A proposal from St. Petersburg officials that included changing the Rays' name to the St. Petersburg Rays "got a rebranding" on Thursday as City Council member Gina Driscoll instead asked for a "report on the ways the city and the Rays could 'elevate St. Petersburg,'" according to Colleen Wright of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. While that “could include renaming the team after the city,” the language approved “no longer prescribes the way to make it happen.” Other examples discussed included “renaming the stadium,” though the Rays have exclusive naming rights. Wright noted there was an “hourlong, sometimes passionate discussion” about the initial name change proposal. Rays Co-President Brian Auld gave a “strong condemnation” of the proposal, saying that the Rays’ name is “deliberately inclusive.” Auld: “There will not be a new ballpark nor a redevelopment project if there’s a requirement to change our franchise’s name.” The Rays are seeking to build a new $1.3B ballpark coinciding with the end of their lease agreement on Tropicana Field, which expires in 2027. The city and Pinellas County are being asked to cover “slightly less than half the cost with public money” (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 12/14).
