Why is Tropicana Field a Dome?

A local company called the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were planning to build a new stadium to be the home of their franchise. The land had been purchased from the city of St. Petersburg, and the team was looking for a new home in order to attract fans. The Dome had opened a few months earlier and was proving to be an empty stadium. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team in the National Football League and have played their home games at Raymond James Stadium since the stadium was completed in 1999.

The Devil Rays were in bankruptcy proceedings in the late 1990s. They filed their bankruptcy reorganization plan, which required them to have a new major league team in Tampa Bay by the completion of the 2001 season, and the naming rights to Tropicana Products were the first to go. (The plan was eventually withdrawn and the bankruptcy was converted into a Chapter 11 liquidation; on January 29, 2005, the bankruptcy judge declared the team bankrupt, and the team was officially dissolved on June 17, 2005).

Tampa Bay Area

A dome with many problems but it was a great baseball park for a while and it was a fun place to come to. At the start of the 2000’s, a new stadium was being built and the dome was deemed to be a hinderance as the roof was too heavy for the concrete foundation. In 2004, the roof was removed and replaced with the current retractable roof design. The stadium was also one of the first retractable stadiums in MLB. The stadium has many problems like the retractable roof, but still remains one of the best stadiums to view a game.

Why is Tropicana Field’s Roof Tilted and Slanted?

The slanted roof design was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays before the stadium opened because of the protection it offered in case of severe weather. A slanted roof allowed the air to move more quickly and easily, thus avoiding damaging the top structure. Slanted roofs were used in many stadiums that had to be cooled, especially stadiums that were built before air conditioning.

Does the Slanted Roof at Tropicana Field Cause Problems For Major League Baseball Games?

“A ball hit the speaker was ruled a home run and the fan who hit it was given second base.
In Game 5 of the 2007 World Series, the San Francisco Giants led the Angels 7-3 with two outs and two men on in the bottom of the fourth inning. Barry Zito threw a strike to Mike Napoli, who then hit a fly ball toward the right-field seats. The ball cleared the right-field wall, and home-plate umpire Ted Barrett blew his whistle to signal the end of the inning. The ball was caught up in the right-field roof of the stands, but it was not seen clearly by the umpire.

With the change in the Ball/Rings rule, a ball that is hit directly over the infield will still be in play no matter where it lands inside the infield. The exception to this is in the case of a ball hit over the catcher’s head or directly to the backstop. A ball hit over the backstop is now a dead ball. The same exception applies if a ball hits the batter’s box or the batter takes a swing right over the plate.

Do the Catwalks Cause Obstructed Views for Fans?

Fans sitting in Row C in the upper deck, which is generally reserved for the upper level, had an obstructed view due to the catwalk above the lower level. The Rays made a minor change to their seating chart for 2018 to reduce the problem.

The Rays are not the only team to remove the upper deck in a ball park since then. The Astros removed the upper deck of their ballpark in 2014. There are currently plans to remove the upper deck of the Braves’ SunTrust park.
How to: The upper deck is in plain sight. The Rays have a small window in where people can get to the upper deck. The window is located at the same spot just like in the upper deck in Tropicana Field.

Is the Dome Removable at the Venue?

What is the Venue’s Future?

For Now, Fans Should Embrace the Quirkiness of The Trop

Final Thoughts

It is important to find parking near Tropicana Field. It is part of the charm of the stadium, and it’s a big part of the excitement. No matter what you’re watching, you want to get to the game as fast as you can. The stadium is located in the middle of the major interstate in Florida, I-4, and it’s the closest venue to the Magic City. There are many options for parking, and parking near Tropicana Field is easy.

Finally, here is a video of my experience going to The Trop in 2019. It includes an introduction to the mascots, a look at the stadium from the perspective of the upper-deck, and a walkway tour of the stadium from my seats in the right-field corner.