Well, one of the things that I have heard here (and thanks to all for the responses) is that "It's hotter than hell in Florida in the summer." True, and that explains why the NBA and NHL are okay with their indoor arenas. The NFL plays in the fall and winter. Only MLB would have to slog through the hot months.
But until Hurricane Milton perforated the roof, Tropicana Field was air-conditioned. You would think that fans would flock there just for some (albeit expensive) relief. Sure, they can stay home and be AC'ed for much less money. My point, though, is that the hot and humid Florida summers should not have been an impediment to MLB in that state from the 1990s onward.
So, catching (myself) up on this,
Here is a map of Hillsborough County:
Attachment 1053602
According to Wikipedia, "In the 2020 census, the population was 1,459,762, making it the fourth-most populous county in Florida and the most populous county outside the Miami metropolitan area." If it wasn't for Tampa Bay (the body of water), Hillsborough County would be nearly a perfect square, 36 miles to a side. From the farthest point in the northeast of the county to St. Petersburg is only 45 miles (as that proverbial crow flies).
But probably not a whole lot of the 1.5 million county residents live that far out. Of course, the vast majority would be living in or near the city of Tampa.
One source says the Channel District is the "downtown" of Tampa. A ride by car from there to Tropicana Field is about 23 miles and takes less than half an hour:
Attachment 1053604
So, I cry "B.S." to Tampa Bay Rays ownership and management about that logistical excuse (which, by the way, ignores the quarter-million folks living in St. Petersburg and who knows how many more in Clearwater and other towns north of St. Pete). Even when the team is winning and goes to the playoffs, they fail to attract fans and must beg for public assistance. My response would be "If you can't get fans to travel a half-hour to your stadium, what makes you think a fifteen minute drive will do so much better?"