September 7, 200322 yr Just came back from tropicana Field and all I can say is WOW! The palace is a place of baseball. Tickets for two in the "upper" deck cost $4 each with AAA discount. Hot dog, cracker jacks, and soda cost $4.50. Scorecard $1. Parking cost $10. Devil rays beat up on Barry Zito and Zambrano pitched complete game with no walks 11-2 Rays. They have a Rays Win Spectacular which includes music, flashing lights, and dancing when the Rays win. then the roof turns Orange. My only gripe is that It could be a little cleaner. The seats in the upper deck which are the worst in the park were roomy and felt better than PPS seats behind home plate. After the game I got to touch the playing surface and I could have ran the bases if I wanted. Anyone could run the bases, adult or kid. It was fun. There were 14,596 there, but since kids weren't counted, there were about 18,000 there. The Rays have some diehard fans. The love to heckle them ump. "Viagra works for Palmeiro's bat, why not for your ability to call the game Blue!" yelled one elderly woman from the upper deck to the home plate ump. He heard her, took off his mask, and stared her down. I loved it. they have a blimp that is remote control and a new driver is found for every game. Today a 7 year old was driving it and he did a great job. It drops tickets and prizes on people. I almost got hit by a foul ball up there, and after the game you can explore the entire park. The have an Outback Steak House in several locations, a Budweiser Brewery, and the Mistubishi DiamondTron scoreboard is the best I have ever seen. Tropicana Field has a no loud usher policy. No beer men, If you want something, call an usher, and they will radio for it. This was the policy in the upper deck where i was. You can only buy 2 servings of beer every three innings unless in the Beach section. I give the Trop an A for total experience. PPS would be about a C- on that scale.
September 7, 200322 yr If Tropicana Field is the best field you have been to Cape..... you havent truly experienced baseball. it may be economical...but thats about it. no baseball game in a dome is truly 'good'
September 7, 200322 yr Author Das, nobody cares about the dome when it is 95 degrees outside and 75 degrees inside. The experience was great. The fans cared and the players performed to their calls.
September 7, 200322 yr Author Das, we won't get a dome. I was just saying I wouldn't get mad if the Marlins did get a Trop like field. It was great. We avoided 2 rain delays and 89 degrees all because we were inside. 72 degrees is nice for a ballgame. The turf isn't noticable. It loks like grass up close. they have an astroturf warning track and the fieldturf field and it is night and day. The lights are bright, in fact they were so bright they turned some off after the ceremonies to open the game.
September 7, 200322 yr i have never seen a game from that place that was entertaining. i know its different in person than on tv... but there has to be some truth in the crappiness you see on tv.
September 7, 200322 yr It's not The Vet, That automatically makes it a good park, although I will miss that hunk of junk.
September 7, 200322 yr Author TV doesn't do it justice. The crappiness is because the TV dims the lights. It is very bright in there, i got blinded by light twice, almost getting hit by foul balls each time.
September 7, 200322 yr Author BTw, there are windows visible from the playing field behind the beach and center field. There is lots of natural light coming in through the roof which is semi transparent and the openings to the walkways around the ballpark. The food courts are located along the 1st, 3rd baselines and center field.
September 7, 200322 yr well if you were nearly blinded by the lights....isnt that one reason to not duplicate a field...lights being in the sightlines of the fans?
September 7, 200322 yr Author well if you were nearly blinded by the lights....isnt that one reason to not duplicate a field...lights being in the sightlines of the fans? I would have gotten blinded by the sun at PPS. Not a valid argument, go to the ballpark, then you can criticize it. Trop > PPS, Love my Marlins, but the rays have the better crib.
September 7, 200322 yr I cant stand seeing tropicana Field in TV. I wouldnt clone that field for the Marlins IMO. I will stick with PPS for now.
September 7, 200322 yr Author There is a difference between TV and in person. PPS is very TV friendly, the Trop isn't. But the fans have a better time at the Trop than they do at PPS.
September 8, 200322 yr people please!!! the best stadium is pac bell park!!! i would clone pac bell park!!!!
September 8, 200322 yr i have been to the trop... its not bad... but the other 8 or 9 i have been to destroy it... even US Cellular
September 8, 200322 yr I would like to get the Bank One Ballpark. It has a roof and it has alot of good feature's. Millwakee's is also good.
September 8, 200322 yr I've been to the Trop plenty of times. It's okay. I had a good time. But sorry Cape, you must have a REALLY low standard to rave about the place that much. I've been to a number of Minor League parks that I would prefer over the Trop. The old "Thunderdome" may have received a couple of major face-lifts since it's original opening date, but it still is near the bottom of the list when it comes to Major League parks. I am not wild about PPS, but I prefer it leaps and bounds over the Trop.
September 8, 200322 yr Neither does the Pro Actually, yes it does, just not for the whole stadium. Besides, you live in Miami. Get used to the damn heat.
September 8, 200322 yr The Blimp sounds awesome and no shouting beermen and the obscene old women wow...i gotta get some Tix.
September 8, 200322 yr Author Here is a postive 8/10 review of the Trop from MSN Citysearch. http://tampabay.citysearch.com/profile/2692552/
September 8, 200322 yr I'll actually be visting my uncle in Brandon,FL(Which is just outside of Tampa,not far from St.Petersburg) in a week or so. I'll be getting a chance to experience the Trop' for myself. He totally despises it due to the feeling he gets of sitting in a warehouse,catwalks interfering with play,and high concession prices(At least,that's his opinion of Tropicaca Field.)I'll be sure to write my review of it once I visit.
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