Tropicana gets a renovation

[redlegsfan21]

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/16/images/xlarge/BIZ_1_ballpark_230174_1216.jpg
Heyde Cruz puts a new coat of blue on some seats at Tropicana Field. During the work, 35,000 seats will be scrubbed and repainted. The Rays plan to spend about $10-million fixing up the stadium.

ST. PETERSBURG - The rebuilding Tampa Bay Devil Rays can't guarantee they'll have a winning record in 2006. But the team is promising that fans will see other improvements at Tropicana Field next season, including an exterior paint job and nicer restrooms.

It is all part of a roughly $10-million renovation, the most extensive work to be done at the stadium since the Rays' inaugural 1998 season.

Better yet for the city of St. Petersburg, the Rays will pay for the improvements. Local taxpayers shelled out more than $60-million to prepare the ballpark for the start of the '98 season.

The goal of the renovations is to make the much-maligned Trop a more pleasant place to see a ballgame, Rays president Matt Silverman said Thursday.

"We're going to welcome in more than a million fans next year and it's our job to deliver upon an experience that will make them want to come back for more," Silverman said.

The renovations will include major overhauls to the interiors of the premium Kane's Club seating area behind home plate, luxury suites and the soon-to-be-renamed Platinum Club along the first-base line on the 200 level. Four rows of seats will be removed in front of the latter and retractable glass doors will be installed along most of the club's viewing area into the ballpark to give it a more open feel.

But most of the other renovations will focus on less drastic cosmetic improvements. The Trop's grayish green exterior will be repainted, although the shade hasn't been chosen. Outdoor awnings will be added and new directional banners will be installed in the parking lot, parts of which will be repaved.

Inside the stadium, 35,000 seats will be scrubbed and repainted. Painted cinder-block walls on the 100 and 200 levels will be covered with stucco or drywall. Restrooms on the first two levels will be outfitted with new sinks and better lighting.

"We think of this place as our home," Silverman said. "When you invite guests to your home, you start with the basics, making sure it's clean and comfortable."

Silverman is coordinating the renovations with Rick Nafe, the Rays' vice president of operations/facilities and Ana Rabelo Wallrapp, an architect with Wannemacher Russell Architects of St. Petersburg.

Work began shortly after Thanksgiving, and is expected to be completed by the end of March.

"This is easily a one-year project that's going to be condensed into . . . months," Nafe said.

The Rays are considering installing a new sound system and even a large tank of live rays. Improvements being considered include a new scoreboard and large decorative murals along the stadium's exterior. Silverman said the team could end up spending $10-million on more renovations over the next several years.

The Trop and the Metrodome in Minneapolis are the only dome stadiums in Major League Baseball that don't have a retractable roof. One aim of later improvements will be to try to create an "outdoor feel" in the stadium as much as possible, Nafe said. "We're just out to make it one of the more fun ballparks to come to," he said.

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/16/Business/Making_a_tip_top_Trop.shtml

[efin98]

Their renovations won't be successful unless the stadium can get rid of it's cavern-like feel. A new shade of paint may do it, but I hope the team can get some new lighting eventually to make the field look less dreary and tiresome.

[steveox]

I wish Oriole Pak At Camden yards would get a renovation. Like add extended upper level and club level over add more seats.
http://www.ascticket.com/images/3032.JPG
See the Upper level next to tower? Why not extend it all the way over to scoreboard and club level too?

[eddiejc1]

I wish Oriole Pak At Camden yards would get a renovation. Like add extended upper level and club level over add more seats.
http://www.ascticket.com/images/3032.JPG
See the Upper level next to tower? Why not extend it all the way over to scoreboard and club level too?

I don't think the Orioles need MORE seats. OPACY is big enough to draw decent attenance. What the Orioles need to do is give their fans more of a reason to come out to the ballpark again. Then there will be fewer people cheering for the visitors when the Yanks and Bosox come to town.

Besides, extending the upper deck as you suggest would completely cut off any view of downtown Baltimore.

Eddie Cunningham

[RottenGazebo]

Yeah, but they should really re-do the turf.

[Knick9]

Their renovations won't be successful unless the stadium can get rid of it's cavern-like feel. A new shade of paint may do it, but I hope the team can get some new lighting eventually to make the field look less dreary and tiresome.

I kid you not, after the Marlins leave and after what happens to the Twins and A's, I can only keep thinking in my mind "the Rays are gonna get it...", regardless of new ownership that says they would change the name of the team but they then say "not right now...it's not our top priority." Well, it's already December and the name's the same, I guess they backtracked on that statement. :rolleyes:

To get on topic, I think numerous renovations to the Trop just isn't going to do it. The Trop, just like the article said, is one of the only two domes left in MLB along with the Metrodome, but even then the Twins are wanting a new stadium, so the Rays are going to be put into a corner stadium-wise. Furthermore, though I like stingrays, the Trop always looks dreary and tiresome to me no matter what tactic is used.

