The Tampa Bay Rays, for the primary date of their historical past, will in reality play games their house video games in Tampa. The group’s house slate will snatch park at George M. Steinbrenner Ground, the spring coaching house of the Brandnew York Yankees.
Tropicana Ground, the Rays’ house facility, was once “significantly damaged” throughout Storm Milton on Oct. 10, with the roof being ripped off. The Rays decided on Steinbrenner Ground as it was once the “best-prepared facility in the Tampa Bay region,” in line with a information shed.
“We deeply appreciate that the Yankees have graciously allowed us to play at Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season,’’ Rays owner Stu Sternberg said in the statement. “The hurricane damage to Tropicana Field has forced us to take some extraordinary steps.”
“We are happy to extend our hand to the Rays and their fans by providing a major-league quality facility for them to utilize this season,’’ Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement. “… We understand how meaningful it is for Rays players, employees and fans to have their 2025 home games take place within 30 minutes of Tropicana Field.”
There was negative decision but as to how the exchange will affect the Tampa Tarpons, the Yankees’ Unmarried-A associate and Steinbrenner Ground’s standard regular-season occupant.
The Rays additionally talked widely to the Philadelphia Phillies about the usage of the Phillies’ spring coaching advanced in within sight Clearwater, which presented benefits as it’s additionally situated in Pinellas County. Then again, the Rays opted for Tampa for a number of causes. One is that Steinbrenner Ground seats upward of two,000 extra lovers, which might translate into considerably extra earnings over 81 video games.
Any other is that the Yankees’ facility was once considered through the membership as having amenities – in particular in and across the clubhouse – which can be extra appropriate to housing a significant league group over six months, versus six weeks.
A 3rd is that in the end, the Rays most well-liked the central location presented through a stadium in Tampa, versus Clearwater, which is an extended force for far in their fan bottom.
The aftermath of Storm Milton at Tropicana Ground in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Pictures/LightRocket by way of Getty Pictures)
A harm overview file exempted previous this era estimated that Tropicana Ground would now not be in a position sooner than 2026, and would value round $55.7 million in maintenance. It’s imaginable a lot of the wear and tear may have been have shyed away from if the group had changed its roof within the years prior.
With the group hoping to go right into a brandnew St. Petersburg venue in 2028, it’s dense what the long-term plan for the Rays will probably be past 2025. Steinbrenner Ground has a capability of eleven,000 and particularly does now not have a roof given the wet climate conventional for the patch right through the summer time. It has, on the other hand, lately passed through renovations to amplify clubhouse length, enhance the lighting fixtures and improve the amenities writ immense.
The Rays would be the 2nd MLB group enjoying in a minor-league stadium in 2025, with the Athletics making plans to spend the later 3 seasons at Sutter Fitness Terrain in West Sacramento, Calif., forward in their go to Las Vegas in 2028.
The Rays and league prioritized enjoying the group’s house video games within the patch, instead than transferring to a bigger or domed facility. It’s additionally now not the primary date regular-season video games will probably be performed at a Tampa-area spring coaching web page. The Toronto Blue Jays opened the 2021 season with house video games at their spring coaching web page in Dunedin.
“Given the significant challenges caused by Hurricane Milton, I appreciate the hard work and collaboration between the two teams,” commissioner Rob Manfred stated within the shed. “This outcome meets Major League Baseball’s goals that Rays’ fans will see their team play next season in their home market and that their players can remain home without disruption to their families.”
Spare reporting through Chris Kirschner.
(Supremacy photograph of Steinbrenner Ground in 2017: Justin Ok. Aller/Getty Pictures)
