Interview with Aaron Sharockman

by Matt Bishoff on May 15, 2008 11:22 PM EDT Comment 10 comments

In light of the release of the Rays financial plan, I had the opportunity to do an interview with St. Pete Times reporter Aaron Sharockman. You can also check out his blog Ballpark Frankness. The interview is about 25 minutes long and touches on nearly every topic concerning the Rays new stadium. I can honestly say that no one knows more about this stadium proposal than Aaron after talking to him. You can check out the interview by clicking on the link below:

Sharockman Interview 5/15

Poll

Do you think the new stadium will be built? (Not do you want it to be built)

Yes

175 votes

No

73 votes

248 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 10 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

No comments?

No one care enough about the new stadium to chime in huh?

by phil333 on May 16, 2008 1:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Compared to some of the nonsense that people spew on the SPT stadium blog

I’ll gladly take a little peace and quiet.

by GomesSweetGomes on May 16, 2008 1:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

One of the hardest issues to overcome i think will be filling in 6 acres of the bay

all of the hippies are outraged by that idea. And it does seem odd that the Rays would get permits for that when no one else is even allowed to build new docks down there. (ex. the vinoy and harborage marina)

by UFfitz56 on May 16, 2008 2:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It would be unseemly for me to comment at length...

...since I work for the SPT, but Aaron is a very sharp guy, and this is a very lucid explanation of the whole stadium deal/situation. Well worth 25 minutes of your time to listen to this, IMHO.

Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona.
~George F. Will, Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball, 1990

by webdoyenne on May 16, 2008 6:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Homer.

"I've seen many, many blue skies turn gray, but the sun will eventually return, and so will I. So will I." - Carlos Pena

by R.J. Anderson on May 16, 2008 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And Matt asked excellent questions, too...

All in all, a fine interview.

Watch for Aaron’s next big story; I think it’s supposed to run Saturday. Can’t let the proverbial cat out of the bag, but I think you’ll find it very interesting…and provocative. With any luck, it may go out on the web tonight.

Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona.
~George F. Will, Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball, 1990

by webdoyenne on May 16, 2008 6:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Does math for Rays' stadium add up?

Sharockman’s article for Saturday’s paper:

The Tampa Bay Rays released their plan this week to pay for a new $450-million waterfront stadium.

The St. Petersburg Times asked four stadium experts to double-check the Rays’ math. The Times presented the experts below with the same details that the Rays released Thursday at a meeting with the City Council, along with a story published by the Times about the plan.

The Times then asked the experts, who all are generally critical of taxpayer-funded sports facilities, to examine the materials and prepare an analysis to compare the Rays’ plan to other stadium developments.

The Rays $450-million financing plan includes $150-million from the team, $175-million by extending city and county payments now made at Tropicana Field, $70-million from the developer purchasing the 86-acre Tropicana site, and $55-million from guaranteed parking revenues.

Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona.
~George F. Will, Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball, 1990

by webdoyenne on May 16, 2008 10:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Question

I have read some reports that studies indicate new stadiums do not generate a lot of economic benefit for their communities, although I don’t think the conclusions are the same for all stadiums.

But do the stadiums studied include anything like the development plans for the Trop? In other words, when the new stadiums are built, is the study confined to the cost/benefits of the stadium and its immediate environs alone or does it include the economic development planned for the site of the old stadium?

If it doesn’t, is it entirely relevant to the St. Petersburg situation? The concept here is not simply the supposed benefits (employment, customers for businesses in the neighborhood et al) but also the creation of taxable entities on the site of the Trop?

I honestly do not know the answer to this question or even if it is an important consideration. This is not an area where I feel particularly informed let alone expert. But it seems relevant to me as does the question of what happens to Al Lang Field if it is not transformed into a new stadium.

by bobr on May 16, 2008 10:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Well

The concept of redeveloping an old stadium site is nothing new. For example, the site of Old Busch Stadium in St. Louis is being transformed into a new ballpark village development. Though not being built on old stadium land, the District of Columbia is using a lot of land acquired through eminent domain around Nationals Park to fund a new development. Similar plans are in place for the A’s new Fremont Stadium and the surrounding area. So there is definitely precedent for large-scale new development around a stadium site, but without knowing what specific studies you’re talking about I don’t know if the entire developments are taken into account.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on May 16, 2008 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

New stadiums are not a great economic stimulus

In a Sports Finance this semester one of the major topics is facility construction. I actually even focused on the Rays new stadium and have written two separate 20 page papers on the topic. Stadiums in general are sort of a mirage when it comes to the effect on the economy. Most think of them as a great way to boost the economic conditions, but most often they become a burden on the city. The funding for facilities has made vast changes over the last 100 years. There has been a transition from the city/county paying for everything to lately most of the funding coming from private investment. Maybe I will do a piece on all of this in more detail.

"I'd hate to leave right when the getting is good." -CC

by Matt Bishoff on May 17, 2008 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs