The Rays returned to a freshly dressed Tropicana Field with a World Series deficit to erase, but the week in Tampa Bay carried a broader reminder of how closely the area’s teams operate. Even while the club prepared to host Game 3 against Milwaukee on Monday night, a Rays clubhouse worker helped Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield get back on the field.
A glove job before the Fall Classic came home
- The Rays spent the week preparing Tropicana Field for its first World Series game since 2008, handling tickets, television arrangements and the work of turning the renovated ballpark into the stage for Game 3.
- Amid those preparations, the Buccaneers asked for assistance with Mayfield’s injured right thumb. Rays home clubhouse attendant Tyler Wall modified a receiver’s glove to stabilize the quarterback’s dislocated thumb.
- Mayfield wore the adapted glove Sunday against Carolina and threw a second-quarter touchdown in Tampa Bay’s 43-13 victory. It marked his return after a three-week absence.
- Mayfield credited the people who helped him get ready to play, another small example of the working relationships among the area’s major sports clubs.
- Now the Rays will try to create their own turnaround, entering Monday’s 8 p.m. ET Game 3 on FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX One down two games to none against the Brewers.
Outfielder Jonny DeLuca sees the homecoming as a chance to change the feel of the Series. He said the club can build momentum by coming back to play in front of its own crowd over the next several games.
A region accustomed to big stages
The 2020 World Series was played in Arlington, Texas, leaving Tropicana Field without a Fall Classic game since the Rays’ 2008 appearance. Still, Tampa Bay has spent recent years hosting championship-level events.
- The Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium in 2021.
- The Lightning played multiple Stanley Cup home games in 2021 and 2022, including their Game 5 clincher in the 2021 Final.
- The Rays previously received a helping hand from the Yankees, who made Steinbrenner Field available when hurricane damage destroyed the Tropicana Field roof in 2024.
Shortstop Taylor Walls said the past decade has been remarkable for local sports, with teams consistently finding ways to win and fans backing each club. In his view, that support extends beyond Tampa Bay proper and reaches across Florida; when the Rays return home, players can feel how badly the region wants the same result they do.
Rays CEO Ken Babby said the organization must earn its place in “Champa Bay,” alongside clubs that have already established a championship standard. He also pointed to the Yankees, the University of South Florida and other schools as part of a network that functions like neighbors helping one another.
The Rays want a louder Trop
Walls said Rays players attend Buccaneers and Lightning games whenever their own schedule permits, and the support is mutual. Familiar faces from around the Tampa Bay sports scene are expected in the Tropicana Field crowd Monday.
Manager Kevin Cash said the Rays have received exceptional support throughout the postseason. Milwaukee was loud, he said, but he believes Tropicana Field can match that volume or surpass it as the Series moves to St. Petersburg.
The current ballpark will not be around forever. The Rays are targeting April 2029 for the opening of a $2.3 billion, 31,000-seat domed stadium on the present Hillsborough Community College site in Tampa. Its future may be different, but the immediate job is at the Trop: give the home crowd a reason to stay loud and give Tampa Bay’s boats another championship celebration to carry.
Cash said his players are ready to get back in front of their fans and intend to do everything possible to give them something worth shouting about.
