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St Petersburg Times publisher Jack Lake had a dream of turning St Petersburg from a Spring Training location to the home of a Major League baseball team. It was due to his standing that his dream was taken seriously and the city made several unsuccessful attempts through the 1980s and 1990s to lure a Major League franchise to the area. The Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White sox, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners all considered moving to either St Petersburg or Tampa.
In 1990, St Petersburg built the Florida Suncoast Dome, and hopes were high when the Major League Baseball announced that it would be adding two expansion teams for the 1993 season. It was not to be and the teams went to Denver with the Colorado Rockies and to Miami and the Florida Marlins.
The San Francisco Giants owner Bob Lurie agreed in principle to sell the team to a Tampa Bay investment group in 1992, but yet again their hopes were dashed as at the 11th hour the Giants were sold to a group who kept them in San Francisco. Their persistence paid off in March 1995 when two new franchises were announced for the 1998 season, one went to the Tampa Bay group and the other to Phoenix and the Arizona Diamondbacks. By this time the stadium was in need of an upgrade, which it got and the naming rights were sold to Tropicana Products and the stadium became Tropicana Fields, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were born.
For the 2008 season the team dropped the "Devil" from their name becoming just the Tampa Bay Rays and the team was on fire, winning the 2008 American League Pennant and contesting their first World Series.
The Rays spent their first 10 years spring training in St Petersburg at Progress Energy Park. They will be moving to the Charlotte County Sports Park in Port Charlotte, the former spring training ground of the Texas rangers from 2009 onwards.
Tampa Bay Rays
Charlotte County Sports Park
2300 El Jobean Road
Port Charlotte
Fl 33948
727 825 3250
Tampa Bay Rays - Spring Training Schedule 2009
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Day
|
Date
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Opponents
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Home / Away
|
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Wednesday
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February 25
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Cincinnati Reds
|
Home
|
|
Thursday
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February 26
|
New York Yankees
|
Away
|
|
Friday
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February 27
|
Boston Red Sox
|
Home
|
|
Saturday
|
February 28
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Philadelphia Phillies
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Away
|
|
Sunday
|
March 1
|
Toronto Blue Jays
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Home
|
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Monday
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March 2
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St. Louis Cardinals
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Away
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Tuesday
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March 3
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Houston Astros
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Home
|
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Thursday
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March 5
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WBC Team - Puerto Rico
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Home
|
|
Friday
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March 6
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Pittsburgh Pirates
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Away
|
|
Saturday
|
March 7
|
Boston Red Sox
|
Home
|
|
Sunday
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March 8
|
Boston Red Sox
|
Away
|
|
Monday
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March 9
|
Minnesota Twins
|
Home
|
|
Tuesday
|
March 10
|
Toronto Blue Jays
|
Home
|
|
Thursday
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March 12
|
Philadelphia Phillies
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Home
|
|
Friday
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March 13
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Toronto Blue Jays
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Away
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Saturday
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March 14
|
Cincinnati Reds
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Away
|
|
Sunday
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March 15
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Pittsburgh Pirates
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Home
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|
Monday
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March 16
|
Pittsburgh Pirates
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Away
|
|
Wednesday
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March 18
|
Cincinnati Reds
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Home
|
|
Thursday
|
March 19
|
St. Louis Cardinals
|
Home
|
|
Friday
|
March 20
|
Toronto Blue Jays
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Away
|
|
Saturday
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March 21
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Baltimore Orioles
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Away
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Sunday
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March 22
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New York Yankees
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Home
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|
Monday
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March 23
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Pittsburgh Pirates
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Away
|
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Wednesday
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March 25
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Pittsburgh Pirates
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Home
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Thursday
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March 26
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Detroit Tigers
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Away
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Friday
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March 27
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Minnesota Twins
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Away
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|
Saturday
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March 28
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Cincinnati Reds
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Home
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|
Sunday
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March 29
|
Cincinnati Reds
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Away
|
|
Monday
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March 30
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Minnesota Twins
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Away
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|
Tuesday
|
March 31
|
Boston Red Sox
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Away
|
|
Wednesday
|
April 1
|
Minnesota Twins
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Home
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