The Montreal Rays? Pardon us if we’re skeptical.

So the Rays decide they don’t like sites in either Tampa or St. Pete. Where do they go? Montreal seems to be the chic relocation spot right now. How did that work out when they had a dynamite team with Dawson, Walker and a bunch of other young stars? Plus there’s that tax thing. Las Vegas? There’s a reason there are no major sports teams in that city. Perhaps the least-worst relocation spot would be Charlotte, and folks aren’t sure that region could support another pro franchise. Tampa Bay is not a great baseball market but there aren’t many better options out there, and we suspect the Rays are smart enough to realize that.

Around the bay:

1. Nothing makes your jaw tighten more than “This is the way we do it in Michigan (or one of the other 46 contiguous states)”. So how is it different when the mayor of Tampa tells the state of Indiana how to conduct their affairs? Sorry Bob, but 99.9 percent of the Hoosier state have never heard of you.

2. The announcement of Ted Cruz that he will be the first to enter the presidential race reminds us of a great Clearwater political story. Incumbent city commissioner with a legacy of anti-business votes asks one of Clearwater’s leading businessmen for his support. His to the point answer –“Yes, until anyone else runs against you”.

3. If you are a resident of one of the other 23 cities in Pinellas (other than St. Pete) be very happy you don’t have to deal with the time and money consuming Pier issue.

4. Downtown Clearwater – approximately 6:15 a.m. – northbound on Ft. Harrison. You hit the red right at Chestnut Street. Get a green just in time to come up to the red light a block away at Court Street. Get a green to turn left onto Court Street just in time for the red light at Osceola. Come on – a 12 year old could coordinate those lights better.

5. You’ve lived in Clearwater a long time if the two businesses you patronized most on North Fort Harrison Ave. were Merz Record Shop and Pete’s Pizza.

The diamond, the media & other stuff:

6. Our Raves and Rants focus group (comprised of three old, cranky people) notes another sure sign of the end of civilization – the sale of the maker of American icon Louisville Slugger bats to a Finnish company. Oh the humanity! (Margin of error – 50 per cent more or less).

7. In a related note, what’s next, we move the manufacture of the Corvette from Bowling Green, Kentucky to a plant in Serbia?

8. Factoid: There are two major league ball players who won two MVPs a piece and are not in the Hall of Fame – Roger Maris and Dale Murphy. There are at least a dozen guys with lesser credentials in the Hall.

9. The chances we would ever vote for her are sub-zero, but isn’t this Hilary email business much ado about nothing?

10. According to Forbes, the New York Yankees, MLB’s most valuable team, is worth 3.2 billion dollars. But that’s small potatoes compared to other industries. For example, small but fast growing Tesla Motors is worth approximately seven times what the Yankees are worth – and don’t have any headaches like A-Rod.

Clearwater says: “Well, St. Pete did it, so it must be okay.”

There are a lot of things St. Pete does that other cities should not emulate – a noisy, disruptive auto race comes to mind. But the city of Clearwater has apparently decided that it will not be outdone by St. Pete in garish signs that mark the city limits. The Clearwater city council voted to spend a mere $600,000 to erect such a monument on the Courtney Campbell Causeway. The big difference between St. Pete and Clearwater is that private funding paid for the St. Pete sign while public money will finance the Clearwater sign – no actually it’s worse – it’s money from the city’s reserves (you know, that little fund that helps deal with natural disasters or helps pay salaries in the next economic downturn). Thank you to the fiscally conservative member of this merry band, Bill Jonson - the lone “no” vote on this extravagant expenditure.

Happy Easter!