Okay, I gave you my impressions of Pro Player Park and the Florida Marlins. On Monday, May 6, I headed northwest (well west, then north -- that's where the road is.) to St. Petersburg to watch baseball's current best team, the Boston Red Sox, take on the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, losers of 10 straight (Attendance: 11,564).

The drive through Alligator Alley and up the coast of the Gulf of Mexico was nice and took about 3 1/2 hours, lengthened by a couple of traffic tie-ups due to accidents. Tropicana Field comes into plain view as you exit the interstate and parking ($10) was a snap.

My first disappointment came at the ticket window. I was informed that the $10 tickets I planned to buy were not available because the upper deck was closed. Faced with the option of $5 seats for "The Beach" (in a different, longer line) and buying $19 seats for behind the plate, I chose the latter.

Walking in through a large rotunda filled with baseball memorabilia, I immediately noticed a legitimate team store. Unlike the virtual kiosks in Pro Player with limited supplies, this was a two-level marketplace that was part of the "Center Field Street" area of shops and restaurants.

I went in and got my first up-close look at the new Devil Rays uniforms. As I suspected there was more blue in them than it looks on TV -- but barely. The lettering on the front of both jerseys is outlined in it. I contemplated buying an all-green BP cap, but then noticed the 'Fan Apperciation Special' on the other end of the store. Hundreds of the three original Tampa Bay caps were on sale -- two for $10. The only problem is they were all size 7 or 8. I bought two anyway and asked the guy at the checkout for a stapler. That didn't work, so I bought a pin with the new TB logo on it and pinched the hat to fit. Kinda goofy, but $5 for a 'fitted' cap... even if it was the blue-to-yellow gradient version (which after lots of personal debate, I now think looks better than dark green, blue and black -- one too many dark colors)

While at "Center Field Street," I checked out the restaurant that sits behind tinted green glass in center and the Jack Daniels Billiards Hall (6 tables tucked away in a small bar -- $5 for a half hour), but opted not to go into the Cuesta-Rey Cigar Bar.

Okay, let's get to the good stuff -- the game. When I came through the tunnel behind home plate with just a few minutes to spare, I was initially disappointed that I had to go up from the walkway instead of down closer to the action. Oh well, it was only a couple of rows, slightly under the overhang. Of course, someone was in my seat (Section 127 Row RR Seat 3). I didn't say anything and sat in the aisle seat two spots away. After the first inning, I get booted. I tell the guy he's in my seat, but I let him stay cause he's sitting with two friends (and I just feel guilty kicking someone out of a seat when there's 45,000 others open). Besides, I didn't feel like getting snug in the middle of a five-seat row.

I went another five rows up, to the back row of the first level -- plenty of room to spread out. The only problem is the overhang now prevented me from seeing any pop-ups -- or the scoreboard. There was a TV there, but it reminded me of the back-row seats in the 200 section at Wrigley -- I don't like overhangs. That lasted until the end of the second inning, and I moved down the third-base line to section 129 (the first without an usher checking tickets -- although the seats were the same price -- $19), behind the Red Sox bullpen.

There I got my first good look at the dome and the notorious catwalks. I'm sure many of you saw Friday's game when Shea Hillenbrand hit a game-winning grand slam off 'the second catwalk' with two outs in the top of the 9th. On TV, it appeared cheap -- the fielder is at the wall and suddenly the ball drops 20 feet in front of him (for a ground-rule homer). But judging by the angles in person, there's no way a ball that hits the second catwalk ISN'T going out (unless it's a high fly ball that follows the path of the roof and somehow misses the first catwalk (ground-rule double), but that seems highly unlikely. The only complaint about the catwalks should be that it could turn a pop-fly into a double.

I spotted 'The Beach' from here, an upper-deck-like section in left field. Might try that next time, especially since I saw a few people that were in line at the same time as me (mostly Red Sox fans with signs) moving into my section.

After the fourth inning, I was on the move again. This time, I walked through the concourse and visited the third- and first-base food courts. My curiosity was piqued by the Hooters on the first base side, so I decided to get some 75-cent wings. But after coming to my senses (well, realizing the help was no different than any other concession stand), I took a couple steps to my left, avoided the long line and just got a hot dog and pop. Almost succumbed to novelty there... whew.

My next stop was section 124, roughly behind the Devil Rays' dugout on the first-base side. The Riddler was serving beer here and a couple of Red Sox fans with brooms distracted the usher with their attention-grabbing move from the outfield to the front row of section 122. Some of the lights went out in the fifth inning, and Tony Clark hurled a bat my direction (hitting the base of the wall). By the way, the Red Sox were up 4-0 at this point, much to the delight of the very pro-Boston crowd. There were plenty of Rays fans, but they weren't as loud -- not as much to cheer about I guess. A couple of homers got 'em going, with strobe lights flashing on the catwalks, but overall the atmopsphere was not as lively as at Pro Player Stadium.

