Tampa Bay Rays vs. Minnesota Twins

In 2002, I made my first visit to a Major League ballpark that was not my home park. 24 years later, I returned.

Day 8 of the Big Florida Trip is capped off with a return visit to Tropicana Field and, this time, watching my hometown Twins.

• 2nd visit to Tropicana Field
• 7th different ballpark watching the Twins

This ballpark visit is different from the others on the Big Florida Trip in that it is also a reunion with three different friends:

• My brother, Jay, and his two sons (who I last saw in 2023)
• My friend, Nim, with whom I’ve been trading baseball cards since 2005
• My Ballpark STAMPede friend, Sherry, who I first met in person in Cedar Rapids and the Field of Dreams in 2024

The Marlins home park marks the final Major League ballpark before I visit Ballpark #30 in Atlanta. It is the park of which I decided that Atlanta would be my 30th only because I didn’t want it to be Miami. And still, Ballpark #29 still warrants some celebration, even it is not as big of a celebration as #30 will be.

Miami is also one of the two key pillars that makes the Big Florida Trip worth planning. This Monday night game highlights Day 4 of the Big Florida Trip. I was hoping we would get to see an opened roof, but Day 4 is the only day of the trip to get rain (and a downpour of it) so, in that sense, it’s a blessing that loanDepot has a roof.

Pregame “Tour”

Unlike Miami, this “tour” would be led my Sherry, who has been a Rays season ticket holder since the inaugural season. One of the challenges with this tour is fitting everything within the hour-and-a-half before the first pitch.

Highlights of this Tropicana Field included:

• Twins batting practice
• Rays team store
• 10,000 gallon cownose stingray tank
• Special seats in the outfield commemorating
  • First home run in Rays’ history hit by Wade Boggs
  • Wade Boggs’ 3,000th hit (the only one as a home run)
  • Dan Johnson’s game-tying home run against the Yankees in Game 162 off the 2011 season in which the Rays clinched the American League Wild Card
• History exhibit on the lower level
• Season ticket holder lounge

Seat Selection

Section 109 Row M (Behind home plate)

Because the Twins were playing, I wanted to sit close to the action… and having connections helped.

In general, Rays tickets are much more affordable compared to other Major League ballparks. Like loanDepot Park, it did not feel empty but, also like loanDepot, the upper deck is not open for most home games.

The new roof (replaced after the damage from Hurricane Helene) made the venue feel a lot brighter than I remember from my first visit in 2002 or from what I had seen in pictures and on broadcasts before the hurricane.

Revisit from 2002

Ballpark Food of Choice

Nathan’s Hot Dog

Related to the perks from my friend, Sherry, I took advantage of the season ticket holder lounge with much shorter lines and season ticket holder discounts. All Rays tickets for April games included $10 of Rays cash, so I kept my food purchase on the cheaper end and went with the trusty hot dog and drink.

Game Highlights

The Rays had the Twins number in this game. Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda each hit two home runs in a 6-2 victory.