If the Rays are able to perform in-depth playoff training, they will be allowed to stay at Steinbrenner Field. “Our rule has always been that people play at their home games in World Series games,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times this week. “And I don’t want to change that rule. I know it’s a unique situation. It’s different, but that’s where they’re playing. This is where they’re playing the game.”
This question has been a theoretical topic for some time. Tropicana Field suffered a massive hurricane damage during the offseason, which made it unplayable in the 2025 season. The Rays scheduled to move to Steinbrenner Field this year. The facility is usually home to Tampa Tarpons, a single branch of the Yankees.
The capacity of this field is over 10,000. In the 2024 season, all 3O MLB venues will have a capacity of at least 34,000. This year, both rays and track and field are temporarily playing in minor league parks. As mentioned earlier, the rays must move because the hurricane damages the deer. A’s is building a new stadium in Las Vegas, but there is no agreement to make temporary arrangements in Oakland, so they play at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. That is the location of the Sacramento River Cat, the Triple A branch of the Giant.
For the Rays and A, it is generally believed that games in these venues are acceptable in the regular season, but it is fair to wonder if the league will allow playoff games at any position. For A, it quickly became the year of the year as the club glided in the standings. But the Rays are fighting for most of the season throughout the year.
Last month, track and field sport Ken Rosenthal reported some preliminary conversations about what to do. The playoffs would not be ideal on such a small field. Rosenthal wrote last month: “The league offers about 7,500 tickets for players, referees, visiting teams, sponsors, broadcast partners, media and others. For the former World Series of games, the numbers are smaller, but still worth noting. As players earn a large amount of money in playoff games, lower abilities will be the focus of the Players Association and the league. Beyond that, the aesthetics of broadcasting and the direct logistics surrounding the smaller facilities and setting them up correctly to cover the game will be a concern.
But forcing a team to evacuate its home in the playoffs could be seen as a competitive disadvantage, and it seems the league chooses to keep the Rays. This may be a controversial point because they cannot guarantee a playoff game. They are currently half the game for the Mariners in the last wildcard seat in the American League. They need to get a position with the top wildcard or win the East section to play any home game in the first round. In the current playoff format, the top two winners are bye in the first round. The champions in the third division and the top wildcard team each held their first rounds, winning the third best match, with two smaller wild card clubs throughout the series.
Last month’s report showed that the league was happy with the Rays hosting earlier rounds, but focused more on the ALCS and the World Series. Now it seems that if this becomes a reality, the league is willing to keep the rays in their makeshift houses and figure out how to make it work. Manfred told Topkin that they would have a conversation about finding ways to increase their abilities. “We will try our best to make the facilities good and provide us with as many fans as possible,” Manfred said.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times provides more information about the rays and their upcoming sale. This week’s owner Stuart Sternberg reportedly reached a deal in principle to sell to Patrick Zalupski’s group for $1.7 billion. While this may be official in September, Topkin noted that the transfer of power will not occur until the offseason. If the Ray manages to win the 2025 World Series, Sternberg will be awarded the Commissioner’s trophy.
Image courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Image
