“Baseball Belongs in Tampa Bay” This is Something to Think About 02.04.26

Audio By Carbonatix

“Baseball Belongs in Tampa Bay”

Bill Bunkley’s “This Is Something to Think About”

Air Date Wednesday, February 4, 2026

A major press conference took place on Tuesday in Tampa with Governor Ron DeSantis and Major League Baseball Commissioner Ron Manfred, regarding the Tampa Bay Rays' new stadium proposal on the Hillsborough Community College Dale Mabry Campus.

The comments from both gentlemen were revealing. DeSantis proclaimed that “Baseball belongs in Tampa Bay. Baseball can succeed in Tampa Bay.” But he acknowledged other parts of Florida that want it too.

Commissioner Manfred expressed support for Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay with a caveat, commenting that “there are alternatives in Florida”, and “We’re at a point in the history of the club that something needs to get done.”

I agree. If baseball is to stay in Tampa Bay, this Tampa deal must get done NOW.

Bill Bunkley is a 20-year veteran Salem Media talk show host based in Tampa. The Bill Bunkley Show airs on weekdays from 3 to 5 pm across central Florida. Bill is also President of the Florida Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and the legislative consultant to the Florida Baptist State Convention (Southern Baptist Convention Churches), among other churches and entities. He has served as the legislative consultant to the Florida Baptist State Convention for the last 30 years at the state capitol in Tallahassee. By the Grace of his Lord Jesus, he is a cancer survivor diagnosed in 2018 with AML Leukemia, having successfully undergone a bone marrow transplant that same year. In 2025, he underwent successful open-heart surgery to repair a heart valve. His wife is Toni, his son is Zac, and he attends Idlewild Baptist Church.

Copyright © William H. (Bill) Bunkley 2026 All Rights Reserved