The Tampa Bay Rays closed their one-year outdoor experiment Sunday at Steinbrenner Field, proving that Florida thunderstorms may be frequent but not fatal to a baseball season.
The bigger detriment — to fans and athletes — was the summer heat.
“We knew it was going to be hot, but then it was like a different level beyond that at times," Rays manager Kevin Cash said Sunday. "So you felt for what the players were going through.”
Forced from the Tropicana Field after Hurricane Milton tore through the roof last October, the Rays went 41-40 in their temporary digs, extending their streak to nine straight winning home seasons.
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But at 76-80, going into a season-ending six-game road trip, they were eliminated from postseason contention Friday. That's two straight seasons without reaching the playoffs.
Steinbrenner Field's capacity for the Rays was 10,046. That’s far below Tropicana Field’s 25,025 capacity. Including Sunday, the club sold out 61 of the 82 games, bringing total attendance to 786,750 and an average of 9,713.
While far below the Trop's seating, it still provided a contrast to last season, when only Opening Day sold out in St. Petersburg.
Despite 12 weather delays totaling nearly 13 hours, the team did not lose a home date to rainouts, helped in part because Major League Baseball shifted two midsummer series to earlier in the year to avoid the height of thunderstorm season.
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While the season dodged rainouts, it didn’t dodge the heat. Fans endured daytime highs in the 90s and heat indexes in the 100s. Even some night games were in sweltering conditions.
Needless to say, the team is looking forward to the temperature-controlled confines of Tropicana Field.
St. Petersburg officials say the $60 million repair project — beginning with a new roof — remains on schedule, with a reopening set for April 6 against the Cubs.
“It’s a great solution for 2025 compared to playing in a minor league ballpark with no roof in the Tampa climate,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said last week.
ALSO READ: Photos: See the progress as Tropicana Field roof repairs have begun
Steinbrenner Field is the spring training home of the New York Yankees, who hold the lease on the facility until 2048. After searching for other temporary homes locally and out of the area, the Rays reached an agreement in November on a six-month, $10 million lease.
As soon as spring training ended in March, Rays personnel worked 24/7 over five days to turn the Yankees' stadium into a Rays stadium. That included team signage and advertising.
Rays broadcaster Dewayne Staats summed up the season Sunday night: “The Rays found themselves in a situation where they needed a home and in a hurry, and they got it done.”
When the Rays head back to the Trop, where they have a contract to play until 2028, they should also have new ownership. Stuart Sternberg, who has run the Rays since 2005, is selling the club to a group led by Patrick Zalupski. The deal is expected to be complete over the next two weeks.