[steveox]

Suppose the Orioles do wind up in the world series.Then im SOL getting tickets and if i buy tickets from a scalper it might be an undercover PIG! :rolleyes: Thats why they need more seats.

[JPL BMX]

The Rays onwership should save it's money for a new stadium.

[Sean O]

Suppose the Orioles do wind up in the world series.Then im SOL getting tickets and if i buy tickets from a scalper it might be an undercover PIG! :rolleyes: Thats why they need more seats.

first off, as a general comment, I'm astonished how people are able to turn every single thread into something about their home team / park. It's pretty incredible.

Second, 45,000+ seats is already pretty large, and for the game I was at last summer, it wasn't more than 1/4 full on a beautiful day. Why should the Orioles spend 10-20 million renovating a park to both make it uglier and more expensive to keep clean without getting any new revenue in? I mean, by that logic, Cleveland Memorial Stadium and the LA Coliseum were the best parks in baseball history since they were so huge.

Trust me, you don't want Camden to change, it's too nice. As for the Trop, MLB has mandated a move for the Devil Rays if they're not out of that monstrosity by 2010, so it looks like Florida may have 0 teams really soon. And, frankly, that's fine by me. Maybe the owners should spend the $10m on pitching so people have a reason to go to the park in the first place.

[steveox]

You realize theyre 60,000 seats at yankee stadium? 60,000!! So everyone could get world series tickets.If lawmakers would just drop the scalping laws people could go to the world series without have to buy season tickets.

[redlegsfan21]

Yankee Stadium was built in the same era as Cleveland's Mistake by the Lake. Yankee Stadium only looks good because of its two year renovation.

[Sean O]

Yankee Stadium was built in the same era as Cleveland's Mistake by the Lake. Yankee Stadium only looks good because of its two year renovation.

Steve- Have you ever heard of the site stubhub.com? I've purchased and sold tickets on that site a number of times without incident, so it's not like there's some draconian police state keeping you from purchasing tickets. You are trying to say that a park should be built solely for the world series games. Let's look at Yankee Stadium since the renovation for a comparison.

The Yankees have been in 10 world series since the renovation, meaning there have been 30-40 World Series games played at Yankee Stadium. it has seen 29 years of baseball, or 2460 games. So, the number of world series games for the Yankees, who have made it more than any team, is still at 1.4% of the regular season games played at the park. This alone shows that you shouldn't build just for the world series. Now, let's look at average attendance.

The Yankees averaged 50,499 people to their 55,000 seat park, or 87.9% full. Baltimore, meanwhile, averaged 32,404 people, or 67.2% full. The yankees are able to fill almost all of their stadium regularly, while the Orioles almost never do. In fact, most of the sellouts were probably for the Red Sox series, when Boston fans fly down to see their team.

I don't know why I wasted all this time, but I hope you at least see why your argument just doesn't make sense logically or monetarily. Camden is great, you don't want it changed. And if you want it expanded, tell your fellow fans to actually go out to the games.

[steveox]

stubhub.com dont they charge you a fee? Were the only nation that pass stupid insane laws passed by liberals.I bet over in england or in australia or even in japan you dont have undercover police trapping you when try to buy a ticket from a sold out major event from a scalper.

[eddiejc1]

The Trop, just like the article said, is one of the only two domes left in MLB along with the Metrodome...

There are plenty more domed stadiums in MLB than that, unless you believe retractable roofed stadiums like Minute Maid Park don't count.

Eddie Cunningham

[Sean O]

stubhub.com dont they charge you a fee? Were the only nation that pass stupid insane laws passed by liberals.I bet over in england or in australia or even in japan you dont have undercover police trapping you when try to buy a ticket from a sold out major event from a scalper.


You're such an idiot it's not even worth talking with you. You go be a victim and cry about how terrible your life is, meanwhile us adults will continue with our lives. Maybe some day you'll learn about corporations and why these laws exist, but until then, you keep living in your idiot dream world.

[Knick9]

There are plenty more domed stadiums in MLB than that, unless you believe retractable roofed stadiums like Minute Maid Park don't count.

Eddie Cunningham

Yes, I mean full-time closed domes, not off and on domes like the retractable roof stadiums.

To Sean O and steveox: ^ There's no need for that.

