Rick Kriseman's Inauguration Speech

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman was sworn in. Kriseman hit the right notes during his inauguration speech.

It's been a long and winding road, and it's time to put our destination in view.

The form and fashion of the next pier is unlikely to meet with universal approval. We must recognize this now so that our progress isn't impeded later.

However, what we can agree on -and to a large degree already have -is how our signature structure will function. With a renewed sense of urgency and a spirit of collaboration, I am confident that the coming year will be productive and that a final design will emerge.

In the interim, residents and visitors should be able to once again enjoy walking, running or fishing around the pier head.

And that's why this morning we have begun the process of removing that unfriendly fence, allowing the pier head to be accessible within the next week.

The hard work of reaching an accord with the Tampa Bay Rays must also begin, with the primary goal of doing what's in the best interest of the residents of St. Petersburg.

And while I am eager to see this resolved so that we can better plan St. Pete's future, our desire for clarity must not supersede the need for continued diligence.

The Pier and the Rays may be our most high profile challenges, but a police station, a port, a renewed focus on creating sustainable jobs throughout the city, economic stimulus for Midtown and South St. Petersburg, and the revitalization and re-branding of vital corridors -also hang in the balance.

On Midtown and South St. Pete, my remarks on election night bear repeating.

Too many people there are struggling.

One out of every five residents is unemployed.

One out of every four lives at or below poverty.

Property values have fallen 42% since the onset of the Great Recession.

This is happening right here in St. Petersburg. It is unacceptable, especially given Midtown's rich history and potential.

It is good that Kriseman addressed Midtown and the economic problems St. Petersburg is still facing after the Great Recession. Former Mayor Bill Foster would have likely mentioned neither. Foster often seemed to live in a bubble that reality could not penetrate.

Kriseman will not be able to keep the Rays in St. Petersburg. Voters are not going to approve a tax for a second stadium. The sooner Kriseman allows the Rays to talk with the City of Tampa the better.

Bill Foster is In Denial About the Tampa Bay Rays

Mayor Bill Foster claims that St. Petersburg is a viable market for Major League Baseball. Foster says "Tampa Bay" in the debate but he means St. Petersburg. Foster has not and has no plans to let the Rays ownership talk to the City of Tampa or Hillsborough County government about the Rays moving across the Bay. Foster is not likely to any time soon.

The Rays made the playoffs this year and have been a winning team the past 5 years. The result was the worst attendance in baseball in 2013. I would love to be in the room when Mayor Foster tells MLB owners that St. Petersburg is a fantastic market. I suspect the reaction would be laughter.

Alex Cobb Taken Off Field After Hit by Ball

I have never been one to overly complain about how much professional athletes get paid. A major reason is the physical punishment they take. Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Alex Cobb was taken off the field on a stretcher. Cobb was hit in the head by a line drive ball off the bat of Eric Hosmer. Jonah Keri of Baseball Tonight tweeted this.

Velocity of ball hit by Eric Hosmer that struck Alex Cobb in the head: 102.4 mph.

I hope for Cobb to have a speedy and healthy recovery.

Update: the Tampa Bay Rays sent out this tweet.

Alex Cobb was diagnosed with a mild concussion. All tests came back normal. We thank you all for your thoughts & continued support.

Rays 'It Gets Better' Ad

The Tampa Bay Rays filmed this ad for the "It Gets Better" program to help LGBT teenagers. The Tampa Bay Rays organization should be commended for getting involved it "It Gets Better."

The Wookie Defense

Fark.com made the joke "St Petersburg mayor rolls out the Wookie defense." This was in reference to an absolutely bizarre meeting Mayor Bill Foster had with the City Council. The latter asked for a briefing on what Foster's plans were to keep the Tama Bay Rays in St. Petersburg. Foster told the City Council that they already been briefed. Hilarity ensues.

A day after a disjointed meeting on the future of the Tampa Bay Rays, City Council members were still wondering Friday what Mayor Bill Foster is up to and whether he is being candid with them.

At Thursday's council meeting, Foster said he has a detailed plan to break a stalemate with the team over a new stadium, and that he has shared those details with council members.

A majority of council members were so taken aback they scheduled a workshop to learn more.

On Friday, most reiterated that they have no idea what Foster meant when he insisted that he had informed them of his plans. Some wondered whether he even has a plan. Some criticized him for lack of communication.

Peter Schorsch submitted a public information request for any documents in the St. Petersburg Mayor's office pertaining to plans to keep the Rays in St. Petersburg. City Clerk Eva Andujar told Schorsch no such documents exist.

