Rays' Sternberg Says Deal For New Ballpark Has Collapsed

Rays Owner Stuart Sternberg today said that the project that was "intended to result in a new ballpark for the team in the Ybor City neighborhood of Tampa has fallen apart." Sternberg at the MLB Winter Meetings in Las Vegas added that "no new ballpark will be built and the three-year window granted to the team by the City of St. Petersburg to negotiate for a new ballpark will come to a close without any deal." This comes hours after it was reported that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred sent a "sternly-worded letter to Hillsborough County officials, blasting the framework for the deal for the new stadium in Ybor City, saying it lacked specifics and criticized 'the actual level commitment' from the public side" (NBCSPORTS.com, 12/11).