Tampa Bay Rays and Steinbrenner Field

[Mr. Marlin]

Just curious. Did you guys make a model of Steinbrenner Field for the Rays home games in the 2025 season?

[gamefan1978]

I think because this is a PC game the Rays will be playing at the Trop. Maybe im wrong.

[Mr. Marlin]

We'll find out in two weeks.

[Matt Arnold]

They will still be at the Trop as it's still considered their permanent home. We do have a model of Sutter Health park for the Athletics.

[mgom27]

Some has created Rays new temporary Stadium.

[Ross333]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

They will still be at the Trop as it's still considered their permanent home. We do have a model of Sutter Health park for the Athletics.

Thanks for this!
What are the ballpark factors like at Sutter?

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

They will still be at the Trop as it's still considered their permanent home. We do have a model of Sutter Health park for the Athletics.

Here on the ground in St Pete, I'd say get your 3D models of Stade Olympique ready.

[Matt Arnold]

Originally Posted by Ross333

Thanks for this!
What are the ballpark factors like at Sutter?

In the minors it's been a pitcher's park, 0.8 or 0.9 around the board I think?

Originally Posted by Brad K

Here on the ground in St Pete, I'd say get your 3D models of Stade Olympique ready.

Let's go Expos!

[textilemonster]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

In the minors it's been a pitcher's park, 0.8 or 0.9 around the board I think?



Let's go Expos!

Well, if the Rays don't have anything close to a Major League stadium available to them in Tampa Bay, and Olympic Stadium is acceptable for temporary use... ONE season playing home games in Montreal could be a treat for Montreal, couldn't it? Be a way to gage interest in an expansion team. Or maybe let the Rays do that share Montreal and Tampa Bay as dual home, with it being clear it's for ONE SEASON due to extenuating circumstances.
Could be fun. Or it could be a headache, I don't run an MLB team in real life. :P

[LansdowneSt]

Originally Posted by textilemonster

Well, if the Rays don't have anything close to a Major League stadium available to them in Tampa Bay, and Olympic Stadium is acceptable for temporary use... ONE season playing home games in Montreal could be a treat for Montreal, couldn't it? Be a way to gage interest in an expansion team. Or maybe let the Rays do that share Montreal and Tampa Bay as dual home, with it being clear it's for ONE SEASON due to extenuating circumstances.
Could be fun. Or it could be a headache, I don't run an MLB team in real life. :P

Oh, make no mistake - this possibility was run down by reporters a few months ago. From Sports Illustrated:

"Another option suggested by many was Olympic Park in Montreal. The host stadium of the 1976 Olympics was also the home field of the Montreal Expos from 1977 until 2004, when they moved to Washington and became the Nationals. The Rays previously explored splitting their home games between Tampa and Montreal, until MLB rejected the idea back in 2022. Perhaps the league would have reconsidered the concept for 2025, considering Tropicana Field's demolished roof, but the timing still isn't on the team's side. Olympic Park is about to undergo $870 million renovations to repair its own roof, leaving the playing field virtually unusable until 2028."

[textilemonster]

Originally Posted by LansdowneSt

Oh, make no mistake - this possibility was run down by reporters a few months ago. From Sports Illustrated:

"Another option suggested by many was Olympic Park in Montreal. The host stadium of the 1976 Olympics was also the home field of the Montreal Expos from 1977 until 2004, when they moved to Washington and became the Nationals. The Rays previously explored splitting their home games between Tampa and Montreal, until MLB rejected the idea back in 2022. Perhaps the league would have reconsidered the concept for 2025, considering Tropicana Field's demolished roof, but the timing still isn't on the team's side. Olympic Park is about to undergo $870 million renovations to repair its own roof, leaving the playing field virtually unusable until 2028."

Oof, bad timing.

[Ross333]

[QUOTE=Matt Arnold;5167843]In the minors it's been a pitcher's park, 0.8 or 0.9 around the board I think?

Please take another look. ESPN article today discussing possibility of Rooker hitting 50 HR this season because Sutter is a “hitter’s park”

[Matt Arnold]

The Coliseum has always been very pitcher-friendly, so it's possible Sutter might play as more hitter-friendly than that. Nobody knows how it will play, so I'm sure if it ends up different we'll revisit once some of that data is in. Anyone is certainly free to change it in their own games to what they feel it might play as.

[Mr. Marlin]

I'm curious how the Rays attendance will look. Their biggest problem is they are on the wrong side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Playing in a 13k open air stadium on the right side of the bridge they may out draw the Trop in total season attendance. That would be interesting to say the least. Especially since the stadium situation is far from settled.

[textilemonster]

Originally Posted by Mr. Marlin

I'm curious how the Rays attendance will look. Their biggest problem is they are on the wrong side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Playing in a 13k open air stadium on the right side of the bridge they may out draw the Trop in total season attendance. That would be interesting to say the least. Especially since the stadium situation is far from settled.

