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Rays Owner Stuart Sternberg On WFAN: 'We're Committed To Tampa Bay'

NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Stuart Sternberg, the managing general partner of the Tampa Bay Rays, was a guest on Mike Francesa's show Friday. Among the topics he discussed was the Rays' unsettled stadium situation and the possibility of expansion in baseball.

After years of the Rays pushing for a new stadium, Sternberg, a Brooklyn native and St. John's alum, said there has been progress on that front.

"We took a shot at a stadium back in '07 and '08. It didn't happen," Sternberg said on WFAN as his Rays begin a three-game series Friday against the Yankees in the Bronx. "And we've been through a few different mayors, and finally the mayor in St. Pete, who's there currently now, he's seen the light a bit and helped push through a proposal to allow us to look all throughout Tampa Bay, not anywhere else in the country, but our commitment is to stay in the Tampa Bay region."

Despite reports that he had grown so frustrated with the situation that he was considering moving the team to Montreal, Sternberg said he is not interested in relocation.

"I've been the guy holding up the banner here to try to see it through," he said. "And I will tell you a lot of it really comes down to growing up in Brooklyn like I did, and I think there are people still to this day that are paying the fact that the Dodgers left Brooklyn. It was rough."

Francesa also asked Sternberg if he supports the idea of expansion in baseball.

"When the time is right and the place can be right," he said. "Baseball's been expanding since you and I are kids. ... Over time, it'll go. Thirty-two's probably the ideal number. I don't see it happening in the very near future."

To listen to the full interview, click on the audio player above.

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