I said before that Foster was doing nothing more than chest thumping about keeping the Rays from moving. It turns out Foster isn't even doing that. I always wondered how the voters of St. Pete could elect Foster over the much more qualified Kathleen Ford. I hope the voters of St Petersburg are happy with this extremely incompetent man.

Update: Mayor Foster refused to talk about his imaginary plan to keep the Ray in town while St. Petersburg Times reporter Danny Valentine was present. Foster talked with constituents at his monthly breakfast meeting.

"Is he your guest?" Foster, referring to a St. Petersburg Times reporter, asked a group of people munching on breakfast. "Because I wouldn't have a candid conversation. So it's up to you. It's not up to me, it's up to these folks. I don't invite — I'm not doing a press conference so I don't invite the newspaper in to speak candidly with people unless the people" want a reporter there.

St. Petersburg resident Cathy Wilson responded: "We would prefer to solve our problems. And if that means, if your presence here means the mayor will not talk candidly, we would ask you to leave."

Judy Ellis, also at the table, chimed in: "We don't want to cramp his style."

Foster did tell Valentine his plan to keep the Rays was not a secret.

"What's funny is that a couple of people have asked me about the secret plan today and I said, 'Sure, here it is. It's not a secret. I told half the people that were in the room today. It's not a secret. It's just not for public consumption,' " he said.

The plan to keep the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg is not a secret. Mayor Foster is not ready to allow the plan to be heard "for public consumption." The Wookie Defense continues.

Fans, those fickle beasts

As a Red Sox fan, I often hear the same refrain from fans of baseball teams that suck: The Boston Red Sox blow all this money on players and we can't!  It's unfair!  Wahhhh!  These fans never mention that they're team probably got a stadium financed with public funds while the Sox ownership keeps pouring money into the smallest, and one of the oldest, stadiums in baseball.

Boston fans also pay astronomically high ticket prices, yet fill up that tiny little bucket of a stadium 81 times a year.  Every Sox game over the past five years has been a sellout.

No wonder the Red Sox can afford to give outrageous contracts to all stars.  But what amazes me this baseball season is the Tampa Bay Rays fanbase -- if you can even call it that.  The Rays have arguably been the best team in baseball all season, yet Rays fans complain their team sucks.  The fans level of whining reflects in attendance at home games -- about 12,000 fans saw their Rays clinch a playoff berth last night.

I just checked Rays ticket prices.  Bleacher and upper deck seats go for $10 - 17; press box level seats go for $29; the second section of seats behind all the "expensive" front section seats go for $22; and the lower box/front section seats go for $42.  At most stadiums, upper deck seats behind the plate are fine -- and those go for minor league prices for Rays fans! And $42 gets you close to the field?  Forty-two dollars doesn't get you a friggen hot dog and beer at Fenway Park.  Rays fans can pay these prices to see an elite team that could win the World Series this season play!  What are they complaining about?

So the next time I hear some fans bitching about how the Red Sox buy championships and only the Yankees can afford to compete with them, I'll ask them why fans can't show up when the Rays put a winning team on the field.  As for that salary dump your team will do next season, Tampa -- hey, you get what you pay for.  You'll have no right to complain about it.

One final note, speaking as a Red Sox fan: If the Rays make it to the World Series, I can't wait to see the Phillies stomp all over them again.

Help Moffit Cancer Center

Pepsi is giving away a $200,000 grant to the charity sponsored by a Major League Baseball team. The Tampa Bay Rays and Evan Longoria are sponsoring the Moffiit Cancer Center. Vote for the Tampa Bay Rays to help Moffit win the grant money.

Bill Foster Say Rays Are Staying

St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster sent out a press release clearing implying he isn't letting the Tampa Bay Rays leave town.

“I do agree that the Rays are a “regional asset”, and will work tirelessly with the political and business leaders of Tampa Bay in support of this club. However, there is no resident of the entire region who has given up more in this quest for baseball than the resident of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. The taxpaying rresidents of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in support of Major League Baseball and the Rays, and above all else, their interests will always come first.

Earlier this week, Mr. Sternberg issues a statement, “the Rays will not be playing in Tropicana Field when our current lease expires in the year 2027″. and in the spirit of full cooperation with one of our most prominent business partners, the City of St. Petersburg is ready, willing and able to explore future facility sites located in St. Peterburg, including sits in the area commonly referred to as The Greater Gateway.” To begin a time line for construction prior to 2027, an amendment to our existing agreement would be required. I intend to convey to Mr. Sternberg aour willingness to engage the Rays in this discussion immediately, in spite of the fact that seventeen years remain on the existing agreement.

