By The Daily Caller (Opinion) | Created at 2024-11-18 20:22:04 | Updated at 2024-11-18 22:33:22
2 hours ago
November 18, 2024 3:08 PM ET
Hurricane Milton … a true legacy storm.
When it came to Category 3 Hurricane Milton and his Oct. 9 landfall into Florida’s Gulf Coast, by far the most symbolic image of the system was the roof being blown off Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, the home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays.
But the true damage done to Tropicana Field is deeper than any of us realized, as it wasn’t just the roof, it was nearly the entire stadium that got destroyed. The Rays franchise recently released the first pictures of the Trop, post-Milton, and the scenes are truly apocalyptic. (RELATED: Astros End Stadium’s Legendary Run As ‘Minute Maid Park,’ And It’s More Evidence That Money Taints Everything)
Now it makes even more sense why it’s going to take so long to make repairs and why the Rays won’t be able to play at Tropicana Field for the entire 2025 campaign. Hell, we’re now even realizing that the team may never be able to play at the Trop ever again.
It was recently announced by the Rays that next season will be played at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Steinbrenner Field is the spring training home of their AL East division rival New York Yankees. Tropicana Field will cost around $56 million to repair (even then, that might not be enough) and won’t be able to open until the beginning of the 2026 campaign.
It being their decision ultimately, it’s still unknown whether or not St. Petersburg City Council will give the green light to make repairs.
The #Rays released photos of the damage inside Tropicana Field in the days following Hurricane Milton, and it’s catastrophic. pic.twitter.com/wmfccwjT1i
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) November 18, 2024
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) November 18, 2024
Hurricane Milton … one of the wildest storms I’ve ever covered as an amateur meteorologist.
