Farewell, Tropicana Field: Memories from the ‘Mayor’ of the Trop
By Justin Pegg
Tampa, FL
As I walked out of my last Rays game of the season in 2024, I looked back at the Trop and was teary-eyed. I had a feeling that somehow, the journey there was over.
Tropicana Field was the place I would go to get away from work, personal struggles, or just when I needed to see some baseball. It was always 75 degrees and kept me out of the rain/heat. Sure it had its issues: bats in the third level, occasional power outages, etc. But those were its charm. The people who work there always gave me a smile and became extended family members in some cases. They coined me the "Mayor" of the Trop, which I wore as a badge of honor.
My son learned to walk there and has grown up to be a LARGE Rays fan. He was even coined a “Tropicana Hooligan” by security for the way he cheered on our team. It will always bring me fond memories and times I will always cherish. As hard as it was to write this, it's harder to know we might not get our final farewell. To the Rays fans I bumped into while there, remember we will always have our times together. Hopefully, "Here to Stay" is a reality, and we will look back on this as a loving goodbye and onto new adventures together!
About Justin Pegg
Avid Rays dad of a Rays family. One of the "Mayors" of Tropicana field.