Central Plains FFA Chapter

04/05 08:36 CDT Rays are eager to return to Tropicana Field for the first game since hurricane damaged the roof Rays are eager to return to Tropicana Field for the first game since hurricane damaged the roof By ROB MAADDI AP Sports Writer A sellout crowd will welcome the Tampa Bay Rays back to renovated Tropicana Field on Monday for the first time in 18 1/2 months. The quirky stadium with the tilted roof and unique catwalks underwent major repairs after Hurricane Milton swept through downtown St. Petersburg on Oct. 9, 2024, and caused extensive damage. High wind ripped sections of the original roof, allowing rain to fall into the stadium bowl for months. Water caused mold and damage to electrical, sound and broadcast systems. There was thought initially the Rays would never play another game at the only ballpark they had called home since the franchise's debut in 1998. Instead, nearly $60 million was spent to replace the roof and rebuild the Trop. While the Rays played their 2025 home games across the bay in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field --- the spring training home of the New York Yankees --- their stadium got a makeover. The new roof was installed last August, and the final panel was put in place Nov. 21. Luxury suites and the stadium video board were upgraded. The stadium has new artificial turf, home-plate club seats, clubhouse carpet and lockers, and new flooring on the outfield deck. "I think guys are excited, and rightfully so," Rays manager Kevin Cash said about the team's return home. "Our organization has worked incredibly hard and the city and the county, to get it back up to speed. I briefly walked through there, couldn't be more impressed with the way it looks, and excited to see our fans. I think our guys are going to appreciate just having our fans in the building, cheering us on for our opening day." It'll be the 20th consecutive season the Rays have sold out their home opener, excluding 2020 when fans weren't allowed inside the stadium because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "I'm just really excited to get back in the Trop," said reliever Griffin Jax, who joined the team last July. "I always enjoy going there as a visitor. It'll be cool to see all the new renovations and upgrades they made along the way. We've seen it a handful of times walking through and seeing pictures and stuff. It looks great. It'll be good to be back in our home." After spending a season playing in a minor league ballpark, the Rays are looking forward to going back to big league amenities. "It was difficult," Jax said about playing at Steinbrenner Field. "I don't think anybody expects to play in a situation like that. It's just one of those things you have to make any adjustment you can and get ready to play because there is still baseball to be played that night. The situation isn't great. The environment wasn't awesome, but it's still baseball. You just have to roll with it. I was only there for two months. Shout out to all these guys who were there for an entire year because it was not ideal." Tropicana Field may not be home for the Rays for much longer. The Rays are under lease to play there through at least the 2028 season, but the team's new ownership group is pursuing a new ballpark that would be built in Tampa, in the shadows of the Yankees' spring training complex and across the street from Raymond James Stadium, home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB