The Tampa Bay Rays are used to uncertainty as they prepare for a regular season with home games at Steinbrenner Field, the spring training base of the New York Yankees.
“For us, this is what we’ve known,” Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said Tuesday at the team's spring training complex in Port Charlotte.
Hurricane Milton ripped the roof off St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field on Oct. 9, leaving the stadium unusable for at least 2025. In addition, the Rays have until March 31 to commit with the city on a planned $1.3 billion stadium that likely would open in 2029 at the earliest.
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“We’ve had different types of uncertainty and questions hanging over our franchise for the entirety of the Rays' era," Neander said. "And we found a way to win the third most games in baseball and appear in a couple World Series. This is what we do. I think we do it pretty well.”
Rays pitchers and catchers report to Charlotte Sports Park on Wednesday, and manager Kevin Cash said his team will be ready for the March 28 opener against Colorado. Steinbrenner Field, which has about 11,000 seats, is exposed to weather, unlike the Trop.
“There is an added element to it,” Cash said of playing at the Tampa ballpark. “I’d like to think we’re going to have some time to build into that. Generally speaking, we’re going to have some pretty beautiful weather for the first month or two. We’ll have a little better understanding of who we are as a pitching group and as a team going into some of those hot summer months.
“Our players, I give them a lot of credit. They’re very aware. They’ve done a lot of work this offseason having that in the back of their mind. We’ve probably thrown more outdoor bullpens this year coming into camp than maybe we have in the past. We’ll do everything we can to adjust on the fly as needed.”
Tampa Bay ranked 28th among the 30 teams in home attendance last year at 1.3 million, ahead of only Oakland and Miami.
“From what I’ve heard with ticket sales, I know it’s a smaller venue, but it will be fun to see some packed houses," Cash said. "Our players are going to appreciate that. Very thankful for the Yankees, the Steinbrenner family, (Yankees owner) Hal (Steinbrenner). Top to bottom, that organization has been front line with the way they’ve communicated with every bit of our staff.”
Cash was sadden by the condition of Tropicana Field after Milton ravaged the area.
“First time I saw it, I was driving on (Interstate) 75. It was surreal,” Cash said. “When I saw it happen in the middle of the night, I didn’t think it was real. Your mind races a little bit, ‘What now? What now?’”
Tampa Bay went 80-82 last season, ending a streak of five straight postseason appearances.
“Our focus can stay very much right in front of us,” Neander said. “For our group, it’s an opportunity to galvanize ourselves around the circumstances and what’s in front of us. Our players are ready to go and they’re excited about it.”
