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On The Record: The Winning Formula
Rye resident turns MLB lemons into lemonade
Happy New Year subscribers. 🍾 🎉 This is your Thursday, Jan. 1, Rye Record newsletter, curating some of the latest headlines across the city of Rye.
Today’s Weather Channel local forecast calls for party cloudy skies and a high of 32 degrees 🌥 Check out the forecast for the rest of the week here.
The prophet. From 1998-2007, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, a Major League Baseball expansion team, lost 90-plus games every season, finishing fourth in the division once and dead last in the other nine. It was as if they were in baseball hell.
When Rye resident Stu Sternberg took ownership of the team in 2005, he began exorcising their demons. A major step in the overhaul was removing “Devil” from the team name after the 2007 season.
Since the rebrand, Tampa Bay won the third-most games in baseball – behind only the Yankees and Dodgers – made the playoffs nine times, won four division titles, and reached the World Series twice, all the while following Sternberg’s philosophy of buying low and selling high.
Now, the former Wall Street trader and Goldman Sachs partner has cashed out. In October, Sternberg sold the Rays for $1.7 billion, 20 years after his ownership group acquired the team for $200 million.
In a recent interview with The Record, Sternberg said far less important than the $1.5 billion return on investment are the relationships and experiences he cultivated along the way.
To read Chris Marshall full profile on Stu Sternberg, click here.
Under Sternberg, the Rays had nine seasons with 90-plus wins and claimed two American League pennants.
-Today’s newsletter is curated by Camille Botello
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IN OTHER NEWS
GUILTY. The U.S. Army specialist who fatally stabbed Rye Neck High School graduate Andrew Smith at a Southern California military base last fall will spend the next 50 years in military prison. -Rosie Newmark
OUT WITH A BANG. Before flipping the calendar to 2026, the Garnets added one more tournament title to their resume. Rye beat Keyser (W.V.) 45-40 on New Year’s Eve in the championship of the KSA Events Holiday Tournament in Kissimmee, Florida. -Chris Marshall
RIDING OFF. Josh Cohn’s term as mayor is about to end, but his obsession with undermining the city’s Board of Ethics seems to have no limit. That’s not only divisive and bad for Rye, it sets a bad example for other local leaders. -Jon Elsen
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FROM OUR PARTNERS
COMMUNITY
Rye Gives is led by 30 volunteers who support families living below the poverty line.
The impact one nonprofit in town has on the community is quiet yet profound, especially around the holidays.
“Children’s Philanthropy, also known as Rye Gives, is the only local organization dedicated to supporting Rye families living at or below the poverty line with children attending Rye City schools,” said co-president Megan Pellarin.
Rye Gives is led by 30 volunteers who organize programs, events, and initiatives throughout the year. The group works in close alignment with social services across Rye schools to determine the number of families that need support during the holidays, and they always ensure discretion and anonymity.
-by Erin McAward
Amelia Cunningham is a 2020 graduate of Rye High School.
NEWS
A former star Rye High School lacrosse player alleges in a lawsuit that Colgate University did not protect her and women’s lacrosse players from an abusive coach who belittled them, forced them to play through injury, and pushed some to attempt suicide, according to published reports.
The suit was filed by Amelia Cunningham, a 2020 RHS graduate and the daughter of Rye City Council Member Keith Cunningham, according to the published reports.
-Record staff
COLUMN
Ruth Nichols (right) with Amelia Earhart.
Part One of this column covered significant events in the early years of Ruth Nichols, who was born in 1901, grew up in Rye, and earned a pilot license while a student at Wellesley College.
She was one of the most accomplished aviators of her time, holding numerous records while flying various types of aircraft — from biplanes to passenger jets — during her nearly 40 years in the air.
-by Paul Hicks