Anyone know about replacement for Rays?

[lenshanem]

I heard the Orlando Rays will be leaving Disney's World Wide of Sports complex after this season. Anyone heard word on if Disney will get a another minor league replacement?
Thanks!

 

[madcoco]

No haven't heard any rumors yet. In case you didn't read it,here is the official Feb press release from the team to the fans:


Dear Orlando Rays Baseball Fans,

The Orlando Rays lease at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex ends at the conclusion of the 2003 Southern League season. As has been reported, the upcoming season marks the final year that the O-Rays will play their home games in Central Florida. The Rays will relocate at the end of the year to Montgomery, Ala., where a new ownership group will operate the team, while still maintaining an affiliation with Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have enjoyed a great relationship during the past three years. The sports complex and the Devil Rays want to assure the O-Rays fans in Central Florida that both organizations remain committed to a spectacular season in 2003. Both on and off the field, the O-Rays' final season at the sports complex promises to be the best yet.

We encourage you to come out to the ballpark and cheer for the Orlando Rays in 2003. The opening weekend is scheduled for April 11-13 with a three-game series against the Tennessee Smokies. We hope to see you at the games this year and we thank you for your support!

Sincerely, Orlando Rays Baseball Club

 

[d-r]

Ohhhhh, so THIS is where the Montgomery Biscuits are coming from-

DR

 

[disneygeek]

Are they calling the team the Biscuits?

 

[madcoco]

I guess it is not real popular to some:

The Biscuits

 

[alabamaalan]

True. Most of us are scratching our heads over that one....

 

[WDWHound]

For a moment, I thought you meant Cosmic Ray's. I don't know why, but I love that place. It must be the animatronic lounge singer, because it certainly isn't the food.

 

[madcoco]

I know a lot of cities come up with unusual names and sometimes the fans are involved with choosing it. Just not public figures. What was the input with this decision. Our Dodger's farm team is named after Area 51 outside Vegas and the logo and name didn't go over too well at first but it has caught on pretty well. Good Luck with your new team and hope they find a replacement for Orlando.

 

[alabamaalan]

There was a name the team contest where people were invited to submit their suggestions.

The team owners chose the name from among all the entries.

There is a lot of history in Montgomery and plenty of other choices for better names. Most folks were dumbfounded at the choice but the merchandise is already selling.

While "Biscuits" is not what I would have come up with in a million years, I hardly consider it to be country, backwards, or embarrassing as described by state representative Alvin Holmes, who is much more of an embarrassment than any team name.

The current local contest is for possible bad sports headlines with Biscuits in the title. I submitted a few myself and may post them all on the CB this weekend.

 

[madcoco]

Thanks Really don't that much about Montgomery history other than what we learned about the civil rights movement in school. Most people associate Orville and Wilbur Wright with Ohio and Kitty Hawk. Many however do not know that they opened the 1st civilian flight school in the area at the future site of Maxwell AFB. This being the 100th year of man flight, there may have been a tie- in there. Just hope you don't get a bunch of biscuits and gravy jokes, but I can see those coming.