Hello friends!
I was honestly debating on skipping today because I haven't been feeling the best, but I've already been down on myself and didn't want to give myself more ammo...
ANYWAY...
Today's topic is a field that seems to be one of the more.... Hated? fields around... Tropicana Field. The Juice Carton...
Located in St Petersburg Florida.
So, The Trop came into being because after Tampa got the Buccaneers and the Rowdies in the 70s, St Petersburg said "Us too!!" and started designs on a stadium to attract MLB to the area. Original designs were to be an open-air stadium with design cues from Kauffman Stadium. There was going to be a circus-tent like covering as well.
This design was rejected due to the weather in Florida in the summer. Humidity and Thunderstorms. With the odd Hurricane knocking on the door.. They decided on a fixed dome design for this reason and started working on it in 1986.
The first team it targeted was the Chicago White Sox, who were in a battle with Illinois government officials to get funding to replace Comiskey Park.
In the early 90s, the Mariners and Giants were both rumoured to be moving to the Dome.
It received its first tenant in 1991, with the Arena Football League's Tampa Storm. In 1993, the Lightning of the NHL used the facility for its home games for three seasons. During this time, the stadium went from being called the Florida Suncoast Dome to The ThunderDome....
In 1996 the Rays came into (future) existence. The Lightning and Storm moved to a new arena, and Tropicana Field underwent retrofitting to complete its intended purpose.
Ebbets field was the inspiration for some of the upgrades.
Of the upgrades, the turf was done a couple times. In 2007 the Ray tank was added where people could touch a ray. (I'm honestly surprised PETA doesn't have their knickers in a knot about this)
Tropicana Field has also served as the "home" stadium for a couple other teams for a series. In 2015 due to rioting in Baltimore, the series that was supposed to be at Camden Yards was moved to Tampa. Baltimore served as the home team.
In 2017 due to flooding in Houston due to a hurricane, a Houston/Texas series was moved to the Trop. Oddly enough, two weeks later, a Rays home series against the Yankees was moved to Citi Field due to another hurricane.
During the pandemic, World Wrestling Entertainment took over Tropicana Field and (re) renamed it The ThunderDome. They used the facility for all tapings and shows until the 2021 baseball season was ready to start, where they moved to another arena.
Of course, this place has had a lot of criticism.. I'm not going to go over too much of it, mainly because we all know the big points.. The catwalks.. The fact it's far away from Tampa and hard to get to.. The fact it looks like a giant warehouse inside..
But there were issues before the place was even built.
Where Tropicana Field sits was site of the Gas Plant district from the late 1800s to 1986. In the 1800s, St Petersburg started a recruitment drive to get people to settle in the area. A large community of African Americans moved to the area looking for work and a place to live and well.. Have a life like everyone else. The Gas Plant district housed 800 people. Business and churches sprung up and the area did well.
In 1979, city council decided they needed to refurbish the area, as it "has seen better days"
The original plan called for new affordable housing and industry in order to revitalize the area. By 1982, no plans had been submitted. A group finally submitted a plan that included the stadium. Council agreed.
The residents of the area felt betrayed by council. They were given relocation and reparation packages with the understanding the area would be refurbished and be made a functioning community again. The result was a fracture in the relationship between the city and the African American community.
The two ThunderDomes...
So.. Speaking of ThunderDomes... Who used this place?????
Tampa Bay Storm (AFL) 1991-1996
Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) 1993-1996
Tampa Bay Rays (MLB) 1998-now
St Petersburg Bowl (NCAA) 2008-2017
WWE ThunderDome (WWE) 2020-2021
There were some common knowledge things I intentionally left out like this being one of the barriers to future MLB expansion and the whole Montreal Bay ExRays....
But what say you? What are your impressions of the place?
Mike, thanks for the post. I look forward to Stadium Saturdays, lots that I don't know about the history of MLB stadiums
ReplyDeleteMy brother was there recently, he did not have a positive opinion.
ReplyDeleteI just know I never like watching Rays games on TV when they're home. I also enjoy how the Upper Deck card took a pic of the stadium from as far away as possible.
I can see why it wouldn't have worked in Florida, but that canvas (or whatever material it would've been) covering over the stadium sure looks neat.
ReplyDelete