You know it's funny that not so long ago Tampabay would have been a joke to most Sox fans. Last year changed all that.



Actually, for reasons I don't really understand, the Rays have always had some sort of magical power against the Sox... even when they were really, really bad. So it was with only mild interest that I agreed to accompany my daughter to a Rays game. See some new things, maybe read a book, I never expected to be throughly entertained.

It took us about 90 minutes to get to St. Pete from my house. My goodness, what a long ride! Maybe it just seemed that way because this was my first trip there. The most interesting thing along the way was the Howard Franklin bridge that spans the water and connects St. Pete with the Tampa area.

The roadway is built at almost the same level as the water. I bet that's a stimulating ride during an approaching hurricane! In the middle of all this is a mountain of a rise. In flat Florida, it's a pretty amazing sight.



Oh, and Red Sox nation may be everywhere but this was a sign we saw on the side of the road.



After getting off the main drag, we got a little lost but before long spotted Tropicana field. My first close up view.



Paid $15 to park and headed in to the game.

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I wasn't sure how I'd like an indoor stadium but it was pretty nice. They had tried to get funding to build a newer place last year before the economy went down the toilet and failed. They wanted to build an outdoor venue. Who in their right mind would want to sit outside in Florida in the summer?

We wandered around for a little bit and I got my first view of the playing area. Wow, it's huge.



There were lots of food places with very over priced items, some fun things for the kids to do and several stores with sport's gear outside the field. Then we hurried to our seats with lunch and entered the field just as they were singing Oh, Canada!

Our seats were about 10 rows behind the Rays dugout. Fabulous! This is how it looked with no zoom.



I had done some research and found out that Kevin Millar and Gabe Kapler might be playing. Both those guys have a Red Sox history, especially Kevin. I got a few dirty looks as I cheered when he came up to bat for Toronto.



The Rays took an early lead in the first and about the 3rd inning I decided to get up and take a walk around the place. I swear that some deranged Rays fans forced me in to buying a team T-Shirt! Would I, as a loyal member of Red Sox nation ever be caught in another team's logo? It was assault and battery I tell ya! I arrived back at out seat dressed in the Rays colors.

I guess it was around the 7th inning or so that we started hearing noise. This stadium is weird. The roof is opaque. We could see that it wasn't as light out as it was when we arrived. Well the noise continued on for a while and we went out to investigate. It was pouring and the noise was thunder. By the time we got back, the Trop was like an echo chamber. Then there was one exceptionally loud bang and half the lights went out! We could also see flashes of lightning in the stadium. It was very strange.

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It certainly wasn't dark by any means but TPTB decided to delay the game to see if power would be restored. To entertain us, the Rays mascot, Raymond, came out and interacted with the crowd. I pondered the thought... has a game ever been canceled in an indoor stadium?





Then they showed us a cartoon.



Finally after 40 minutes or so they decided the lights weren't coming back on so the game started up again in sort of a twilight.

Here's a few random photos of Rays players. I still don't have their names down.





That is Gabe Kapler who was brought in to pitch run at the end of the game.



The game turned out to be a nail biter but the final result was a Rays win.



They ended up interviewing Carlos Pena right in front of us in the post game show.



Then we headed home with about a million other people. What a traffic jam! Between the game getting out, it being rush hour and the weather, we spent quite a while just trying to get to Tampa.

I wish the team was located closer to us but I'd go again in a heart beat. It was refreshing to find a bunch of professional athletes that seemed approachable. Sort of made a Sox look like a bunch of prima donnas. They were interacting with the fans throughout the game and at one point were even throwing bags of peanuts up into the stands.

Fun times all around. Go Rays! as long as you aren't playing the Red Sox.

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Nice pics...but baseball just doesn't seem the same when played in a dome!

Well I have been to the tropicana stadium and I loved it so much, it was so nice not to be in the hot sun and in the cool air contioned dome. It was so beautiful inside and really nice stores and great food. Btw my son is a huge Boston Red Sox fan alllllllllll the way.. Btw again as always you take amazing beautiful pictures its always a joy to view your photos.... Peace. Catherine

Great pictures! I have been across that bridge. I am blessed to be born into a family of Red Sox fans. Most of us Mainers love our Sox!

On September 1st I'll be back at the Trop wearing my Red Sox jersey when they play the Rays. Our seats for that game are behind the Red Sox dugout and are even closer!

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I have been to The Trop too, my brother lives down there. We got to go on the field for batting practice last year when my beloved Cubs played. They made us cover up our Cubs shirts while we were on the field. You didn't mention if you and your daughter went to check out the rays tank out in the outfield. It's pretty cool. If you didn't, be sure to go see it the next time you go.

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*******If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
But if life gives you limes....make margaritas!!!*******

We had a small outage around the same time here in Winter Haven scared the daylights out of me the storm came up so quickly. We're going to a game after DH and DS get here and we get settled into the new house some childhood friends of ours have season tickets and offered to let us use them for a game since they dont get to go all the time.

As always awesome pictures

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~ Christine ~
Grammie to Trinity Lorayne Jean Keens Born June 9, 2011 Loving my awesome guitar picking 100% Country Boy boyfriend Kenny !
RIP Daddy~ 01/24/1930-06/01/2007 I miss you !
Dont Think you Can .. know you can ~ Jeff Hardy

Wow...awesome seats and great photos. I enjoyed looking at them...even though I'm a die-hard Phillies fan! Looks like you had a great time! ~Lisa

LOL on them making you cover up your shirt. We were sitting in front of a rabid Rays fan. He spotted a family where one of the kids had on a Jeter shirt and was screaming at the father about not raising his kid right and how no Yankee shirts are allowed at a Rays game.



I finally turned around and said well the way you feel it's probably a good thing that I didn't wear my Red Sox jersey but you wouldn't beat up an old lady, would you? And the guy says............... YES!
Baseball fans, ya gotta love em.

We were going to check out the rays but there was quite a line. This was a day game and school's out so there were literally thousands of kids there. I suspect they all wanted to see the critters. Maybe next time.

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Im so proud of Tim Wakefield in the all stars. im a huge Red Sox fan.

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When you don`t know what to do-Walk fast and look worried.