ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Two years after Hurricane Milton peeled the fabric roof off Tropicana Field, the Rays are playing World Series games under that same dome again, and Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers is set for Tuesday night in St. Petersburg.
It is the first time the Fall Classic has come to the ballpark in 18 years. The Rays have won just one World Series game at home, Game 2 against Philadelphia in 2008; the 2020 Series was played at a neutral site in Arlington, Texas.
The comeback started with a repair bill. The city owns the stadium and was bound by contract to fix it, and the St. Petersburg City Council approved close to $60 million for the work. Team leaders at one point doubted the job could be finished for that money or in time for this season.
While the dome sat open to the weather, the Rays spent a year at the Yankees spring training complex nearby. Baseball came back to the Trop on April 6, and city officials say the project wrapped on schedule and under budget.
Ownership changed along the way. Former owner Stu Sternberg walked away from plans to build a new stadium at the Trop property, then sold the club for $1.7 billion. Jacksonville developer Patrick Zalupski heads the buying group, with Ken Babby as CEO. The new owners plan a permanent stadium in Tampa that is expected to open in 2029.
Fans have made the most of the old building this fall. Tampa Bay went 4-1 at home earlier in the postseason, opened the upper deck and drew an average of 37,697 a game. Mayor Ken Welch, who has led the city since January 2022, has called the ballpark a symbol of resilience for a community that rebuilt after back-to-back storms.
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