With the Yankees readying to face the Rays for the first time this season on Thursday, Aaron Boone was asked if he will miss anything about Tropicana Field since the two teams won’t play there this year.
“The Trop?” the Yankees manager replied.
Boone then paused for a full 10 seconds. The silence — and an accompanying smirk — answered the question better than words possibly could, but he eventually settled on a verbal response.
“Probably just the catwalks,” Boone said, entirely sarcastic.
Never considered one of MLB’s best ballparks, Tropicana Field suffered tremendous damage from Hurricane Milton last October. The storm shredded the domed stadium’s roof to pieces, among other devastation.
Now that the sun is up, here’s a 360-degree view of the damage Hurricane Milton caused to Tropicana Field’s roof and the inside of the ballpark. Absolutely heartbreaking 💔 pic.twitter.com/ZCtPHv6rE9
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) October 10, 2024
What happened to The Trop is undoubtedly tragic. However, the unfortunate situation has not done anything to help the venue’s poor reputation among big leaguers.
“I feel like you’re playing in one of those hotel atriums,” Yankees hitting coach James Rowson said. “It just doesn’t have a baseball feel to it.”
(Editor’s Note: The author of this story is very much a fan of The Trop, as are many other members of the media due to the ballpark’s excellent working conditions.)
Now the Yankees are about to be the road team in their own building for four games, as they leased their recently renovated spring training complex, George M. Steinbrenner Field, to the displaced Rays this season. As the Bombers prepared for the oddity, they had a hard time finding nice things to say about their division rival’s actual home.
“Oh, um… I don’t know,” Anthony Volpe said when asked the same question Boone answered. “I mean, there’s no rain. It’s not hot.”
Aaron Judge also struggled with the inquiry.
“Tropicana?” he said, failing to hold back laughter. “Well, I’m hoping [the Rays] still got all the staff they had there. All the workers there were great.”
Judge was then told the question was about The Trop itself, not the lovely people who have worked there. After some more laughs, he echoed Volpe’s sentiments.
“No rain delays,” Judge said. “I think that was nice, especially playing in Tampa. There were so many times where you’d hear the thunder and lightning and rain outside during the games.”
But then Judge thought for a second, and he remembered that his first big league Opening Day took place at The Trop in 2017.
“So that kind of holds a special place in my heart,” said Judge, who now resides in the area. “I don’t hate it. Tampa’s home, so it’s always fun playing back there.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. shared a similar memory, recalling that he recorded his first hit at The Trop. Volpe also appreciated that The Trop was part of his first two seasons in the majors, a stretch that had him taking mental notes of every new ballpark and experience.
“I don’t mind it,” he insisted.
That said, the Yankees are happy to be playing at GMS the rest of the week, even if their spring home won’t look the same as they left it.
We knew this was happening, but it’s surreal to actually see it. pic.twitter.com/j0ro1dktqs
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) March 26, 2025
While a statue of George Steinbrenner and pinstriped retired numbers still decorate the ballpark’s exterior, the Rays went to work right away at the end of spring training, replacing Yankees signage — among other elements — with their own. Yankee logos remain on the seats at GMS, but it will be hard to find other NY and top hat insignias inside.
“That part will probably be weird, them trying to act like it’s their facility and their home ballpark when that’s where we feel so comfortable,” Volpe said. “I know that their whole staff and our staff helping out really wanted to make them feel like it was their home, and they obviously paid for it.”
“It’s gonna be real awkward,” Rowson added.
First of several photos today with the new #Rays look to Steinbrenner Field: pic.twitter.com/Ng9hxAD5vQ
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) March 26, 2025
As the road team, the Yankees will have to use the visiting clubhouse and dugout.
Volpe said he heard the visiting clubhouse was “horrible” prior to recent renovations, but Judge came away content after a walkthrough of the remodel this spring.
“I wanted to see what it was going to look like and what we were kind of getting into,” he said. “It’s definitely not as nice as what the home side is, but it’s up to standard for what we need.”
Judge said the “weirdest thing” will be setting up shop in the visiting dugout. He said he’ll have to be mindful of not accidentally wandering toward the Rays’ bench.
There’s no shot of that happening when it comes to the areas that house Steinbrenner Field’s various amenities on the home side, including a state-of-the-art batting cage, a fully-equipped weight room, a training room, a cafeteria full of delicious food, whirlpools, and a players’ lounge. The Yankees marveled at those spaces after they opened this spring, but they will not be granted access during the four-game series.
Volpe said that former Yankee and current Ray Ben Rortvedt has shared rave reviews of the accommodations, noting that Tampa Bay players “love it” at GMS, where utilities are more advanced than they were at Tropicana Field.
“If you don’t like those facilities,” Volpe said, “there’s something wrong with you.”
But asked if the Yankees will be jealous that they can’t use those luxurious zones, Volpe suggested things could be worse.
“Nah,” he said. “We’re used to The Trop.”
