TAMPA, Fla.- The Rays temporary home at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa has been transformed into what manager Kevin Cash hopes will be a home field advantage for Tampa Bay.
“I’m excited (for fans) just to see the vibe,” Cash said. “It’s a smaller venue, but if we can pack our fans in here, we can create a little bit of a homefield atmosphere. I know this first month, there’s gonna be a lot of weather questions coming once the summer heat comes in, but this first month we’re going to be playing in some really nice weather and hopefully they come out to the ballpark.”
The Rays tested out the field Wednesday and checked out their new digs for the first time. The home team clubhouse was a big hit.
“I don’t know of a clubhouse nicer than this,” Cash said. “I know there’s some throughout the league on the home side that I haven’t seen. This is a really nice clubhouse. We’re going to stay appreciative of New York, but we’re going to enjoy it and do everything we can to make it home for us for the next 6, 7 months.”
The Rays open up against the Colorado Rockies at home on Friday. Hundreds of workers began revamping the complex as soon as the Yankees’ spring training season ended to get it ready for Opening Day. Players and coaches seem excited about playing home games outdoors, at least for the first two months. Once the rainy season starts, Cash knows there will be rain and lightning delays, but he says it’s a minor inconvenience.
“No excuses,” Cash said.
Cash said he was in the Port Charlotte clubhouse more this spring than ever just to check out the mental state of his team. He said he feels good about where they are heading into the season. It looked bleak when Hurricane Milton blew the roof off the Trop, and there was a lot of uncertainty. Now, the Rays are in a good place.
“You know the Yankees do things right, and we were fortunate they just remodeled everything. It’s beautiful. We’re seeing it for the first time. I’ve never been in a clubhouse that has pools, TV’s at eye level, it’s pretty remarkable.”
Knowing weather may be a problem, the Rays have launched a webpage for fans to monitor weather conditions before and during their trip to Steinbrenner. Fans can check out Raysbaseball.com/Weatheer starting on Opening Day to stay up-to-date.
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