Major League Baseball (MLB) Hall of Fame Barry Larkin is leading the effort to move the Tampa Bay Rays baseball franchise to Orlando. The franchise is stuck in St. Petersburg and struggles with some of the lowest attendance in the league despite being one of the most successful small market teams in baseball.
“I spent quite a bit of time talking to important people in Major League Baseball, including Commissioner Manfred,” Larkin said. “The strategy and background of the key people involved in the Dreamers efforts are complete confidence to secure a major league baseball franchise by the end of the decade, with proper support from media, community and government officials. “At this stage of my career there’s nothing more exciting than being an important part of this effort in my adoptive hometown in Orlando, Florida.”
Larkin was joined by other local leaders, including Jim Schnoff, Dick Batcheller and Andrew Hardliska. Originally formed to push MLB for an expansion team called the “Orlando Dreamers.”
Unparalleled number of tourists
Consider the numbers: Tampa and St. Pete welcome around 14 million tourists a year. That sounds impressive – until Orlando realizes he’s attracting 74 million people. It’s more than five times the visitors, and importantly, the majority of them come during the MLB season. From April to September, around 55 million tourists will flood Orlando hotels, theme parks and attractions. Even if only 1% of these visitors decide to participate in the MLB game, that would lead to 550,000 additional fans per season. That number alone can change the Rays attendance ranking.
Furthermore, Orlando’s demographics are more suited to the target audience of MLB. Families visiting Disney, Universal and SeaWorld are overwhelmingly middle to upper class, with disposable income to spend on entertainment. Unlike Las Vegas, other cities that are taking an active move to attract professional sports, Orlando’s tourism industry is based on family-friendly attractions. This will make your MLB team fit naturally.
A stadium built for success
The proposed Orlando Stadium site is next to Seaworld’s Water Park in Aquatica, just a mile from Universal Studios’ new upcoming theme park, Epic Universe. The synergy between major sports venues and some of the world’s most popular tourist destinations will create an unparalleled entertainment hub. Add Disney’s $17 billion investment in New Orlando attractions. It is clear that the city’s tourism numbers will only increase.
Critics of Orlando’s Odds have questioned the support of local taxpayers in building the stadium, but those critics have overlooked the recent important historical trends among local government leaders . While private investors are expected to cover at least some of the stadium’s costs, Orlando and Orange County have a long history of helping to build stadiums through public funds. Over the past 30 and a half years, city and county officials have approved funding for sports venues, including Camp World Stadium, which does not host professional teams. Imagine what Orlando would do for the MLB franchise if he was willing to invest in the stadium without a permanent tenant.
The future of victory
The Rays have proven to be able to succeed on the field despite playing in one of the worst stadium situations in baseball. But success on the field is only half the battle. Orlando offers the franchise the opportunity to ultimately thrive from the field in a city built for growth, family-friendly and entertainment.
Orlando’s MLB Dream will die if Rays and St. Pete reach a new agreement before the March 31 deadline, but if they do not reach an agreement, Mayor Kenwelch will already be prepared to move on without Rays. They say it’s done. At that point, Rays players, staff and fans may ultimately embrace Orlando’s future.
