Will the Tampa Bay Rays change its name?
Rendering of new Rays ballpark.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A new name for the Tampa Bay Rays could be at bat.
A St. Petersburg city council member wants to call the team the St. Petersburg Rays to reflect the city where the team plays.
"A lot of people have been talking about this idea, and I thought, we should have a discussion about it and just, see where that goes," said Gina Driscoll, a St. Petersburg City Council member.
Councilor Driscoll is requesting city managers to talk with the Rays during their negotiations about the stadium. Then, in January, Councilor Driscoll wants the city administration to come back to the council and let them know how the talks went, and if they want to move forward with a name change.
RELATED: Rays announce plans for new $1.3 billion stadium in St. Petersburg: 'Our Rays are here to stay'
"When it comes down to it, this is a team for everyone, their games are played in St. Petersburg, so there are a couple different ways to look at it," Councilor Driscoll said.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 04: Josh Lowe #15 of the Tampa Bay Rays fails to make a catch in the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers during Game Two of the Wild Card Series at Tropicana Field on October 04, 2023 in St Petersburg, Florida. (P
"For a team that has obviously struggled with fan attendance, I don’t know why you’d not want to broaden your appeal, right, so this is a team that represents the entire Tampa Bay Area, they draw fans from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, from all over the Tampa Bay area, I don’t know why you’d want to limit your focus," said FOX 13 Sports Director Scott Smith.
Councilor Driscoll stated, "If they can approve one day for our team to wear a St. Petersburg Rays jersey, they might consider all days."
READ: Rays fans share excitement for the postseason, team's long-term commitment to St. Pete
A professional sports team changing their name is no easy task.
"You can’t just change your name willy nilly, you can’t just move a team wherever you want to move them, Major League Baseball has to sign off on all of that and it would be my guess that for as long as this process has been going on for with the Rays, that the last thing Major League Baseball wants to do is zoom that focus in to just St. Pete," Smith said.
Discussions about a Tampa Bay Rays name change is going to be an agenda item on December 14, then they’ll consider moving forward when council reconvenes after the first of the year.