A's and Rays' Lack of Home, Dubs

As AP News reports: “The Rays are 16-18 at home and 10-8 away. For the A’s, the difference is even more jarring. They are 14-12 on the road but just 9-19 at home.”

May 27, 2025

Athletics and Rays Have Struggled in the Minor League Ballparks That Are Their Temporary Homes
AP News’ Noah Trister writes, “The A’s are one of two big league teams playing in minor league ballparks this season, along with the Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa Bay was forced out of Tropicana Field after damage caused by Hurricane Milton, so the Rays are playing home games at the Yankees’ spring training base in Tampa. The A’s left Oakland and are spending at least three seasons at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento before moving to a planned ballpark in Las Vegas.

“So far, these temporary venues don’t seem to be helping in the win column. Tampa Bay has played far more games at home than on the road, but the Rays are 16-18 at home and 10-8 away. For the A’s, the difference is even more jarring. They are 14-12 on the road but just 9-19 at home.”
^{AP News}

Tampa Bay Rays Adjust Schedule to Maneuver Conflicts With NFL
The Cardinals-Rays game originally set for 7:05 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, has been moved to 7:35 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21, to avoid a direct conflict with the Buccaneers’ preseason game against the Buffalo Bills across the street.
^{AP News}

The NFLPA Rookie Premiere Pairs the Most Marketable New Members With a Host of Top Sponsors
SBJ’s Chris Smith writes, “What started in 1994 as a card-signing event has expanded to now include a full-fledged roster of nearly two dozen commercial sponsors and licensees, including FedEx, Nike, Sony and presenting sponsor Panini America. Activities include social media content capture by the league and the union; the first on-field content featuring the players in their teams’ official jerseys; and the rookies’ first taste of off-field marketing efforts, like group licensing. It’s also ultimately a chance for those NFL players to begin building relationships with brands that may become career-long sponsors.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Sponsors Back Sinner Despite Three-Month Doping Ban
Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen writes, “There are no indications that any sponsors have split with Sinner. On his Instagram account, Sinner has promoted partners Nike, Lavazza, Head, De Cecco and L’Oreal’s La Roche Posay during the past two weeks.”

“The (doping case) shocked us,” Marco Lavazza, vice chairman of coffee maker Lavazza, told Italian daily Il Giornale. “Then, like everyone else, we realized that it was a mishap … I don’t have any doubts over who Jannik Sinner is.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Michael Johnson on Grand Slam Track’s Learning Curve, Finances, and Bib ‘Shitshow’
The new league is unique in track in that it signed a group of athletes, dubbed “Racers,” to offer base salaries in a sport where athletes are primarily chasing prize and endorsement money. Then there’s a prize pot of $12.6 million across the four Slams, with $100,000 for each event group winner, funded by $30 million of investment led by Winners Alliance. For each of its four events in Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, unsigned runners called “Challengers” claim half the field. 
^{AP News}

Best Sports Business Cities: Soccer — No. 1 Los Angeles
SBJ’s David Broughton writes, “Over the course of four weeks in the summer of 1994, 3.6 million fans packed the nine U.S. host stadiums, an average of 68,626 fans per game. Those World Cup attendance records still stand.

“The Los Angeles market hosted eight of the 52 matches, the most of any city, and base camps and brand activations were set up throughout the city. The final — a Brazil-Italy matchup that was decided in a penalty shootout — drew 94,194 fans to the Rose Bowl (a figure that has not been topped in any World Cup match since); was the highest-grossing single-gate attraction in sports history ($43.5 million); and blew away even the most optimistic predictions by generating 14.5 million U.S. TV viewers.”

SBJ also featured an article detailing where other cities land in the soccer scene.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Long One of MLB’s Most Popular Teams, Cardinals Now Grappling With Attendance Woes
SBJ’s Mike Mazzeo writes, “This is starting to look like a typical summer in St. Louis. The weather is heating up. Lines at frozen custard stands are getting longer. And the Cardinals have surged into playoff contention. Not everything, however, is back to normal. Fans are not flocking to Busch Stadium with their usual regularity.

“Last year, the Cardinals finished the season with attendance of 2,878,115. This year, through May 19, St. Louis is averaging 28,464 fans, putting it on pace for about 2.3 million, which would be its lowest for a full, non-Covid season in 41 years.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

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