I spent the last three innings reclining under the large neon Tropicana sign beyond the right field foul pole in the Southwest Airlines section -- with real airplane seats. Some kids were playing catch in the aisle and I had enough quiet to make a couple of quick phone calls to family.

The Devil Rays loaded the bases with one out in the 9th, but a double play ended the rally -- and the game -- in a hurry. That makes 11 straight losses, matching a team record. I'm a witness to history again!

Overall, it was a positive experience. I'll buy the cheap seats next time. I usually don't move around so much, but without my bird's eye view from behind the backstop, I was unsettled. So I tried to get a look from all angles. None were bad views.

The place obviously has all the extras team owners want these days -- suites, restaurants, things for the family to do -- so the only knock has to be the roof. It was a little muggy outside with no noticeable breeze at gametime, so the AC felt good, but if that roof was retractable I bet there wouldn't be any talk of a Devil Rays move. That stadium is fine (although the fake grass looks wet in places), but like the new Comiskey, it's from the tail end of a different era. Neither are bad parks or in dire need of being replaced, but both are outdated by today's standards (domes are obsolete, retro is in). But as Milwaukee and Detroit and Pittsburgh continue to prove that a new stadium isn't what's needed to draw fans, I think the Devil Rays and White Sox and others will realize that they are fine with what they've got. Focus should first be on the field, then go get a new stadium if necessary.

Or, the Devil Rays could develop a dome-field advantage like the Twins (what are they, 15-2 at home?) Since they don't have the same turf, instead of speed, maybe they could use the catwalks. Hitting high pop-ups with pinpoint precision will result in double after double. They'd be unstoppable.

(Next up: San Diego visits Florida on May 7 and 8.)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Chicago Cubs -- Back-to-back World Series Champions 1907-1908
EAMUS CATULI -- AC135794

... See, it isn't so bad once you've actually been there, is it? I imagine most of the people complaining about Tropicana Field have never been there; they're just parroting the "party line". I, for one, would be very happy going there on a regular basis, and the D-Rays have some good young talent that should become a contender in a couple more years. Hope the fans will stick with 'em - they're outdrawing the Marlins, anyway.
You must have just missed the "fireworks" with the Red Sox the day before (Tampa Bay vs. Boston was who I saw back in 2000 in my only visit there).

I enjoy your posts very much; you do a very good job of giving us a strong sense of the "atmosphere" at the ballpark. Keep up the good work as our OBC ambassador to south Florida!

I trumpet the party line on tropicana field because like many many fans I cant stand the thought of baseball indoors, will I still go watch it yes, do I like it less yes. I have been there and it is nice except for that dang roof and artificial turf.

... but I can also remember my first major league baseball game, when I was 12 years old. We took a family vacation to Texas, visiting Houston, San Antonio (Hemisfair '66), and the DFW Metroplex. We had tickets for the Astros-Cubs game, and it poured down rain! There were flash floods in various places throughout the city, but we got to see baseball because of the Astrodome! When you come from a long distance to see a game, the LAST thing you want is a rainout! Now, it rains somewhere in the Tampa Bay area almost every day (Mobile was like that when I lived there, too), so a covered stadium makes sense in that environment.

Besides, I like the Trop at night - when the lights are on inside the stadium, the roof glows orange!!! Very cool!

The "party line" is wrong about the Trop (IMO).

Yeah, I definitely prefer baseball outdoors, especially after experiencing both versions on back-to-back nights. But it's true that during the summer, rain is a guarantee almost every day.
At the time, their options were dome or no dome (SkyDome was the only retractable roof and opened only a year earlier, 1989).

If they could replace that roof with something retractable, they'd be set.

Of course, the retractable roofs are being mis-managed. Look at Milwaukee. For two straight games the weather was 63 degrees and clear, but management decided to keep the roof closed because they were concerned people in the shade would be too cold.

And I posted that story about the starting pitchers in Arizona deciding whether it's open or closed, too.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Chicago Cubs -- Back-to-back World Series Champions 1907-1908
EAMUS CATULI -- AC135794

I begin to wonder if they use them to justify cost, but in the Mariners case they seem to play better with it closed. Rizzs mentioned about wins/losses with the roof closed on the air one night, and they have a far greater chance of losing with the roof closed. Of course Safeco is not completly enclosed, like BOB, or the Keg.

A man has to have goals- for a day, for a lifetime- that was mine, to have people say, "There goes Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived."
- Ted Williams