Tampa Bay Rays’ well-oiled PR machine stumbles

Since Stuart Sternberg bought the Tampa Bay Rays, the team has done an awful lot right in public relations.

The team reached out to fans with things like free parking. It built bridges to the business community after prior owner Vince Naimoli alienated so many with his tightwad ways on the field and sparkling personality off of it.

That other small thing – the 2008 World Series -- hasn't hurt public perception, either.

But then there's the issue that tests the Rays' ability to maintain high public perception while pushing for some hard choices to be made: a new stadium. The Rays have been mostly patient and non-aggressive in their pursuit of a new facility. The team has stepped gingerly, avoiding saber-rattling or threats, even as progress has been glacially slow. A downtown, open-air stadium vision was shot down by the community and the Rays quietly regrouped. Which is why the comments of ABC Coalition were so unfortunate today.

The ABC Coalition is an independent group formulated to study the baseball stadium situation in Tampa Bay. And while the Rays have publicly kept their distance, the Coalition will be largely viewed as a spokesperson by proxy. Knowing that, maybe Craig Sher shouldn't be that spokesperson:

"... if we keep the Rays in the existing stadium for the next 17 years, it's kind of a death sentence for baseball."

This isn't the time to be talking about expensive baseball stadiums in terms of life and death. The U.S. is fighting two wars. People are suffering in an horrific economy, losing their jobs, their homes, their dignity. "Death sentence" isn't part of any rational conversation around a new baseball stadium.

Personally, I hope the Rays get a new facility. I love living in a town with baseball, and Tampa Bay's rich baseball history was worthy of growing into a major league club. But today's comments are no way to build for the future.

After 18 months of study, the ABC Coalition has declared its work largely done. We have been informed that that Rays need a new stadium. If it takes a year and a half to tell us the obvious, at least do it without unnecessary hyperbole. This community and the ownership group that has largely done everything right deserve that much.