the Travel Channel. The hauntings at the historic club are attributed to the ghosts of two people who died in the building during the 1920s. One is an actor who committed suicide on stage. The other is a board member who was murdered by a fellow board member during a heated argument.
Courtesy Cuban Club
Visitors have reported a piano playing by itself, the elevator moving up and down although no one pressed the button and entities walking the halls dressed in period clothing.
The old Florida Brewery Company building at 1234 E. 5th Ave., is the tallest building in Ybor City. Before the founding of Ybor City, the property was the site of the Government Spring.
Discovered in 1824, the spring provided water to Fort Brooke. Later, a swimming pool and ice factory were built on the site.
In 1896, Vicente Martinez-Ybor decided to try his hand at brewing beer. The successful Florida Brewing Company produced beer until 1961. A cigar company then took over the space in the '60s, bricking over many of the windows to keep the tobacco fresh. The building doubled as a Cold War bomb shelter.
During the 1980s, the building fell into disrepair and the tower and roof collapsed.
In 1999, the Swope Rodante Law Firm spent millions to restore it but the renovations failed to discourage the spirits that reportedly haunt the building.
Photo courtesy Swope Rodante Law Firm
One ghost story dates back to the opening of the brewery. To celebrate, the brewery offered free beer and a fight broke out between two men who imbibed a bit too much. One man of Cuban descent sustained severe head injuries in the fight and died. Visitors now claim to see a drunk man with a Hispanic accent hanging around the building.
Now and then, visitors can catch a glimpse of restless spirits dressed in immigrant clothing and zoot suits and Fedoras during the official Ybor Ghost Tour. The ghost tour is expanding its schedule for the Halloween season with Sunday night tours. Tours run select nights Oct. 6 through 27 and include an exploration of the Cuban Club, the Don Vicente, cigar shops and other venues.
The tours are $25 for adults and $10 for children 8-12 . There is special pricing available on Tuesdays. The tour is not open for children under 5 years old and children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For times and reservations, click here.
For those more fascinated with the mob, Tampa Mafia Magazine hosts the Tampa Mafia Tours with Scott M. Deitche, author of seven books on the mob including Cigar City Mafia and The Silent Don: The Criminal Underworld of Santo Trafficante Jr.
Deitche takes groups on 1 1/2 to two-hour walking tours through Tampa's Mafia history.
The tour takes visitors to old gambling palaces, street corners and alleys where mobsters met their demise and restaurants where wise guys like famed mob boss Santo Trafficante Jr. held court.
Upcoming tours take place Saturday, Oct. 12, 19, Nov. 16 and Dec. 7 at 3 and 6 p.m. Tickets are $30. Click here.
Courtesy Tampa Mafia Magazine
Henry B. Plant Museum
The Henry B. Plant Museum with its distinctive Moorish minarets is now part of the University of Tampa. But from 1891 to 1933, it was a luxurious 511-room hotel that served as a grand winter resort for the rich and famous including Teddy Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, the Queen of England, Booker T. Washington and Stephen Crane.
Apparently, some of these guests refused to check out and continue to haunt the halls today.
People have reported hearing the disembodied voices of long-dead servants and the sounds of rolling dice in the hotel's former gambling casino. Students report an eerie feeling of being watched and doors opening and closing on their own.
The best-known specter is the entity known simply as "The Brown Man." He's described as a man wearing a brown suit with glowing red eyes. He appears and vanishes on staircases throughout Plant Hall.
There is also a phantom couple who have been seen dancing the night away in the hotel's former ballroom.
Visitors may catch a glimpse of these spirits when the museum at 401 W. Kennedy Blvd. hosts An Eerie Evening at the Tampa Bay Hotel Oct. 25-26 from 7 to 10 p.m.
Those attending will explore the museum by lantern and candlelight, hear true creepy tales of poisonings and unexplained deaths, learn about Victorian mourning and funerals customs, and create haunting images with spirit photography.
There will be light refreshments on the veranda, a close look at macabre items from Dysfunctional Grace Art Co. and an opportunity to shop in the Museum Store.
