Devil Rays new owner promises big changes

By Robert Green

ST PETERSBURG, Florida (Reuters) – New York investor Stuart
Sternberg took control of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Thursday
and promised to make major improvements in the struggling
baseball team.

Sternberg, 46, replaces Vincent Naimoli as principal owner.
Naimoli, 68, had run the team since he was awarded the Tampa
Bay franchise in 1995.

“The time has come for dramatic changes in this baseball
team,” Sternberg told a news conference.

“We’re going to waste no time in making improvements. We
need to be a lot better,” he said.

The Devil Rays have never had a winning season since they
began play as an American League expansion team in 1998. Their
best record was 70-92 in 2004, the only year they did not
finish last in the American League East division.

This season, the Rays had a 67-95 record, the second worst
in the league ahead of Kansas City. Manager Lou Piniella quit
on Sunday after three seasons and General Manager Chuck LaMar
was fired on Wednesday.

Tampa Bay’s attendance was the lowest in the major leagues
with 1.1 million fans. Naimoli has been criticized for not
spending enough money to improve the team.

Sternberg said the payroll for players would increase, but
he would not say by how much.

He said the team would make a greater effort to reach out
to fans across the region. As a first step, he said parking,
which cost $10 a game, would be free at all 81 homes games next
season.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said he
welcomed the change.

“In the time since he has become an investor in the team, I
have gotten to know Stu and have been impressed with his acumen
and enthusiasm,” he said. “I am confident he will ably carry
the stewardship of the Devil Rays forward.”

Sternberg, a former partner at the Goldman Sachs Group,
Inc, and five partners bought a 48 percent interest in the team
in 2004.