The Rays have a murky future ahead of them regarding their damaged stadium, which is currently under repair.
The story of the Tampa Bay Rays and Tropicana Field is sad. Really. The last three decades make people laugh and scream simultaneously because an MLB team plays in a stadium everyone hates. It is dark, dirty, claustrophobic, and bare bones. But the worst part is that it didn’t have to be this way. MLB, the City of St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, and the Florida state legislature have all had ample opportunity to give the Rays a new home. This is a story of failure, one that has no end in sight.
In every way, the Trop is an anachronism, meant to be a temporary home from the beginning. The builders completed the dome in 1990, but the Rays only started play in 1998, so Tropicana was mostly empty for eight years. At the same time, MLB parks have dramatically shifted in style to retro-urban parks, starting with Camden Yards. Multi-purpose stadiums phased out in favor of baseball-specific ballparks reflecting the local community, quickly making the Trop outdated.
Historical Developments
The first proposals for a new park came in 2008 right before the financial crisis, so those discussions immediately disappeared. A 2013 plan in Ybor City got little traction. There have been many relocation ideas over the years, including the ever-present threat of moving to Nashville or Portland to spur action. Alas, the Rays continued to play at Tropicana as the 2010s concluded, and it is now the 11th oldest ballpark. Now, it appears the 2020s will come and go with no new stadium. The A’s, meanwhile, appear poised to move to Las Vegas in 2028, the same year the Rays were supposed to have a new home. Local politicians did their part to give the Rays what they wanted, but ownership has been content to stay at Tropicana Field.
Perhaps this is all a comfort thing. Humans like familiarity, even when there is a better option available. The Rays now resemble the Montreal Expos in the 1980s and ’90s, playing in a crumbling dome with low attendance. It is always difficult for people, even entire sports franchises, to step out of their comfort zones. Designing new stadiums requires a recognition that the present situation is inadequate, and change is a necessary component of getting better. Fans deserve to cheer for the home team in an environment worth the cost of admission. Otherwise, the comforts of their own homes beckon instead of attending a game.
Unfortunately, the story perfectly encapsulates the attitude of Florida around baseball. Spring Training in February and March is perfect. The weather is pleasant and not so rainy, so it’s easy to see why northern fans might spend a month in the state. But those fans leave by Opening Day, and indifferent locals are the only ones left.
Florida Today
There are other summer industries that Florida cares about more than baseball. Just 90 minutes away from Tampa Bay is Disney World. Children on summer vacation prefer to spend time at Magic Kingdom than go to a Rays game. Plenty of adults would rather play mini golf or relax on the beach than see a random matchup out of 162. The term “dog days of summer” truly defines Florida baseball.
The Rays are now back to square one after the March news that they opted out of a bonds deal that would have provided more than $1 billion in public financing for a new stadium in the Gas Plant district. This comes after the Trop was badly damaged by Hurricane Milton, rendering it unplayable for 2025, and causing the Rays to claim they can no longer keep their building schedule. They deserve a beautiful home and the Trop deserves to no longer be the butt of jokes, but here we are. At least the city council approved funding to repair the roof at Tropicana.
In my opinion, local politicians need to step up again to fix the problem. It should be unacceptable to all parties involved that the Rays continue to threaten relocation due to a lack of funding. If the city and the state care about the team’s future, they will expedite the process to procure funding for a new proposal. But unlike last time, it should be community oriented and seek to aid instead of harming the most passionate fans.
An Urgent Plea
While the Rays embarrass themselves by playing in a rival’s minor league park, time is money. They even have an unexciting promotional schedule. To the city, the state, and the county, the time to act is nigh. This saga has gone on too long, and it is an absolute disgrace to the Rays, their fans, and the state of Florida as a whole. It would be truly shameful if the Rays were to leave the state for more welcoming quarters if the Sunshine State had to opportunity to act to keep them here and instead failed to do so. Many have already issued clarion calls of their own demanding a change in behavior for the better. The clock is always ticking, but here’s to hoping it doesn’t run out.
Featured Articles
Featured Writers
