More than twenty years ago, a community got together over what then seemed to be little more than a dream: attracting a major league baseball franchise in an increasingly major league region.

Despite the odds, the naysayers, the pundits proclaiming the effort all but futile, local and community leaders banded together and made it happen. Yet, this was an area which already had a baseball tradition from years past. What was new was a commitment to bring it back, and keep it, for years to come.

However, the first ten years were, by any measure, a disappointment. After the glow of landing a new ballclub had dimmed, the team played losing baseball on the field, and efforts at engendering and keeping community support off the field ebbed as well.

Then, with attendance down, the team continually down in the standings, and after the personal sacrifices made by local families, the franchise took an unexpected but refreshing turn. A new ownership group came in and committed to up the Rays game on and off the field. They invested in the stadium, in keeping their best players long-term, in new branding and uniforms, and as they did the community sat up and took notice.

Today, as the team plays competitive baseball at the top of the major leagues, and after an effort initiated by the Rays baseball club to secure a new stadium site, it’s time for the community to step up again, to show Major League Baseball, the Rays, and themselves that they’re again ready to back up their commitment, long-term.

To that end, a new community-wide, community-led coalition was born, named: “A Baseball Community” (aka "The ABC Coalition").