Officials in the city of St. Petersburg, Florida, want to make it clear that their city is the current and future home of the Tampa Bay Rays as negotiations continue on details surrounding a proposed new $1.3 billion ballpark that would be ready for the 2028 season opener. The Rays adamantly oppose changing the team name to the St. Petersburg Rays, as some on the city council and in the business community have suggested as a way of raising the national profile of the tourism-dependent city and its nearby Gulf Coast beaches. The council heard Thursday from city officials about other marketing and branding options, including at least one home game a year in which alternate team uniforms would sport the St. Petersburg name, said Doyle Walsh, chief of staff to Mayor Ken Welch.
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