The Tampa Bay Rays, for the primary time of their historical past, will really play their residence video games in Tampa. The workforce’s residence slate will happen at George M. Steinbrenner Discipline, the spring coaching residence of the New York Yankees.
Tropicana Discipline, the Rays’ residence facility, was “considerably broken” throughout Hurricane Milton on Oct. 10, with the roof being ripped off. The Rays chosen Steinbrenner Discipline as a result of it was the “best-prepared facility within the Tampa Bay area,” in response to a information launch.
“We deeply respect that the Yankees have graciously allowed us to play at Steinbrenner Discipline for the 2025 season,’’ Rays proprietor Stu Sternberg mentioned within the assertion. “The hurricane injury to Tropicana Discipline has pressured us to take some extraordinary steps.”
“We’re joyful to increase our hand to the Rays and their followers by offering a major-league high quality facility for them to make the most of this season,’’ Yankees proprietor Hal Steinbrenner mentioned in a press release. “… We perceive how significant it’s for Rays gamers, workers and followers to have their 2025 residence video games happen inside half-hour of Tropicana Discipline.”
There was no willpower but as to how the change will influence the Tampa Tarpons, the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate and Steinbrenner Discipline’s regular regular-season occupant.
The Rays additionally talked extensively to the Philadelphia Phillies about utilizing the Phillies’ spring coaching complicated in close by Clearwater, which supplied benefits as a result of it’s additionally situated in Pinellas County. Nonetheless, the Rays opted for Tampa for a number of causes. One is that Steinbrenner Discipline seats upward of two,000 extra followers, which might translate into considerably extra income over 81 video games.
One other is that the Yankees’ facility was seen by the membership as having amenities – significantly in and across the clubhouse – which are extra appropriate to housing a serious league workforce over six months, versus six weeks.
A 3rd is that finally, the Rays most well-liked the central location supplied by a stadium in Tampa, versus Clearwater, which is an extended drive for a lot of their fan base.
The aftermath of Hurricane Milton at Tropicana Discipline in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Photographs/LightRocket by way of Getty Photographs)
A injury evaluation report launched earlier this week estimated that Tropicana Discipline wouldn’t be prepared earlier than 2026, and would value round $55.7 million in repairs. It’s doable a lot of the injury might have been averted if the workforce had changed its roof within the years prior.
With the workforce hoping to maneuver into a brand new St. Petersburg venue in 2028, it’s unclear what the long-term plan for the Rays shall be past 2025. Steinbrenner Discipline has a capability of 11,000 and notably doesn’t have a roof given the wet climate typical for the area all through the summer season. It has, nonetheless, not too long ago undergone renovations to increase clubhouse house, enhance the lighting and improve the amenities writ giant.
The Rays would be the second MLB workforce taking part in in a minor-league stadium in 2025, with the Athletics planning to spend the subsequent three seasons at Sutter Well being Park in West Sacramento, Calif., forward of their transfer to Las Vegas in 2028.
The Rays and league prioritized taking part in the workforce’s residence video games within the area, moderately than shifting to a bigger or domed facility. It’s additionally not the primary time regular-season video games shall be performed at a Tampa-area spring coaching website. The Toronto Blue Jays opened the 2021 season with residence video games at their spring coaching website in Dunedin.
“Given the numerous challenges attributable to Hurricane Milton, I respect the laborious work and collaboration between the 2 groups,” commissioner Rob Manfred mentioned within the launch. “This end result meets Main League Baseball’s targets that Rays’ followers will see their workforce play subsequent season of their residence market and that their gamers can stay residence with out disruption to their households.”
Extra reporting by Chris Kirschner.
(Prime picture of Steinbrenner Discipline in 2017: Justin Okay. Aller/Getty Photographs)