Advanced ticket purchases are strongly encouraged due to limited space. This event is intended for visitors age 16 and above. Tickets are $25 per person. Click here.
Courtesy UT
Fort Brooke Municipal Parking Garage
The last place you'd expect to find ghosts is in a municipal parking garage. But there are those who swear that the Fort Brooke parking garage is haunted.
That may be because the parking garage was built on top of a long-forgotten cemetery.
In 1823, Secretary of War John C. Calhoun ordered the establishment of a military post on the east bank of the Hillsborough River in Tampa near Hillsborough Bay. The post was named Fort Brooke after its commander, Col. George Mercer Brooke, and became a vital outpost during the two Seminole Indian wars.
The massacre of Francis Dade and 108 of his men by Seminole Indians began as a march from Fort Brooke to Fort Dade in Ocala. The main fort sat on the site of today's Tampa Convention Center.
Two cannons from the fort were relocated to the University of Tampa campus.
Courtesy Tampa Bay History Center
When the city of Tampa began building the Fort Brook parking garage in 1980, workers unearthed a cemetery that contained the remains of soldiers and Seminole Indians. The soldiers were reburied in military fashion and the remains of the Seminole Indians were relocated to the grounds of the Seminole Indian Reservation off Hillsborough Avenue in East Tampa.
Preservationist were careful to treat the remains with respect. But it's possible they didn't recover all of the bones. Parking patrons say they have heard the ghostly sounds of Native Americans drumming and chanting, and have seen strange shadow figures.
Sulphur Springs Water Tower
As evidenced by today's Gasparilla Festival, a big part of Tampa's history featured pirates and privateers who would hide their booty-filled galleons in the shelter of the Hillsborough River.
The Hillsborough River next to the Sulphur Springs Water Tower is reported to have been one of the places pirate ships landed.
Courtesy Tampa Bay History Center
The water tower was built atop an artesian well in 1927 by Grover Poole to provide adequate water pressure to the Sulphur Springs Hotel and Mave's Arcade that developer Josiah S. Richardson built next to the therapeutic sulphur springs. But before the tower was constructed, the site was supposedly home to a lighthouse that served as a marker on many pirate treasure maps.
According to local legend, it is now haunted by the spirits of long-dead pirates who are still searching for the treasure that was never recovered. Over the years, there have been sightings of a ghost ship flying a flag emblazoned with crossbones. Some have claimed to see a terrible sea creature dragging the spectral figure of a little girl into the waters of the Hillsborough River.
Two years after the existing tower was constructed, the Sulphur Springs Tower, then one of the tallest structures in Tampa, became the preferred jumping-off point for suicidal investors who lost everything in the 1929 stock market crash.
One psychic who explored the area reported seeing misty apparitions walking around the top of the tower and then leaping off. Backyard Films explored the myths surrounding the tower.
The Old Federal Courthouse
The Old Federal Courthouse plays prominently in Tampa's haunted history.
Completed in 1905, the Old Federal Courthouse building at 601 N.. Florida Ave. was designed by James Knox Taylor, the supervising architect of the United States Treasury in Washington, D.C. The Beaux Arts-style building was originally designed for the United States Post Office but also served as a courthouse and customhouse.
Today, it's Le Meridien Hotel. However, despite extensive renovations, the building hasn't been able to escape its notorious past.
Gangster Charlie Wall, who founded the El Dorado Lounge casino in Ybor City, reportedly spent a great deal of time in the courthouse dodging charges of racketeering and prostitution in the 1930s and '40s.
Courtesy Tampa Bay History Center
He became best known for testifying before a federal committee investigating organized crime in 1950. Apparently, Wall spilled it all, detailing a multitude of crimes and underworld secrets for the committee. Three days later, he was gruesomely murdered. His ghost has reportedly been seen hanging out on the courthouse steps. His murder remains unsolved so, perhaps, he's still seeking justice.
Crown Colony House
A theme park is hardly a place you'd expect to find ghosts but, believe it or not, the Serengeti Overlook Restaurant, formerly the Crown Colony House, at Busch Gardens is said to be haunted.
