TAMPA -- The Rays’ six months at George M. Steinbrenner Field delivered more than a few surprises. The ballpark wasn’t necessarily the hitters’ haven they expected. Rain was less of an issue than anticipated. The home team didn’t win as many games as they thought they would.
But one part of the experience lived up to the Rays’ expectations.
“It's been every bit as hot as what I thought it was going to be,” said starter Drew Rasmussen, grinning.
The Rays said their sweaty goodbyes to Steinbrenner Field as they wrapped up the home-away-from-home portion of their schedule with a 7-3 win over the Red Sox on Sunday night. Brandon Lowe hit his 30th home run, Christopher Morel drove in four runs and made a pair of excellent defensive plays, and they secured their ninth consecutive season with a winning record (41-40) at home.
"Going out on a winning note is a pretty good one,” Lowe said afterward.
Before embarking on their final road trip of the season, a six-game journey to Baltimore and Toronto, the Rays reflected on the season they spent at their temporary home ballpark.
As much as anything, they thought back to the uncertainty they felt this time six months ago, when club officials and staff were preparing for a frenzied, four-day move-in process. Not to mention the anxiety they felt between seeing the damage to the Trop and the news that they would only move as far as the Yankees’ Spring Training ballpark in Tampa.
“A lot of people didn't necessarily know how it was going to be when you're playing in somebody else's place. I think somebody said early on, like, 'We're playing at an Airbnb park,’” starter Ryan Pepiot said. “The first couple weeks, it did feel weird. You go into the Trop, and you know it's home.
“The guys and the staff here made it feel like a home, and made it feel like it's our place -- rental place. But it's been fun.”
The Rays sold out 61 of their 81 home games, including Sunday’s finale, with a capacity of 10,046. Their total attendance was 786,750, for an average of 9,713. Several players said they appreciated the intimate atmosphere, with fans so close to the action.
Everyone agreed that the luxurious home clubhouse, recently renovated by the Yankees, played a big part in making the Rays get comfortable inside the ballpark. And while plenty of homers snuck over the right-field wall, they were all surprised how the windy conditions often kept the ball from flying out of other parts of the field’s Yankee Stadium-matching dimensions.
“It was different,” Lowe said. “It's one for the books, that's for sure.”
Sure, there were strange circumstances, shifting schedules and other oddities, right down to the final day: Sunday’s home finale started at 7:35 p.m. to accommodate the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ afternoon home opener across the street at Raymond James Stadium.
Perhaps the most unexpected outcome was the lack of rainouts. There were 12 rain delays totaling 12 hours and 48 minutes, but nine were less than an hour and six were less than 30 minutes.
While they danced around the rain, there was no escaping the heat. Temperatures regularly registered in the 90s with triple-digit heat indexes. It kept the clubhouse staff busy, as players often drenched their jerseys and accessories with sweat during games, and it altered the club’s pregame routine.
“We made the most of it. It was hot. There was rain. All of the above,” outfielder Josh Lowe said. “But at the end of the day, man, we went out and we did what we could. We played baseball with the circumstances.”
The past few months, the Rays typically limited their on-field batting practice sessions to once or twice a homestand, and even those were often reduced from three groups of hitters to one. As a result, they did most of their pregame work inside or on the road.
“We knew it was going to be hot, but then it was like a different level beyond that at times,” manager Kevin Cash said. “So you felt for what the players were going through.”
The Rays intend to return next season to Tropicana Field, which was unavailable this season after the roof was ripped off during Hurricane Milton last October. Repairs are underway, and the construction process is reportedly on schedule.
After a three-city road trip to begin next season, Tampa Bay’s next regular-season home game is scheduled for April 6 against the Cubs.
As much as they appreciated making themselves at home at Steinbrenner Field, they can’t wait to be home again.
“There’s no doubt we want to get back home to the Trop,” Cash said, “and make the most of being at the Trop next year.”