ST. PETERSBURG -- About an hour before the Rays officially opened the gates of Tropicana Field for the first time in 561 days, CEO Ken Babby was marveling at what it took to get Tampa Bay’s home dome ready for Monday afternoon.
Parts of the ballpark smelled like wet paint. Even after noon, there was still drywall being installed. Staff were still scurrying around, making sure everything was in place. The mad dash to the finish line was made possible with “not a lot of sleep” and “a lot of energy,” Babby said.
But the gates opened on time at 2:10 p.m. Two hours later, Shane McClanahan fired a 93.4 mph fastball to Nico Hoerner. After nearly 18 months, a tremendous degree of uncertainty and an even greater amount of work to repair the destruction caused by Hurricane Milton, baseball was back at Tropicana Field.
Behind solid pitching and home runs by Cedric Mullins, Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda, the Rays gave the sold-out crowd of 25,114 something else to celebrate: a 6-4 win over the Cubs that improved their record to 5-5.
“This is a great American comeback story. When I walked into this building for the first time, I myself wondered if baseball would ever be played here again,” Babby said. “For our staff, for the city, for the community and for our fans, this is a true homecoming. It's a real incredible moment for baseball.”
The Rays sought to celebrate their homecoming during a pregame ceremony hosted by radio broadcaster Andy Freed, who greeted the crowded house with the words, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome home!”
After both teams were introduced, the Rays played a video featuring the damage done by Hurricane Milton and the extensive repair efforts, finishing with the following words on screen: “Resilience isn’t a solo act. Healing takes an entire community.”
As the national anthem was performed by country music star Eric Church, the Rays recognized several members of that community. In center field, a giant American flag was unfurled by dozens of roof workers, first responders and Rays staff who played a part in making Monday’s game a reality.
“Because of these people,” Freed said, “we are home.”