I was sitting in Section 115 of the Trop watching the Tampa Bay Rays play the Chicago Cubs. I sit on the visitors’ side because I enjoy talking to the fans who support the other team. Where are you from? Why do you support the Cubs? Did you play minor leagues? Who is your favorite player?
Baseball is a religion and I enjoy talking to parishioners.
Many of these fans are not from St. Petersburg. The fans I talked to that night were from Chicago, Daytona and Venice. The Chicago fan took his son to all the major league stadiums. This was number 16. The Daytona fan drove here with his wife and rented a hotel room during the three-game series. The Venice fan was returning home after the game. Each loved the fact that they were watching Major League Baseball and that the Cubs had a 2-1 lead going into the ninth inning.
The fans in the audience were raucous. The Rays have a way of entertaining you with loud music between pitches, mascot races and other between-inning fun.
In a way, going to the Trop is like going to church. It doesn’t matter if you are a Democrat, Republican, Protestant, Catholic or Jewish. It seems everyone is there to cheer on their team, have fun, and show their love for baseball.
In the ninth inning, when the Rays unexpectedly and heroically tied the score at 2-2, the fans on the Rays side went crazy. After two more batters reached base, Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe surprised the crowd when he lined the 95 mph fastball into the right field bleachers. The sound of the bat on the ball was enough to let you know that he had hit a home run.
It took him a few seconds to sink in. It seemed like a miracle. The Rays won the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. I spent five minutes smiling, cheering, clapping and smiling and feeling like I had just won the lottery. Where else, maybe at a Rolling Stones concert? Could you scream at the top of your lungs and feel such joy?
At the same time, I was thinking about those who are trying to ignore the deal the Rays are making with St. Petersburg to keep the team here for the rest of our lives. One of these detractors told me seriously: “The Rays contribute nothing financially to our city.”
I wanted to grab him by the neck. Instead, I walked away. This is what I wanted to tell you:
Since the team’s first home game in 1998, millions of visitors from outside the Tampa Bay area have attended a Rays game. At the same time, they have come to admire our beautiful city. They stay in St. Pete hotels and go to our restaurants.
St. Petersburg is also a major league city thanks to the Rays. We are very proud of that designation. I have been a subscriber for years. I love being able to drive 10 minutes from my house and go to the stadium. Where else can you do that? This deal, Mr. Naysayer, is not just about money. It’s about our love for the game and our love for our city. We are a much better city because of this baseball team. Don’t you like baseball? Do not go. But don’t make it so I can’t go and tell me the Rays don’t do anything financially for this city? Because you know what? You couldn’t be more wrong.
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The vote will be held soon at the St. Petersburg City Hall. As a Rays and St. Petersburg fan, I beg you: get this deal now.
Peter Golenbock is the author of 10 New York Times bestsellers, including “The Bronx Zoo” with Sparky Lyle and “Number 1″ with Billy Martin. His current book is “Baseball Heaven.”