Rays plan to play 2025 season at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field
November 14, 2024
Rays plan to play 2025 season at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field
40 comments
Cool now let’s sign a catcher
Seems about as good as you could realistically hope for for the 2025 season. Pretty terrifying for beyond that though with pinellas county previously threatening to tank the new stadium if the team left for the 25 season.
Them actually playing in Tampa should be interesting, but I hope this doesn’t nuke the stadium deal in Pinellas.
They should put up some makeshift catwalks, so it will still feel like a home game.
This is a win, but meeting Stu a few years back I remember how much he hated the Yankees. Gotta suck for him biting the bullet and playing games in their spring training park.
I don’t mind this given the options that were reasonably available. Them getting to play a season in Tampa will be pretty neat. Having said that, it’s gonna suck to have to see Yankee logos everywhere you turn when we are playing a home game.
It’s gonna be a fun atmosphere
Good for folks on the Tampa side of the bridge.
during home games can we cover the yankees logos
Best option they had imo.
I knew it wouldn’t happen. But as someone who lives 10 mins from Wide World of Sports, I was hoping it would be there.
Definitely would have gotten season tickets or multi game packages.
Still. This is 45 mins closer than the Trop.
when we host the yankees is home game or a away game
Commissioner Latavala is just adding to his career of being a shit stain by promising to nuke the deal if they don’t stay in Pinellas. I hope this doesn’t put the entire deal in jeopardy, I’m sure the Rays looked into it and ensured they had the votes but whom knows. Maybe they want out of the county.
I wonder how many games will be delayed, suspended, and/or cancelled due to rain. Summer in Florida means daily thunderstorms.
11,000+ seats and averaged 17,000+ in 2024. The secondary market on tickets will tell an interesting story on whether ticket sales would be better if the Rays were in Tampa.
really curious to see how this impacts the St Pete economy. i live in Tampa and pretty much only go to St Pete for lunch/dinner when i’m going for games. wonder how many people do the same. may not seem like much but that could be thousands of people not spending money in St Pete for 81 days. bonds will be approved/not approved well before the season starts but it will be telling to see how much money St Pete could lose in tourism dollars if they nix the stadium
Not sure what you do with NKEE, but at least we’re 3/4ths of the way to making the banners say RAYS
This is awesome for the build in Tampa audience. This is terrible for us who love beach days and then going into a nice air conditioned stadium after.
Makes sense. In the immediate Tampa Bay area, that baseball stadium has the most seats and available parking…
Apparently they have plans to rebrand the stadium following Yankees spring training. Gonna be really curious to see how they do it
June July August games during the day are gonna be brutal, also don’t see how this works during the wet season when it rains every single afternoon. Like the location but the practicality of taking your kid to a baseball game when its 97 degrees outside and it feels like 102-103 is just not going to be worth it for alot of fans.
BLowe, JLowe and Aranda should absolutely mash this season
THE ROAD TO EMINENT DOMAINING THE YANKEE STRONGHOLD HAS BEGUN
Hope this works. I don’t think pinellas leadership is serious about the rays or having a franchise in general. Wish they would build a minor league facility where the trop is and move the rays to Tampa. That would never happen because Hillsborough county has zero money.
I would have thought Baycare, or at worse Dunedin, would have been a better option to keep Pinellas County happy.
Incoming Brandon Lowe 50 homer season incoming with 88 games between tampa and NY to aim at the short porch.
Has the obvious problem with inevitable weather delays, but checks the most boxes of any option out there and makes the best of a bad situation. It’s keeps the team in the area. Yanks were doing a renovation during last season, which might be done now, of the locker room and training area so that’s better for the players. Largest capacity of any stadium in the area so best revenue option for team. Plenty of parking in the stadium lot plus lots by the Bucs stadium. Just don’t come to the ballpark hungry unless you like standing in concession stand lines.
All the people who call the team “Tampa” will finally be correct for a year
This is the only decision that made any sense. I sure hope the Pinellas commissioners don’t kill the deal because of it. Does anyone know which Pinellas commissioners might be on the fence at this point? Would love to email them to support following through with the bonds.
I’m excited, will definitely go for a few more games this year.
Finally get to see what a rain delay looks like for a Ray’s home game
A good bit of info here. Steinbrenner Field to be temporarily rebranded with Rays logos. The Yankees to receive $15M in revenue sharing for letting the Rays use their facility. The Tampa Tarpons to play their games on the Yankees Spring Training back field.
That’s a tiny stadium to be hosting a World Series game……
The reasoning behind Steinbrenner…it has the nicest facility. It has the largest capacity. It has all the training facilities and cages, and other things that the other parks don’t have. It’s the least disruptive as far as requiring major upgrades. The attendance is also over 11,000…more than 2,000 more than any other stadium in the area. It just is the best option overall and the least disruptive to the day to day requirements for a MLB team. I get that St Pete and Pinellas want it in the county…but sometimes you just have to live with it…it’s a unique situation. I really hope this decision doesn’t end up killing the stadium deal.
Considering they’re not a bad team, what happens if they make the playoffs? What’s the long-term plan for their stadium in the upcoming season? If they make the playoffs and fans from the opposing team want to watch, which would be an away game for their team, what’s the long-term strategy for providing a quality home experience that can handle full capacity?”
If Rays fans can’t sell out Steinbrenner, then the excuses about bridge traffic being the reason they don’t come to games needs to be retired.
Do you think they’ll put all-new graphics and banners up, or are we stuck looking at the Yankees logo for a year?
Posturing. He wants funds for the Phillies stadium.
I’m selfishly loving this plan, I live super close to Steinbrenner Field
40 comments
Cool now let’s sign a catcher
Seems about as good as you could realistically hope for for the 2025 season. Pretty terrifying for beyond that though with pinellas county previously threatening to tank the new stadium if the team left for the 25 season.
