For the first time since Hurricane Milton changed the world of the Tampa Bay Rays more than 18 months ago, Tropicana Field’s battered dome is back in business. A sellout crowd of about 25,000 will be on hand for Monday’s home opener against the Chicago Cubs at 4:10 p.m.
The irony can’t be ignored. The resurrected Trop has been typically ridiculed as Major League Baseball’s worst venue, yet players and fans can’t wait to get back indoors after a season in the summer elements at their temporary digs of Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
“A lot of time was spent talking about what was wrong with the Trop when we were there,” Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said. “And then we left, and a lot more is spent on what's right with the Trop as we go back.”
Amid the homecoming joy, Neander’s new bosses, who purchased the team last fall at the end of Milton’s franchise-altering domino effect, are on the clock to build a new ballpark next to Steinbrenner Field on Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus.
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Tropicana Field, with its tilted fabric dome and oft-maligned concentric catwalks, underwent major repairs after Milton swept through downtown St. Petersburg on Oct. 9, 2024. The winds ripped off most of the roof, allowing rain to fall into the stadium bowl for months. Water caused mold and damage to electrical, sound and broadcast systems.
There was initial thought that the Rays would never play another game at the only ballpark they had called home since their 1998 debut. Instead, nearly $60 million was spent by the city to make it baseball-ready, as mandated by the lease.
“I think guys are excited, and rightfully so,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Our organization has worked incredibly hard, and the city and the (Pinellas) county, to get it back up to speed. I briefly walked through there, couldn’t be more impressed with the way it looks, and excited to see our fans. I think our guys are going to appreciate just having our fans in the building, cheering us on for our opening day.”
The rays are swimming in the outfield again
The new roof was installed in August, and the final panel was put in place Nov. 21. The mold has been remediated. Luxury suites and the video board were upgraded. The stadium has new artificial turf, home-plate club seats, clubhouse carpet and lockers, and new flooring on the outfield deck.
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And the real rays that swim in an outfield tank are back in a renovated Cownose Clubhouse. The seven fish spent the past months being cared for at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa and TECO Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach.
"What a wonderful story about resilience," Roger Germann, president and CEO of the aquarium said about the cownoses, who were in their tank as the hurricane shredded the roof.
The Rays are hoping such resolve is found throughout their longtime home.
“I’m just really excited to get back in the Trop,” said reliever Griffin Jax, who joined the Rays in July. “I always enjoy going there as a visitor. It’ll be cool to see all the new renovations and upgrades they made along the way. We’ve seen it a handful of times walking through and seeing pictures and stuff. It looks great. It’ll be good to be back in our home.”
After playing last season through the Florida heat, humidity and occasional thunderstorm delays in Tampa, climate-controlled baseball appeals to Jax.
“It was difficult,” Jax said about some of the games at Steinbrenner Field. “I don’t think anybody expects to play in a situation like that. It’s just one of those things you have to make any adjustment you can and get ready to play because there is still baseball to be played that night. The situation isn’t great. The environment wasn’t awesome, but it’s still baseball. You just have to roll with it. I was only there for two months. Shoutout to all these guys who were there for an entire year because it was not ideal.”
Milton, of course, did more than create a year of expensive inconvenience.
In the storm’s wake, deadline delays led to the Rays pulling out of an agreement with the city and county to build a long-sought $1.3 billion replacement stadium. Political bridges were burned, and the Rays’ future was back in ballpark purgatory. To right the ship, Major League Baseball shepherded a sale from owner Stuart Sternberg to a group led by Patrick Zalupki and new CEO Ken Babby.
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On Zalupski's clock, time is short to leave behind the dome many hate to love, with the lease running out in 2028.
Monday, though, is about bats, balls, bases and banners. It will be the team’s 20th consecutive sold-out opener (not counting the 2020 COVID-19 season).
In addition to the required repairs paid for by the city, the Rays’ new owners funded other upgrades, including the upgraded luxury seats and expanded video board.
“It looks really good,” said Ken Johnson, executive vice president of sports at AECOM Hunt, which helped build the stadium in the late 1980s and led the roof repairs. “Fans that walk in the building, they’re going to be surprised. This ownership team has really done some great things, too. They’re really on top of it.”
Rays on upswing after difficult start
The Rays had a rough start on the road to start season, but are 4-5 after winning the weekend series at Minnesota. Earlier in the week, fielding and relief pitching were sore points, but starting pitching and the bat of Yandy Diaz, hitting over .400, have been strong.
Monday's starting pitchers are Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan (0-1) and Chicago’s Jameson Taillon, a Lakeland native.
McClanahan, out of the University of South Florida, made his first big-league start in nearly 2½ years on Tuesday at Milwaukee after recovering from back-to-back elbow and triceps surgeries. The Rays lost 6-2, but McClanahan was sharp over 4⅔ innings, with two earned runs, four strikeouts and three walks.
Tropicana Field parking lots open at 1:10 p.m., with gates opening at 2:10. Click here for city of St. Petersburg traffic and parking information as well as car-free transporation options.
Award-winning country music artist Eric Church will sing the national anthem.
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A promotion introduced by the new owners is called “First One’s on Us.” Fans who purchase a ticket this month will receive $10 added to their Rays Wallet in the MLB Ballpark app beginning when gates open and ending five hours after first pitch. The premium can be used to purchase items in the stadium, including draft beer.
The Rays say tickets are available for the remainder of the homestand against the Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday, and limited tickets are available for the upcoming series against the New York Yankees on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