That would be really interesting if THIS--a blown-off roof resulting in having to play in another franchise's spring training stadium for a season--had long-term, stadium-location results.

[Ross333]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

The Coliseum has always been very pitcher-friendly, so it's possible Sutter might play as more hitter-friendly than that. Nobody knows how it will play, so I'm sure if it ends up different we'll revisit once some of that data is in. Anyone is certainly free to change it in their own games to what they feel it might play as.

Thanks Matt. There should be ample data available for good ballpark impact evaluation. It has hosted AAA baseball for 24 seasons (it was called Raley Field before recent renaming to Sutter Health).

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by Mr. Marlin

I'm curious how the Rays attendance will look. Their biggest problem is they are on the wrong side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Playing in a 13k open air stadium on the right side of the bridge they may out draw the Trop in total season attendance. That would be interesting to say the least. Especially since the stadium situation is far from settled.

There are a few things incorrect with your analysis. The Skyway goes from St Pete to Bradenton. So whether the Rays play in St Pete or Tampa they are on the same side of the bridge, the north side.

They're not going to outdraw in Tampa what they did at Tropicana. They average 17k attendance at Tropicana. The capacity at Steinbrenner is 11k.

[Mr. Marlin]

Originally Posted by Brad K

There are a few things incorrect with your analysis. The Skyway goes from St Pete to Bradenton. So whether the Rays play in St Pete or Tampa they are on the same side of the bridge, the north side.

They're not going to outdraw in Tampa what they did at Tropicana. They average 17k attendance at Tropicana. The capacity at Steinbrenner is 11k.

Even in the smaller park they will be much closer to the center of the market population. Don't be surprised if the attendance surprises.

[ojoe]

[QUOTE=Ross333;5170081]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

In the minors it's been a pitcher's park, 0.8 or 0.9 around the board I think?

Please take another look. ESPN article today discussing possibility of Rooker hitting 50 HR this season because Sutter is a “hitter’s park”

That ESPN article didn't post anything to indicate that Sacramento really is hitter-friendly - the writer is probably going by the general perception that the PCL is a hitter-friendly league. That's probably true, but there are exceptions - Sacramento is one.

This is old, but: https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-66858162

Scroll down to the PCL and Raley Field (as it was then called) is towards the bottom in terms of being a hitter's park. .758 runs (better than only the park in New Orleans), .715 home runs (worst in the league - and the next lowest was .796 in OKC), .835 hits (worst, though Tacoma wasn't far behind).

Yes, the article is from 2014, but the park is still in the same place. The Sacramento River is still there and should still produce a stiff Delta breeze most nights. Anybody coming to a night game in August expecting it to be hot all the way through should probably still bring a jacket. It might be hot all night, but it can also go from 105 to sweater weather a lot quicker than you'd expect, especially when you're right on the river.

It may still play as a better hitter's park than Oakland - I don't know, but if the numbers above are just in relation to other PCL ballparks...well, there are a lot of very hitter-friendly parks in that league. Also, Sacramento doesn't have 5,000 acres of foul ground in all directions like Oakland did. But I wouldn't expect a dramatic change. I wouldn't expect a Coors-like atmosphere.

[Ross333]

[QUOTE=ojoe;5170715]

Originally Posted by Ross333

That ESPN article didn't post anything to indicate that Sacramento really is hitter-friendly - the writer is probably going by the general perception that the PCL is a hitter-friendly league. That's probably true, but there are exceptions - Sacramento is one.

This is old, but: https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-66858162

Scroll down to the PCL and Raley Field (as it was then called) is towards the bottom in terms of being a hitter's park. .758 runs (better than only the park in New Orleans), .715 home runs (worst in the league - and the next lowest was .796 in OKC), .835 hits (worst, though Tacoma wasn't far behind).

Yes, the article is from 2014, but the park is still in the same place. The Sacramento River is still there and should still produce a stiff Delta breeze most nights. Anybody coming to a night game in August expecting it to be hot all the way through should probably still bring a jacket. It might be hot all night, but it can also go from 105 to sweater weather a lot quicker than you'd expect, especially when you're right on the river.

It may still play as a better hitter's park than Oakland - I don't know, but if the numbers above are just in relation to other PCL ballparks...well, there are a lot of very hitter-friendly parks in that league. Also, Sacramento doesn't have 5,000 acres of foul ground in all directions like Oakland did. But I wouldn't expect a dramatic change. I wouldn't expect a Coors-like atmosphere.

Thanks for the data. Good points. I am interested in seeing post 2014 #s.

One thing you are wrong about: “The Sacramento River is still there and should still produce a stiff Delta breeze most nights. Anybody coming to a night game in August expecting it to be hot all the way through should probably still bring a jacket. It might be hot all night, but it can also go from 105 to sweater weather a lot quicker than you'd expect, especially when you're right on the river.” I’ve been 500+ games at this park. During the summer it will maybe go down from 105 to 85 by 10 p.m. - definitely not sweater weather.