Let me be clear – we will consider any potential ballpark site in St. Petersburg and the Gateway, but only as part of a process that recognizes and rewards the previous and ongoing investment and commitment of the St. Petersburg and Pinellas County resident, and thus, no sites outside our geographic boundaries will be considered. This is consistent with every previous statement made by this administration, both publically and behind closed doors with Rays’ management.

Translation: Foster is thumping his chest. The fact is the Rays could pull a Baltimore Colts and move the team in the middle of the night. The Rays would let the city that courts them pay the fines and legal fees to St. Petersburg. That is what St. Petersburg was willing to do when they attempted to steal the White Sox and Giants from their hometowns.

I don't think the Rays can survive in St. Petersburg. South Tampa makes sense for the team economically. What wouldn't make sense is Hillsborough County taxpayers' har earned money being used to build a stadium for a for profit franchise. There was once a time when sports franchises built their own stadiums.

We look forward to ongoing dialogue with the Rays…”

Phillies

The Phillies win game 5. The parade in Center City is going to be crazy. I was seriously conflicted about my loyalties during this series. I'm glad the Phillies won.

People don't understand what it means being a Philly sports fan. Every missed opportunity tears a piece of a fan's heart out. Philly fans are obsessive. And sometimes scary. I wish I could hit the Philly bars tonight. The town does know how to party. The Rays are a young franchise and will have other chances.

Bad Marketing Idea: Mrs. Dirt Bag T-Shirts

I'm happy that the Tampa Bay Rays are winning. The fan site Rays Index unleashed a horrible marketing scheme. Asking women to buy Mrs. DirtBag T-Shirts is a PR disaster waiting to happen.



I know that some will think shirts are fun. If anyone wants to buy one then by all means. I'm not urging a boycott or have any grievance with anyone involved with Rays Index.

A note all marketing people: I don't know a woman that would be caught wearing this shirt. It is demeaning to women. Dirt Bag sounds like Cunt Rag. Seriously. "Mrs. Dirt Bag" gives connotation that the woman is the property of a man. The shirt strikes me as creepy. Making matters worse is the bizarre marketing pitch.

No poem to mark the occasion today...but just know that if we had a daughter, we would buy this shirt for her and make it happen. Is there a bigger compliment that one man could ever give to another?

It isn't about men giving compliments to each other. These T-shirts are to be marketed to women. Not guys that watch Ray games together. No thought was put into the female demographic.

The whole "if we had a daughter" we would make her wear the shirt creeps the shit out of me. My advise to the people at Rays Index: you make a daughter wear this and she will put you in the world's worst nursing home. Guaranteed.

The Tampa Bay Rays Strike Out On Sports Subsidy

The St.Petersburg Times questioned 11 members of the Pinellas County delegation ansked if they would support a $60 million subsidy for the Tampa Bay Rays. The answer was a resounding no.

"Put me down as a no. Not a maybe. A no."

Sen. Dennis Jones, R-Treasure Island

"Do you think they're going to get another $60-million in today's tax environment?I'm speculating no."

Rep. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater

"They're going to have to have a great story. And a winning team would be good, too."

Rep. Janet Long, D-Seminole

The Times reports that the Rays have given up on the subsidy. Florida sports franchises usually can get subsidies approved with little hassle. The budget crunch and the fact that the Rays one of the worst teams in professional sports doesn't help matters. It's hard for me to imagine the Rays will have better luck trying to convince voters to pay for a $450 million stadium.

St Petersburg Citizens Against Tax Dollars For New Stadium

The St. Petersburg Times poll found that 69 percent oppose any plan for the Tampa Bay Rays with tax dollars. The new stadium has an estimated cost of $450-million.

One possible scenario to finance the stadium is problematic. Property taxes could be used to pay for stadium construction. That is money that would go to fund schools. Florida is facing a property tax revolt and the Rays are unpopular. The Tampa Bay Lightning (a hockey team) played in Tropicana Field and generated better attendance.

Another possibility is selling Tropicana Field. The question is who needs a baseball stadium? Tropicana Field could be torn down and the property sold. It wouldn't be a bad place for a shopping mall.

Mayor Rick Baker is going to have a hard time selling a new stadium to local residents. The sales tax to finance Raymond James Stadium left many voters feeling hoodwinked. To quote Pete Townshend, "Then I'll get on my knees and pray.
We don't get fooled again."