[redlegsfan21]

Lets get back on subject. I really hope that gray background goes away. I believe in the article, it said they were and the color had not been decided. I would like it to be a Tampa Bay sea green. Kind of like the color of the wall in center field.
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/Tropic1.jpg

[steveox]

Why not take out those Bleechers at Tropicana Field Extend those walls a litte higher Why not place out of town scoreboards the american league scoreboard at right field and the national league scoreboard in left field And make all seats in the lower deck cushoin like movie theater seats?

[chiefpaddy]

Tropicana is not that bad, that a little fixing up won't cure. I have had season tickets since the beginning. The main problem was the Stadium was never completly finished. It was built before a team was ever a reality. Then it was used for hockey, arena football, basketball and other events. Several million dollars had to be put into it to get it ready for baseball. If and when another stadium is built it will probably be in Tampa and not St. Pete. For some strange reason people on the Tampa side of the bridge won't come into St.Pete. Hockey, pro football and college football all draw ell with stadiums in Tampa, no reason why baseball can't do well.For now with some fixing up of the stadium, new management and a young exciting team more fans will start coming out.

[baseballchick2802]

chiefpaddy, you're 100% correct...it's nice to see someone who is informed! our beloved "trop" was never meant to be a baseball stadium; the rays were put in st. pete because of mr. namoli, and i think they're still dealing with all the problems he caused when the expansion team was given to him and placed in their current home.

i know that all the discussion on this topic was last december, so nobody had seen the changes yet, but i must say whoa! the trop really has been given a makeover! some changes are small, but definitely nice and noticeable (like the new signs, renovated bathrooms, fresh coats of paint, etc.), but then there's the really nice stuff (the New club...AMAZING! & the ray tank out in center field). if you're only watching the rays on tv, you won't really notice much of a change, since nothing has been done to the interior surface of the dome, but the changes are for the fans IN the stadium.

attendance is up, and even though it might not be anywhere near the figures at yankee stadium, people need to remember that it still is one of the newest clubs in the mlb, and in a second-tier market. moreover, to quiet the remarks about it being a dome, just ask all those marlin fans how many rain delays they've sat through. tampa/st. pete would be worse, what with our daily summer afternoon showers that often stretch into the late evening. baseball season and our rainy season coincide perfectly in the tampa bay area, and while it might not be bank one, i'm pretty sure most of the rays are happy that they've got a roof over their head when it's 2:30 and pouring rain outside.

if you've got a chance, i would encourage everyone to go and catch a game at the trop (less than a month of regular season left!). tickets are reasonable (you can get a regular club level seat for under $30, try that in new york or boston!; there are also really inexpensive lower box and outfield seats too) and readily available. if you're willing to shell out some more, you can experience the new club, which will really show you the "big" renovation project. also, unlimited food and drink are included with that, not to mention superb service!

so, go check it out and GO RAYS!!!
(and steveox, catch your breath in your post and look over the laws of physics!!!)

[jays632]

Lets get back on subject. I really hope that gray background goes away. I believe in the article, it said they were and the color had not been decided. I would like it to be a Tampa Bay sea green. Kind of like the color of the wall in center field.
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/Tropic1.jpg
put a giant banner of the city skyline, it's cheesy enough to be awesome. and while they're at it paint the roof sky blue and maybe throw in some clouds.

[DevilRays1969]

moreover, to quiet the remarks about it being a dome, just ask all those marlin fans how many rain delays they've sat through. tampa/st. pete would be worse, what with our daily summer afternoon showers that often stretch into the late evening. baseball season and our rainy season coincide perfectly in the tampa bay area, and while it might not be bank one, i'm pretty sure most of the rays are happy that they've got a roof over their head when it's 2:30 and pouring rain outside.



Considering the last couple of Rays games I went to, it was pouring rain outside, I second that. About 10 years ago, I had heard a comment on the Marlins attendance problems being linked to the constant threat of rain. You have to live in Florida to appreciate this. Summer is our rainy season and we get these thunderstorms almost on a daily basis where the sun could be shining at your house and it could be pouring rain at the ballpark. Or vice-versa. So the theory is people see black clouds and they decide not to go, even though it may be fine at the ballpark. Never have that problem at The Trop. Granted, I would much prefer a retractable roof but it was built on the cheap in the late '80s in hopes of attracting a relocating franchise (the White Sox and Giants both almost moved here).

I could go on forever about the history of The Trop but I'll save it for later. Anyway, it was much improved this past season but what it could use would be bigger, better scoreboard and jumbotron.

[PJ-34]

It's about time the Tropicana gets a reno, that place suck, I can't stand that place. But its not my most hated field ehem ehem haaaMinnisodachuuuuu.

[JordanDL3891]

put a giant banner of the city skyline, it's cheesy enough to be awesome. and while they're at it paint the roof sky blue and maybe throw in some clouds.

while their at it? this happend last offseason :laugh