ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — The Rays are close to finishing one of the best seasons in team history, but a lot of attention has been taken off the field thanks to comments made by team executives.
Following a win over the Miami Marlins over the weekend that saw Tampa Bay clinch its second straight AL East title, the team said it would place a sign in the outfield of Tropicana Field promoting the Montreal Rays during the postseason.
The sign is a reference to a two-city plan that was proposed in 2019. The idea being that the Rays would start their season in St. Petersburg before packing up and moving to Montreal for the remainder of the year.
Days after making those comments about a sign promoting the idea, Rays Principal Owner Stu Sternberg is nixing the plan. The backlash the team faced caused Sternberg to apologize to fans on the radio station 95.3 WDAE.
"I made a big mistake - a real mistake in trying to promote our sister city plan," Sternberg said. "I really should've known better."
Sternberg still promoted the idea of a two-city plan but recognized now was not the moment as the Rays have a chance to make another run at the World Series.
With a win on Tuesday against the Houston Astros, Tampa Bay would clinch the best record in the American League as well as the best record in team history.