Both staff and diners report strange happenings like trays of food suddenly flipping over, dancing orbs, moving shadows and a mysterious waft of cigar smoke.
Courtesy Tampa Bay History Center
The ghost-hunting team, Haunted South, even recorded some of these spooky happenings when Busch Gardens allowed the paranormal researchers on its grounds in 2008 to investigate. Haunted South picked up electronic voice phenomenon and mysterious electromagnetic impulses in the restaurant.
The restaurant was built in 1964 as a Valentine's Day gift for the third wife of Anheuser-Busch founder August Busch. It closed in 1982 for remodeling and reopened in 1990. That's when employees and diners began reporting strange happenings -- cold spots, a phantom playing the piano and the ethereal appearance of an 8-year-old girl named Wendy.
Oaklawn Cemetery
The oldest public burial ground in downtown Tampa, Oaklawn Cemetery, is the final resting place of notable Tampa residents like cigar magnate Vicente Martinez-Ybor.
Located at the corner of Morgan and Harrison streets, the cemetery was founded in 1850.
Most notable about the cemetery, whites and slaves alike were buried there. It also contains the gravesites of pirates, Confederate soldiers, Second Seminole War soldiers and yellow fever victims. With that kind of history, hauntings are a given.
According to Deborah Frethem, author of Haunted Tampa: Spirits of the Bay (2014), among the spirits haunting the cemetery is a man named Charles Owen who was hanged in 1882 after he broke into the home of a wealthy Tampa family and attempted to rape the daughter.
According to Frethem, the shadow of a man hanging from a oose occasionally appears near Owen's grave at sunset.
History 6 Feet Under leads a tour titled "Oaklawn Cemetery: What Lies Beneath," as well as Haunted Tampa Ghost Walk and Spirits and Spirits Stroll tours.
Friends of Historic Oaklawn Cemetery
Upcoming Haunted Tampa tours are scheduled Oct. 9-12, 16-19, 23-26, 30-31, Nov. 1-2 at 7:45 and 9:45 p.m.
Oaklawn Cemetery tours are scheduled Oct. 12, 19, 26 and Nov. 2 at 11 a.m. Click here for reservations.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://ilovetheburg.com/the-rays-arent-the-only-tampa-bay-team-in-the-playoffs-rowdies-clinch-postseason-berth/
The Rays aren’t the only Tampa Bay team in the playoffs, Rowdies clinch postseason berth
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are now on the road to the USL Championship. Yes, while we’re here cheering on the Tampa Bay Rays as they face the Oakland Athletics in the AL Wild Card round, we’re also chomping at the bit to see the Rowdies in the USL playoffs.
Come on you Rowdies!
They clinched a spot in the playoffs with a 1-0 defeat to the Ottawa Fury FC due to the Charleston Battery’s 3-1 defeat to Atlanta United 2. Yes, that’s some sports math we can’t quite do in our heads, but we trust nonetheless.
This is the second time in the last three seasons the Rowdies have appeared in the postseason. The team currently sits in 4th place in their conference, and if they can hold onto that spot they’ll automatically advance to the quarterfinals.
Final standings are still up in the air. Official standings will come down to the last few games as several teams are in contention to take the top spot.
Listen, the Rowdies deserve all the praise in the world. The team puts forth a serious effort each and every match. Their energy on the field is matched by the fervent fans who make up Ralph’s Mob. The banging of drums, the memorized chants, and the green and gold all over the place.
There’s also food trucks on hand before and during the match. Eat local, cheer local, be local.
When do the playoffs begin? The play-In round is slated for October 23 with the Conference Quarterfinals set for the weekend of October 25-27.
The Rowdies have 3 matches lined up before the postseason begins, with the Rowdies final home game of the season set for October 12. The theme for the night: Margaritaville.
That’s not all that’s going on at Al Lang Stadium. Organizers will turn it into a haunted Stadium of Screams on October 25 and 27.
No comments:
Post a Comment