For your next trick, get a new stadium
Approximate view from our seats Wednesday
LAKELAND, FL — Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Rays, who clinched their first AL East title this evening. In only one season, they went from dead last in the MLB to winning their division with bravado. Quite a remarkable feat, and people around the bay are rightfully excited about their team’s postseason prospects. It’s a great story, especially because of how they’ve found ways to win games without Longoria, Crawford and Upton. There’s no way Joe Maddon doesn’t win manager of the year.
It’s just too bad they play in the worst stadium in baseball.
I’ve been to the Trop a few times, once when it was a hockey arena (fear the THUNDERDOME) and most recently this past Wednesday when I saw them rip Tim Wakefield and the Boston Red Sox, 10-3. I’ve sat in a bunch of different locations, but even a seat right on the field can’t change that dump’s most obvious flaw: IT HAS A PERMANENT ROOF.
I’d like to meet the group of geniuses who decided in the early 1980’s that an open air stadium modeled after KC’s would not work because it’s humid and rains a lot during the summer here. The bottom line has to be that they saved a bunch of money by doming the place for eternity. Rogers Centre in Toronto broke ground around the same year as the Trop (1986) but cost $570 million to the Trop’s $130 million ($235 mil if you count renovations). I don’t see why a retractable wouldn’t work here, I think for enough money they could find a way to do it.
My hope is that the Rays playoff run brings to light all of the ugly truths about this stadium.
I hope someone hits a ball into one of the catwalks and this whole ridiculous set of rules comes into play:
The catwalks are lettered, with the highest inner ring being the A Ring, out to the furthest and lowest, the D Ring. The A Ring is entirely in play, while the B, C and D Rings have yellow posts bolted to them to delineate the relative position of the foul lines. Any ball touching the A Ring, or the in-play portion of the B Ring, can drop for a hit or be caught for an out. The C and D Rings are out of play; if they are struck between the foul poles, then the ball is ruled a home run. (Wikipedia)
Balls get stuck and lost in the catwalks all the time, and it’s no surprise that the first use of MLB instant replay happened here.
My sister and her boyfriend live in the area and said that where the stadium’s located in St. Pete is kind of a bitch to get to because of traffic on 275 and it’s out of the way for most Tampa Bayers.
Should the Rays ride this thing out to shore, they will have done something no one could have fathomed a year ago. Here’s to hoping that success deserves them something better.
EXTRA EXTRA
We watched Wednesday’s game from the “party deck” in left field, which was not what I expected at all. For some reason, I envisioned picnic tables, but it was just bleachers.
I was fine with that, but our section was kind of lame. Half were uppity Red Sox fans. Too bad for them it was cowbell night. If you were wearing Rays gear, you were handed a little blue cowbell when you came in. Luckily, my sister had snagged me a Rays hat, so I was cleared to search and annoy.
I feel kind of bad for the terror I brought to those people’s eardrums, and also bad for the true Rays fans whose reputation I soiled.
More the latter.
To all of Rays fans, I’m sorry and good luck. Unless you play the Phillies in the World Series. Then you must die.
