Area sports leader juggles two franchises with overlapping schedules

The St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce March 14 luncheon featured a guest who’s trying to keep a lot of balls in the air: Tampa Bay Rays President Brian Auld, now pulling double-duty as vice chairman of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, the St. Pete-based soccer club the Rays acquired in October from local entertainment and property magnate Bill Edwards.

The luncheon, held at Al Lang Field, the picturesque waterfront home of the Rowdies, was a chance for Auld to discuss immediate changes to the game-day experience and lay out the long-term vision he, principal owner Stu Sternberg and Matt Silverman, the Rays’ president of baseball operations, have for the United Soccer League franchise.