Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg reaffirms commitment to team with plans to build new stadium near Tropicana Field

Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg recently swore allegiance to the team and revealed intentions of building a new stadium near Tropicana Field.

Sternberg stated in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times that he fully intends to continue as the owner of the Rays. He expressed his confidence in the future of the team, emphasizing the plans to construct a ballpark in Tampa Bay that would ensure the Rays' presence for many generations to come.

Stuart Sternberg said in the interview that he expects that they “will build a ballpark in Tampa Bay that will keep the Rays here for generations to come.”

The team is currently looking forward to build a new stadium near Tropicana Field. This comes in the aftermath of the Oakland A’s prospective move to Las Vegas and their hope for a subsequent change of fortune.

For over a decade, the Rays have been actively pursuing the construction of a new ballpark within the Tampa Bay region amid persistent rumors of potential relocation.

Since its establishment in 1998, the team has been utilizing Tropicana Field as its home stadium, which has consistently been regarded as one of the least favorable venues in baseball.

Tampa Bay Rays poor attendance might lead to team moving to a new stadium following Oakland A’s

Manuel Margot #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays hits an RBI single in the sixth inning during a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field on June 20, 2023 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Despite their exceptional and commendable performance on the field, the Tampa Bay Rays have encountered significant hurdles when it comes to garnering a substantial and enthusiastic turnout at their home stadium, Tropicana Field.

Despite boasting the best record in baseball this season with an impressive 51-25 start, the Rays have witnessed a rather modest average attendance of just 17,186 fans per game, placing them among the teams with the fourth-lowest attendance figures in the league.

Notably, in the previous season, the Tampa Bay Rays managed to draw an average of merely 13,927 fans per home game, leaving them positioned ahead of only the Oakland Athletics and Miami Marlins in terms of attendance statistics.