Fastball

Update: Roof of Tampa Bay Rays Ballpark Completely Taken Off in Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton made landfall on the west coast of Florida earlier than expected on Wednesday, with Tropicana Field taking a serious beating.

Brady Farkas

The Tampa Bay Rays logo on a batting helmet prior to the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field in 2022.
The Tampa Bay Rays logo on a batting helmet prior to the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field in 2022. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
In this story:

Update, 7:50 a.m. (Thursday): The roof is completely gone, as evidenced by the video below. Tropicana Field had been being used as a staging area for emergency personnel.

Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, is taking a serious beating in the early stages of Hurricane Milton.

The storm, which has been projected to be incredibly devastating, made landfall earlier than expected on Wednesday night, with the roof of Tropicana Field becoming extremely compromised. Tropicana Field is located in St. Petersburg.

Before the storm made landfall, President Joe Biden had said that this is "looking like the storm of the century." His comments were put out by FOX News,

Several people on social media have posted photos and videos including Tampa Bay Buccaneers broadcaster Dave Moore.

The view from our window as we ride out the storm. The roof of Tropicana Field is destroyed by the winds of #HurricaneMilton . Praying for Tampa Bay and all areas affected. Stay safe, everyone

You can see more photos and videos below:

Tropicana Field has served as the home of the Rays since the franchise began play in 1998. It's been a constant source of frustration for the organization because of its cavernous nature and inability to draw fans. The Rays have been looking to get a new ballpark for years and have finally gotten approval for one. They are scheduled to begin play at a new facility in 2028.

Tropicana Field actually opened up in 1990 and was used by other sports before becoming the home of the Rays.

Per the team website:

Though originally built for baseball, there have been 14 other sports and competitive events held there. These include hockey, basketball, football, sprint car racing, gymnastics, soccer, tennis, weight lifting, table tennis, karate, motorcycle racing, equestrian events, track and figure skating.

In addition to the 2008 World Series, the facility was also home to the 1999 NCAA Basketball Final Four featuring Duke, Ohio State, Michigan State and eventual-champion Connecticut.

We will have more updates on this story throughout the day on Thursday.

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

Published |Modified
Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

Home/News