Them actually playing in Tampa should be interesting, but I hope this doesn’t nuke the stadium deal in Pinellas.
They should put up some makeshift catwalks, so it will still feel like a home game.
This is a win, but meeting Stu a few years back I remember how much he hated the Yankees. Gotta suck for him biting the bullet and playing games in their spring training park.
I don’t mind this given the options that were reasonably available. Them getting to play a season in Tampa will be pretty neat. Having said that, it’s gonna suck to have to see Yankee logos everywhere you turn when we are playing a home game.
It’s gonna be a fun atmosphere
Good for folks on the Tampa side of the bridge.
during home games can we cover the yankees logos
Best option they had imo.
I knew it wouldn’t happen. But as someone who lives 10 mins from Wide World of Sports, I was hoping it would be there.
Definitely would have gotten season tickets or multi game packages.
Still. This is 45 mins closer than the Trop.
when we host the yankees is home game or a away game
Commissioner Latavala is just adding to his career of being a shit stain by promising to nuke the deal if they don’t stay in Pinellas. I hope this doesn’t put the entire deal in jeopardy, I’m sure the Rays looked into it and ensured they had the votes but whom knows. Maybe they want out of the county.
I wonder how many games will be delayed, suspended, and/or cancelled due to rain. Summer in Florida means daily thunderstorms.
11,000+ seats and averaged 17,000+ in 2024. The secondary market on tickets will tell an interesting story on whether ticket sales would be better if the Rays were in Tampa.
really curious to see how this impacts the St Pete economy. i live in Tampa and pretty much only go to St Pete for lunch/dinner when i’m going for games. wonder how many people do the same. may not seem like much but that could be thousands of people not spending money in St Pete for 81 days. bonds will be approved/not approved well before the season starts but it will be telling to see how much money St Pete could lose in tourism dollars if they nix the stadium
Not sure what you do with NKEE, but at least we’re 3/4ths of the way to making the banners say RAYS
This is awesome for the build in Tampa audience. This is terrible for us who love beach days and then going into a nice air conditioned stadium after.
Makes sense. In the immediate Tampa Bay area, that baseball stadium has the most seats and available parking…
Apparently they have plans to rebrand the stadium following Yankees spring training. Gonna be really curious to see how they do it
June July August games during the day are gonna be brutal, also don’t see how this works during the wet season when it rains every single afternoon. Like the location but the practicality of taking your kid to a baseball game when its 97 degrees outside and it feels like 102-103 is just not going to be worth it for alot of fans.
BLowe, JLowe and Aranda should absolutely mash this season
THE ROAD TO EMINENT DOMAINING THE YANKEE STRONGHOLD HAS BEGUN
Hope this works. I don’t think pinellas leadership is serious about the rays or having a franchise in general. Wish they would build a minor league facility where the trop is and move the rays to Tampa. That would never happen because Hillsborough county has zero money.
I would have thought Baycare, or at worse Dunedin, would have been a better option to keep Pinellas County happy.
Incoming Brandon Lowe 50 homer season incoming with 88 games between tampa and NY to aim at the short porch.
Has the obvious problem with inevitable weather delays, but checks the most boxes of any option out there and makes the best of a bad situation. It’s keeps the team in the area. Yanks were doing a renovation during last season, which might be done now, of the locker room and training area so that’s better for the players. Largest capacity of any stadium in the area so best revenue option for team. Plenty of parking in the stadium lot plus lots by the Bucs stadium. Just don’t come to the ballpark hungry unless you like standing in concession stand lines.
All the people who call the team “Tampa” will finally be correct for a year
This is the only decision that made any sense. I sure hope the Pinellas commissioners don’t kill the deal because of it. Does anyone know which Pinellas commissioners might be on the fence at this point? Would love to email them to support following through with the bonds.
I’m excited, will definitely go for a few more games this year.
Finally get to see what a rain delay looks like for a Ray’s home game
Made a comment here https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1gr98la/marc_topkin_breaking_rays_are_planning_to_play/lx4ciu3/
if anyone is missing context to this. It appears the team’s future in Pinellas is all but shot. What do yall think happens now>
Anyone actually extremely hyped? I am!
https://www.abcactionnews.com/sports/baseball/rays/tampa-bay-rays-to-play-2025-season-at-yankees-spring-training-field-in-tampa
A good bit of info here. Steinbrenner Field to be temporarily rebranded with Rays logos. The Yankees to receive $15M in revenue sharing for letting the Rays use their facility. The Tampa Tarpons to play their games on the Yankees Spring Training back field.
That’s a tiny stadium to be hosting a World Series game……
The reasoning behind Steinbrenner…it has the nicest facility. It has the largest capacity. It has all the training facilities and cages, and other things that the other parks don’t have. It’s the least disruptive as far as requiring major upgrades. The attendance is also over 11,000…more than 2,000 more than any other stadium in the area. It just is the best option overall and the least disruptive to the day to day requirements for a MLB team. I get that St Pete and Pinellas want it in the county…but sometimes you just have to live with it…it’s a unique situation. I really hope this decision doesn’t end up killing the stadium deal.
Considering they’re not a bad team, what happens if they make the playoffs? What’s the long-term plan for their stadium in the upcoming season? If they make the playoffs and fans from the opposing team want to watch, which would be an away game for their team, what’s the long-term strategy for providing a quality home experience that can handle full capacity?”
If Rays fans can’t sell out Steinbrenner, then the excuses about bridge traffic being the reason they don’t come to games needs to be retired.
Do you think they’ll put all-new graphics and banners up, or are we stuck looking at the Yankees logo for a year?
Posturing. He wants funds for the Phillies stadium.
I’m selfishly loving this plan, I live super close to Steinbrenner Field