Tropicana Field / ThunderDome / Florida Suncoast Dome

[Reds41]

My next question is if the rays make the playoffs before the new stadium will they take the tarp off the upper deck seats? What did the marlins and other teams do?

No need to worry, my good man. Because MLB will not allow the Rays to rise above 3rd place in the division behind the Yankees and the Red Sox. They want to make sure that there is an exciting post-season and everybody will watch.

What MLB doesn't realize is that there are vast regions and small pockets of north America that do NOT like the Yankees and do NOT like the Red Sox.

There are Rays fans, Royals fans, Astros fans, Pirates and Reds fans out there that watch TV too.

Have you ever noticed, that national TV games are like so:

Yankees vs Red Sox
Red Sox vs Yankees
Yankees vs whoever and showing Red Sox game highlights and cut-ins
Red Sox vs whoever and showing Yankees game highlights and cut-ins
Cubs at Wrigley with Yankees and Red Sox game highlights and cut-ins
Mets at Shea with Yankees and Red Sox game highlights and cut-ins

Sorry for the rant...

[zengator]

No need to worry, my good man. Because MLB will not allow the Rays to rise above 3rd place in the division behind the Yankees and the Red Sox. They want to make sure that there is an exciting post-season and everybody will watch.

What MLB doesn't realize is that there are vast regions and small pockets of north America that do NOT like the Yankees and do NOT like the Red Sox.

There are Rays fans, Royals fans, Astros fans, Pirates and Reds fans out there that watch TV too.

Have you ever noticed, that national TV games are like so:

Yankees vs Red Sox
Red Sox vs Yankees
Yankees vs whoever and showing Red Sox game highlights and cut-ins
Red Sox vs whoever and showing Yankees game highlights and cut-ins
Cubs at Wrigley with Yankees and Red Sox game highlights and cut-ins
Mets at Shea with Yankees and Red Sox game highlights and cut-ins

Sorry for the rant...

Add "Cardinals at Busch" and you're spot on.

And with all the HORRRRRRRRRRRRIBLE calls the Rays have ALWAYS consistently gotten against both the Yankees and Red Sox (and nobody else), both at home and on the road, conspiracy theorists could begin to wonder...

[Reds41]

I have been re-thinking my last post.

I DO believe that MLB will allow the Rays into the playoffs, but only as a Wild-Card team. The Yankees or Red Sox will win the division.

Crazy you say??? Follow my reasoning:

The Yankees or Red Sox win the division. MLB and FOX get one of their marquee teams on television.

The Rays make the playoffs for the 1st time in team history. And juuuuuust in time for the voters of Pinellas County to vote on if to spend the money to build the new bayside park and to redevelop the site that The Trop sits on now.

This will make the voters happy and it will carry over to the ballot box. Giving the voters "promises of things to come" if they will just build the new park.

See, you thought I was crazy...didn't you.

Now pardon me while I fashion myself a new tinfoil hat while reading The 9/11 Commission Report.

[MattD1972]

The Rays make the playoffs for the 1st time in team history. And juuuuuust in time for the voters of Pinellas County to vote on if to spend the money to build the new bayside park and to redevelop the site that The Trop sits on now.

Following the Seattle line of thinking, I see? The vote on funding for Safeco Field was in November 1995.

[Chevy114]

I think mlb would like to see the rays in the playoffs for every reason other than attendence issues. They love the fact that 12 different teams have played in the world series since 2000. It keeps every team in the playoff hunt for a few years and keeps fans interested. Its also cool to see small market teams win, I like the david vs. golitch games like the marlins and Diamondbacks beating the yankees. So if the rays make the playoffs I do see one of the bigger name teams from the division coming too and then mlb has covered both markets.

As for the stadium, that would be great for the mlb too since they could have a brand new waterfront park to host all star games and show off for playoff games since the rays might still be winning at that point. Lets hope it works out!

[Reds41]

Following the Seattle line of thinking, I see? The vote on funding for Safeco Field was in November 1995.

It will be interesting to re-visit this thread after the November elections and baseball season is over, won't it?

[Reds41]

As for the stadium, that would be great for the mlb too since they could have a brand new waterfront park to host all star games and show off for playoff games since the rays might still be winning at that point. Lets hope it works out!

