ST. PETERSBURG -- About an hour before the Rays officially opened the gates of Tropicana Field for the first time in 561 days, CEO Ken Babby was marveling at what it took to get Tampa Bay’s home dome ready for Monday afternoon.
Parts of the ballpark smelled like wet paint. Even after noon, there was still drywall being installed. Staff were still scurrying around, making sure everything was in place. The mad dash to the finish line was made possible with “not a lot of sleep” and “a lot of energy,” Babby said.\n\nBut the gates opened on time at 2:10 p.m. Two hours later,
“This is a great American comeback story. When I walked into this building for the first time, I myself wondered if baseball would ever be played here again,” Babby said. “For our staff, for the city, for the community and for our fans, this is a true homecoming. It's a real incredible moment for baseball.”\n\nIf nothing else, it was an incredible day for the Rays on virtually every front. One the club’s new ownership group — represented by Babby, managing partner Patrick Zalupski and co-chair Bill Cosgrove, accompanied by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Rays brand engagement executive Brett Phillips — capped by buying a postgame round for everyone at Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill.
\n\n\nPostgame celly! #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/rNnGsbDGKU
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 7, 2026
McClanahan was hard on himself for walking four batters over four one-hit innings in his first home outing in 989 days, calling his inconsistent strike-throwing “kind of soft” and vowing to “clean it up.” But four relievers combined to allow only two runs on three hits, the defense was mistake-free, and the lineup continued to deliver big hits.
“It’s an important day in baseball. It’s certainly an important day for Rays baseball -- and unique,” manager Kevin Cash said. “Teams don’t go through maybe what we’ve gone through the last year and a half.\n\n“When you’ve got the fans in the building, you want to put on a good show. And I felt like we did.”\n\nThat was true even before the Rays started launching balls into the seats, too.\n\nThe team sought to celebrate its homecoming during a ceremony hosted by radio broadcaster Andy Freed, who overcame a brief glitch with his microphone and continued, appropriately, “After everything, we’re all here again.”\n\nThe fans made their presence felt during the pregame introductions, with particularly raucous cheers for the top-of-the-lineup stars --
As the national anthem was performed by country music star Eric Church, the Rays recognized several members of that community. In center field, a giant American flag was unfurled by dozens of roof workers, first responders and Rays staff who played a part in making Monday’s game a reality.\n\n“Because of these people,” Freed said, “we are home.”
For the most part, the Trop looks the same. But not *exactly* the same.\n\nThe ballpark feels brighter under the new roof. The Rays’ retired numbers have moved to the upper-deck seats in the left-field corner, with room for
“It feels like home,” starter