Rays start assessing damage, viability of Tropicana Field

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Oct 10, 2024

Published in Baseball

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The Rays on Thursday morning began the initial process of assessing the damage to Tropicana Field from Hurricane Milton, most notably the shredding of the roof.

“During the past couple weeks, our beloved city, region and state have been impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We are devastated by the damage incurred by so many,” the team said in a statement. “Our priority is supporting our community and our staff. We are fortunate and grateful that no one was hurt by the damage to our ballpark last night. ...

“We ask for your patience at this time, and we encourage those who can to donate to organizations in our community that are assisting those directly impacted by these storms.”

The first step will be to have an operations crew survey the stadium and work in collaboration with St. Petersburg police to secure the building.

Most visible was the shredding of the roof, which was caused by the high winds on Wednesday night. Only a few panels of the roof — made of “6 acres of translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass” and supported by cables connected by struts, and built to withstand winds of up to 115 mph, per the team — remained intact Thursday, with remnants seen on the field.

There was no other obvious structural damage to the building viewed from the outside.

Another issue is water damage, as Tropicana Field, which was built in the late 1980s and opened in 1990, does not have a drainage system.

That is also a factor in the repair plan as the team would not be able to play at the stadium without replacing the roof.

An obvious priority after the team assessments will be to determine if the stadium can be made playable for the 2025 season, which is slated to open March 27, with a six-game homestand against the Rockies and Pirates.

If not, the Rays could seek a temporary home, such as at a nearby minor league or college facility; the Blue Jays, for example, played regular-season games at their Dunedin spring stadium during the 2021 post-COVID season. Another option would be to relocate out of the Tampa Bay area on a temporary basis. Those decisions will be made in collaboration with Major League Baseball officials.

A new Rays stadium is planned to be built adjacent to the Tropicana Field site and be ready for the 2028 season, with groundbreaking slated for the next few months.

There were only a small group of people, less than 20, at the stadium at the time of the damage — some team security staff and some security guards from a private contractor. Most took shelter in one of the team clubhouses, with all safe and no injuries reported.

Crews of state contractors and Duke Energy personnel were based at Tropicana Field ahead of the storm to provide assistance with debris removal were moved on Tuesday in advance of the storm hitting. The stadium was not serving as a shelter, as was reported nationally, fueled by a photo that made the rounds on social media of thousands of cots on the field.

“As it became clear that there was going to be something of that magnitude that was going to be within the distance, they re-deployed them out of Tropicana,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference in Tallahassee. “There were no state assets that were in Tropicana Field, I think Duke also removed all their assets as well.”

Some Rays players took to social media to express their sentiments about the damage. Infielder/outfielder Richie Palacios reposted a video on X of the roof shredding with the comment “Im crying” and a tears emoji. Pitcher Shane McClanahan also posted a drone photo of the damaged stadium with a crying emoji. Taylor Walls’ wife, Hallie, posted a video with a broken heart emoji.

Major League Baseball said in a statement: “Our hearts and prayers as with the entire Tampa Bay community and all the families impacted by this storm throughout Florida.”

As a Disaster Responder Partner of the American Red Cross, MLB provides ongoing support to recovery and relief efforts. The Baseball Assistance Team will also provide support to team employees and other members of the baseball family impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Rays officials on Thursday morning did not have any initial report on the status of their training facility in Port Charlotte, which was damaged extensively by Hurricane Ian in 2022, forcing the Rays to split 2023 spring camp between the Disney’s sports facility and Tropicana Field.