Yes, I can't wait for the first All-Star Game played at the new waterfront ballpark the second week of July when it is 90 degrees during the day and cools off to 78 degrees when the sun goes down.

Can't be any worse than the 1997 All-Star Game in Cleveland I went to. It felt like 100 degrees at midnight.

Ken Griffey Sr. sat in the row in front of us.

[Chevy114]

Yes, I can't wait for the first All-Star Game played at the new waterfront ballpark the second week of July when it is 90 degrees during the day and cools off to 78 degrees when the sun goes down.

Can't be any worse than the 1997 All-Star Game in Cleveland I went to. It felt like 100 degrees at midnight.

Ken Griffey Sr. sat in the row in front of us.

It gets down to the 70s at al lang at night. You get a little bit of the ocean breeze right there.

[zengator]

It gets down to the 70s at al lang at night. You get a little bit of the ocean breeze right there.

Yes, and 70-something in the shade or in the evening with a nice seabreeze is very comfortable, imo.

[Reds41]

If they do build a new waterfront ballpark, and I hope that they do, and they get an All-Star Game, they would be better served to keep the sail(roof) closed all day and open it prior to game time.

That way, the concrete of the seating bowl won't be so hot and a 70s degree evening with a bay breeze would be rather pleasant.

[abelorfao]

I just stumbled upon this article describing the initial concept for what became Tropicana Field. A fabric tent would have covered a boomerang-shaped stadium and, like Kauffman Stadium, there would have been a fountain in the outfield. In fact, the concept reminds me of the initial Kauffman Stadium renderings, only with a tent roof instead of the rolling roof.

[zengator]

I just stumbled upon this article describing the initial concept for what became Tropicana Field. A fabric tent would have covered a boomerang-shaped stadium and, like Kauffman Stadium, there would have been a fountain in the outfield. In fact, the concept reminds me of the initial Kauffman Stadium renderings, only with a tent roof instead of the rolling roof.

That photo was discovered a few weeks ago and discussed in the local media. Interesting idea, but the city rejected it because a baseball franchise was far from a certainty at that point and they wanted a building with more flexibility. The TB Lightning and the Final Four and such could not have been hosted in an open-air facility.

The currently proposed waterfront stadium is much better looking, imo, plus the roof/sail can be taken down.

[Tblockboi]

good pic

great picture i think the rays are in the right spot for now being in stpete gives so many job oppurtunities and chances for the city of st.pete but, as far for the water front ball park thats so scrapped by me i think it should go where al lopez is but, guys raymond james sits right on top of that section of the field we actually have over twenty places we can build a park i can name the five best spots down town across the river from blake high school home plate facing south east towards down town gives you a giants stadium feel or where thee old tampa stadium sits directly on top of that only that you would be up on raymond james but, who cares al lopez was just as close to old ts!! and you got acres im talking over 100 acres east of the air port abandond blocks of old torn down and vacant warehouses sit you could build four stadiums their and have parking for all four!! and if people comp[lain about traffic and parking which really is a bad thing in st.pete if you leave(early on time) oh (buc & lightning straglers know) !! you could easly build a stadium and sports complex along I4 or at the junction st I75 and I4 meet build a few well planed exit routes along the interstete like kansas city did along time ago and it would be awsome right in the country part of tampa theirs alot of room people!!! and yea go hard at rnovation for trop make roof retractable or spend alot alot on taking the roof of and making the dome wether ready but, it would be much better than building a comic stadium worth to much for to little 30,000 seats for 400 million cough cmon!!!!! we want our moneys worth!!!

[3and0]

That doesn't look like it's the Thunderdome/Suncoast Dome. Compare it to the previous picture that is obviously the Thunderdome. The seating deck looks very different, especially how deep the lower level is and second level.

¥eah, too many fans for a lightning game as well...

[Chevy114]

I feel like no matter what happens with the new stadium, it should be where the people are. Build it in tampa. Tampa sports authority who owns raymond james stadium should step in and use that half cent sales tax we still have for the bucs stadium and help build the park in this city.

I truely believe if they owners just make one comment about wanting to work with tsa and build a stadium anywhere in tampa (i-4, downtown, hillsbourough river, or ray jay areas) it would be done without a hitch!

P.S. Im still trying to find a good shot or two of tampa stadium before they enclosed, back with tampa u played there.