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The Tampa Bay Rays may have an unexpected supporter in their efforts to convince local leaders that they need a new stadium. The New York Yankees, who pretty much get whatever they want from their spring training home city of Tampa, complained openly after a questionable pop-up hit one of the rings above St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field during the April 11 game (which the Yanks won 7-3).
Manager Joe Maddon, upon hearing about the Yankees' complaints, urged them to jump aboard the Rays' new-stadium bandwagon. “We're trying to get a new yard ourselves. If they want to contribute in any way, we'll take it,” Maddon jokingly told local sports scribers earlier this week.
While St. Petersburg is resisting efforts to lure the Rays to the other side of the Bay, Tampa leaders are warming up to the possibility of building a better stadium with a retractable roof. The Florida State Fairgrounds is a likely site, though Coffee Talk hears momentum is building for a vacant spot in downtown Tampa.
Maddon even offers a more specific suggestion — the huge lot where Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is building his mansion on Davis Islands. All in the spirit of American League rivalry, of course.
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