TROPICANA FIELD

Tropicana Field is one of two remaining non-retractable domes in major league baseball, the other being the Metrodome in Minneapolis. It is located next to downtown St. Petersburg, one of the two main cities in the Tampa Bay area. 

The first thing to note is that the parking inside stadium lots is too expensive - at $10, you should avoid it at all costs. There is some free parking on Central Avenue, just west of 18th Street, and this is definitely where you should park the car - it is about a 10 minute walk to the field from here.

From the outside, the dome slopes down in one direction. This saves considerably on air-conditioning bills, and also lends a unique look to the stadium. Most domes are sterile and ugly, but the Trop manages to be relatively interesting on the outside.

The main entrance is known as the rotunda and is located inside Gate 1, which turns out to be behind center field. As you approach this gate, you will notice a large statue of a Devil Ray player catching a fly ball. The rotunda has a glass roof and was apparently modeled on the rotunda at Ebbets Field - having never been there myself, I can't confirm this, but the rotunda is where you want to enter the ballpark - it has just enough to keep you occupied. Guest services, the main team store, and escalators to Jack Daniels' Billiard Hall as well as the Batters Eye restaurant are all just inside the rotunda. 

As you walk around to Gate 1, notice the bronze home plate plaques on the ground - these are part of the Baseball Boulevard that traces the history of baseball in Tampa Bay. These plaques can be followed out to Central Avenue, all the way down to Al Lang Field.

The inside of the Trop is just a dome with a roof, but thankfully this building was built for baseball, back in 1990. Although the team is somewhat dismal, the Devil Ray organization has added a number of interesting features to take your attention away from their performance. 

Above the left field fence is the Beach, a bleacher section that is separated from the rest of the seating. There are four sundeck chairs in a sandbox, as well as a small whirlpool which can be rented out. Another party area is the Bullpen Cafe, down the right field line. Although usually reserved for parties, this area is open to the public if their is not a reservation. If you want to sit in here, it will cost you $20/hour, but you will receive $20 worth of Devil Ray Dollars in return, which you can then use towards food or merchandise at the team store. The seats are at field level, and you can heckle the TB bullpen, so check if it is open when you attend a game here. 

View from the spa at the Beach

Above center field is the Batter's Eye Restaurant - for $23.95 you can enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet while watching the game. However, the windows are quite dark, as it is actually the batter's eye, so I thought that it would be difficult to enjoy the action over 400 feet away.

Look up to the roof and notice the 4 catwalks that go around the roof. These occasionally come into play, as batted balls will strike them. If a batted ball strikes a catwalk in fair territory and lands in fair territory, it is fair, but if it strikes it in foul territory, it is a dead ball.

Seating is a bit expensive given the team's record, with the lower box seats costing $30, and lower reserved down the lines going for $23. Terrace seats are on the same level as the lower seats, but above the walkway, and they cost $23 and $14 respectively. Outfield seats are $14 and these are pretty good as they are close to the field. Upper deck seats are $19 for the first two or three rows, $10 for the next 8 rows or so, and $8 for general admission, which allows you to sit anywhere in row M or above. The Beach seats are $10, but often there are specials associated with them, so phone ahead. Finally, there are the airline seats in both outfield corners - at $4 the cheapest seat, and certainly the worst. Who would want to spend 3 hours in an airline seat? Our advice - buy the cheapies and one the game starts, wander around - plenty of empty seats and the ushers are pretty easy-going.

Food is OK, there are two main areas, one is on the concourse behind third base, the other just inside the rotunda. For post-game drinks, try the Budweiser Brew House, again just to the right as you enter via the rotunda. Avoid the chicken fingers if you can - the worst I have ever had.

A couple of other notes - the outside of the Trop turns orange when TB wins the game, so that people driving by can enjoy the good news. And the scoreboard, although average, does update the pitcher's E.R.A. on the fly - it is cool to watch Tampa Bay relievers as their E.R.A. skyrockets after another blown save.