Doesn't say relocation is not an option, but then Namoli sounds like he's going to try and make it work in South Florida. - TBGR

Devil Rays won't bite on buyout hook

Forget about the Tampa Bay Devil Rays joining Montreal for baseball's version of the Last Dance.

No matter what you hear and read, the Devil Rays will be back in 2003.

In fact, I have a hunch that Commissioner Bud Selig's plan to eliminate two teams is on the back burner. It's unlikely contraction will happen for next year.

When it was certain the Minnesota Twins would be back next year, there were widespread reports Tampa Bay had moved up as Montreal's partner for elimination.

Wrong.

Lawsuits that the Twins and Major League Baseball encountered in Minnesota would pale in comparison to the legal battle Selig could expect if either Florida team is ticketed for extinction. The 25 years remaining on the lease at Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field after this season would alone trigger enormous legal battles.

Owners found it relatively easy to target the Expos and Twins because owners in both cities were agreeable to being bought out. Local revenue in Montreal and Minneapolis also were the worst of the 30 major league teams.

Devil Rays owner Vince Naimoli, however, worked years to get a team for the St. Petersburg area, and he won't go along with a buyout and elimination. Secondly, even though attendance is disappointing and the team's record is the worst in the majors, local revenue are far from the worst. Last time I checked, the Devil Rays were about 20th among 30.

"The Devil Rays don't meet any of the three criteria for contraction," says Naimoli, angered by the reports. "We're worked hard to get baseball here, and to be contracted, you have to volunteer. We aren't going to do that."

A year ago a list of 18 possible candidates for contraction was created. Yes, the Devil Rays "” and 17 other teams "” were on it.

This year there is no list.

Selig won't force contraction on any owner who isn't agreeable.

The commissioner's biggest headache is what to do with the Expos, being run by MLB. Although they're playing well on the field, the red ink continues.

Selig is opposed to moving the franchise to RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., but it would be worth a try for at least one season. If the area doesn't support the team and if a team cuts into Baltimore's attendance, contraction is an alternative for 2004.

Two teams have to be axed because of scheduling, so finding a partner will be the problem.

Meanwhile, MLB vice president Katy Feeney continues working on schedules for 2003 and must submit a draft by Aug. 1.

Feeney says several variations are being prepared, one with 28 teams as well as one with 30.

"We'll be ready for whatever they throw at us," she says.

A man has to have goals- for a day, for a lifetime- that was mine, to have people say, "There goes Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived."
- Ted Williams

I think contraction is dead for 2003 already, mainly because of legal precedents established with the Twins. The two Florida teams are coming back (Devil Rays lease is good for another 28 years or so and the Marlins' lease is now through 2003), so unless they get a volunteer like Anaheim to contract, the MLB might be left holding onto the Expos.

A quick geography note: Jeffrey Loria will be the only MLB owner trying to make it work in South Florida. The Devil Rays are on the West Coast in the central part of the state, closer to Orlando than Miami. Just an FYI.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Chicago Cubs -- Back-to-back World Series Champions 1907-1908
EAMUS CATULI -- AC135794