ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- City Council hears from staff at Thursday morning's meeting on ways to "raise" awareness of the city's connection to its Major League Baseball team, as part of the deal to pay for a new ballpark.
City staffers went to work after Council member Gina Driscoll's proposal to change the team's name to the St. Petersburg Rays was shot down by the team president.
The staff report says negotiations with the team offer several options, including an overall branding plan, promotions with visit St. Pete Clearwater, and giving the Rays uniforms that say "St. Petersburg" for at least one home game a year. That last option could expand to more home games if Major League Baseball goes along.
The Rays have also offered to work with media to get them to reference St. Petersburg as the stadium location. This could be a reaction to more than one announcer's or one reporter's having referred to the "Tampa Rays" or referring to "here in Tampa" when broadcasting from Tropicana Field.
Photo: Tampa Bay Rays/Canva