by Being a fan of a team that is several states away from home can stink at times, it has its positives. It has allowed me to travel to different places around the country to watch my favorite team play. One of those destinations is Tropicana field home of the Tampa Bay Rays. I have been to this field twice and one of those times was only a month ago. This will be review number three and stadium number four in my journey to visit and review all 30 MLB stadiums.
Each stadium will get a letter grade depending on five different categories, Location, aesthetics, atmosphere, food, and bells and whistles. These rankings come from my experiences at the ballpark. With, your experience may differ from mine. That being said from now on these stadiums and cities are places I have only visited twice or less so I may not have gotten the full experience a diehard fan would get.
Park Info: Tropicana Field originally known as the Florida Suncoast Dome then the Thunderdome originally was opened in 1990 and the first home of the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning in 1993. In 1996 the Rays moved in, and the name Tropicana field was born. The Trop has held many events like Hockey, Baseball, basketball, football, sprint car racing, gymnastics, soccer, tennis, weightlifting, table tennis, karate, motorcycle racing, equestrian events, track, and figure skating.
Location: Do not let the name of the team fool you the Tampa Bay Rays are set outside of Tampa Bay in Saint Petersburg. Depending on your location a trip across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge may be needed, the bridge will lead you right into the city and an exit away from the parking lot. Tropicana Field has the best parking options of any stadium I have ever been to. There are your common lots further away from the stadium but the parking lot right next to the stadium is the best option. Workers will guide you right into the lot, there will most likely be more than enough parking spaces. Sadly, a parking lot can only help the location so much.
Location is a C+ due to not being in Tampa.
Aesthetics: Aesthetics will be based on how the stadium looks inside and out, grass and field dimensions will be in play as well as the background of the city.
There is no easy way to put this, Tropicana is the ugliest stadium in all of baseball. I have no problem with a dome stadium, I do have a problem with the ball getting lost or stuck in the dome. The field has many spots where it looks darker or lighter and can be flat out ugly. The fence dimensions are cookie cutter like leaving much to be desired. Each ballpark tries to nail a certain type of look, while Tropicana does not really know what to go for. Parks like PNC and Camden Yards go for a classic feel by using bricks and cement in much of the scenery while Progressive goes for a more modern futuristic look by using glass and white colors in and outside the ballpark. Tropicana mixes between those but struggles to nail any of those designs. The center and right field wall is the cause of this confusion and can be a big distraction from the entertainment on the field. One thing I loved about the ballpark was the 360-degree pedestrian circulation that allowed fans to walk all around the field with out changing levels or losing view of the game.
The walkway is not enough to save this field making Aesthetics a D
Atmosphere: Atmosphere usually depends on if the team is competitive or not. Sadly, for this team it does not seem to matter. The game I was at opened capacity back up to the fans and was the second ever start for the number one prospect in baseball Wander Franco. The stadium was nearly empty and was mainly filled with Boston supporters. No one in my section seemed to know who Wander Franco was and why he was so important. A Cleveland or Pittsburgh fan would be wearing Franco’s Jersey and would have a full scouting report on the young player. When my dad (A Pirates fan) was the only one excited for the young star I knew something was wrong. More Tampa Bay fans had Lightning Jerseys on compared to the team they were there to watch.
Atmosphere is a F
Food: Sadly, I did not get to try much of the food at the ballpark this go around. Lucky for me I had people with be that did. They had Toasted Cheese sandwiches with pulled pork. According to my father “I never had anything like it before” when comparing food to other stadiums he has been too. Every time I go to a stadium, I look for Ice cream helmets. Tropicana hits this out of the ballpark by having popcorn helmets as well. This was a highlight for me not knowing that ballparks could sell you popcorn in a giant plastic helmet.
Food is C+
Bells and Whistles: Tropicana did not have much that blew me out of the water with bells and whistles, but a few things stand out. The team shop was above average, it had something for pretty much anybody. They have collector items like signed baseballs or ever surprise packs that could be something random. Anywhere from a random foul ball to a game winning homerun, it was a luck-based system that could interest many fans. They have team records like best era, batting average, wins, and much more in the team shop. They have verification stamps at the guests’ services stand in the outfield entrance. For anyone seeing their first baseball game make sure to visit guest services for a few gifts. The biggest novelty of course is the Sting Ray tank in right field, you can stand in line and touch the Sting Rays or look from one of the standing areas above, truly one of the neatest and exclusives novelties that you will see at any ballpark.
Bells and Whistles are a solid B
Tropicana Field is sadly the most underwhelming field that a fan could visit. It is a rare instant of a good team with a bad stadium with little support from the area. If the Rays are ever given a new stadium in the city, it could be the boost the team needs to gain full support from the Tampa area.
My final grade of Tropicana Field is a D. The best part about this Stadium is that it is inside and away from the heat.
