A New Yorker’s Journey to Tropicana Field and the Start of a Birthday Tradition
By Sandy
Queens, NY
My first visit to the Trop took place on Friday, August 25, 2023, three days before my 26th birthday. I attended two Rays vs. Yankees games that weekend, marking the start of my Rays birthday trip tradition. As a lifelong New Yorker, the irony was not lost on me that I flew over 1,000 miles to watch the Rays play at home against one of my actual “home” teams.
This trip felt long overdue. I became a Rays fan in 2020 after Game 4 of the World Series and quickly fell in love with the team. I had hoped to start my birthday trip tradition sooner, but the pandemic and living at home with my parents made traveling difficult in 2021 and 2022.
So I was thrilled to finally celebrate my birthday with the Rays in 2023, and it felt extra special to kick off the tradition at the Rays’ own home: Tropicana Field, America’s Ballpark. I’ve grown accustomed to seeing the Rays play when they’re “on the road,” surrounded by the opposing team’s fans, so there was something about stepping into the dome for the first time that made me finally feel at home.
Friday’s game was Devil Rays Day, and I sat in “Randyland,” back when that was still a thing with Randy Arozarena on the team. While sitting in that section, I even got to be on camera! For Saturday’s game, due to a mistake on my itinerary, I arrived a half-inning late and missed Carl Crawford’s Hall of Fame induction pregame ceremony. Even still, Saturday’s game was at least a Rays win; the Rays split the two games I saw against the Yankees.
Heading into the 2024 season, I wasn’t sure if I’d return to the Trop. My biggest priorities, of course, are my birthday trip and visiting a new ballpark every year. But as the season wound down, I was feeling a lot of FOMO, and I found a cheap flight for a mid-September trip.
Some of my best memories come from this last visit, just a week before Hurricane Helene hit Florida. Thanks to fellow Rays fan Zoe Hummel, I sat in the Home Plate Club for two games—the closest I’ve ever been to the action. And even though I had seen the roof lighting the year before, it felt even more mesmerizing this time, especially the Devil Rays colors. I took countless photos, many of which are scattered across the Trop! In the Name of Love website.
I created Trop! In the Name of Love to honor and commemorate the Trop. What I particularly love about the project (other than its name) is the breadth of stories that people—non-local Rays fans like me and Tampa Bay residents alike—share about the Trop. While many stories mention how the Trop feels like “home,” each story is truly unique.
I hope that Trop! In the Name of Love becomes a community where Trop memories can live on and be celebrated for years to come.
About Sandy
Sandy is the founder of Trop! In the Name of Love. She takes pride in being a lifelong New Yorker who never cared for baseball growing up but just happened to get hooked by turning on the TV on October 24, 2020. She is well aware that she is probably the only Rays fan that any of her friends will ever meet. You can find her constantly talking about the Rays on her Instagram account, @sandyandtherays.
A longer version of this piece was originally published by Top Fan Rivalry.