On Monday, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor (second from left) and St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch (second from right) simultaneously threw out ceremonial first pitches at Tropicana Field, which hasn’t hosted a game since September 2024. All photos by Mark Parker.
When asked who had the better ceremonial first pitch before Monday’s historic home opener at Tropicana Field, both Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch demurred.
“Neither one of us have baseball careers,” Castor said. Welch noted that they “should have practiced a little bit more.”
The rest of the day, however, was a resounding success as the Trop hosted baseball for the first time in 561 days. Over 25,000 fans watched as the Tampa Bay Rays recorded a thrilling 6-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.
The Tampa Bay Rays started the 2026 season with a nine-game road trip to ensure a recently repaired Tropicana Field was ready to host baseball.
A pre-game video montage provided a sobering reminder of the damage inflicted on the stadium and the surrounding community by Hurricane Milton. Repair workers, first responders, and Rays staff participated in the ceremony.
Welch opined that Beth Herendeen, managing director of city development for St. Petersburg, should have received on-field recognition for leading an “extraordinary” effort to repair a domed stadium left open to the elements for nearly 15 months. “She just wants to do the work – that speaks to the kind of person she is,” Welch said.
“It’s a lot to take in, given where we were not even 24 months ago,” Welch said of the buzzing atmosphere. “It’s just amazing, the transformation that has happened here.”
Platinum-selling country music artist Eric Church performed the national anthem. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Hillsborough County commissioners watched the game from the owner’s suite amid the team’s ongoing quest to open a new stadium in Tampa in time for the 2029 season.
Welch said the Rays are Tampa Bay’s team, and St. Petersburg has fulfilled its obligation to provide a major league ballpark through 2028. He and Castor did not discuss the future of baseball in the region. Welch said they “talked about trying to get the ball over the plate, and both of us were not successful.”
The Rays realize his offer to extend the team’s lease remains “on the table,” Welch said. “When the time is right, we’ll talk about that.”
Country music star Eric Church performed the National Anthem.
St. Petersburg spent approximately $60 million on Trop repairs, and the Rays also unveiled several upgrades. Those included improved premium seating and club areas, a new speakeasy lounge, and a state-of-the-art video board with LED displays. Players have an expanded gym and larger lockers.
Seven storm-displaced cownose rays from The Florida Aquarium returned to a renovated “Cownose Clubhouse” viewing area at the Trop. Rays CEO Ken Babby expressed his excitement for the homecoming during the game’s broadcast.
“It’s incredible – what a moment for the community,” Babby said. “We’re back, guys, we’re back. What a day.”
He called the video montage highlighting Milton’s destruction “emotional.” Babby, like many people, wondered if the Trop would ever host baseball again after touring the stadium during negotiations to buy the team.
“The city and so many folks have been just so focused on this moment without taking their eye off the ball,” Babby added. “So much of this building was totally destroyed … but that American flag in center field survived two hurricanes without a scratch or a tear.”
Rays CEO Ken Babby (right) during the National Anthem.
Rays players, who received raucous cheers during pre-game introductions, also appreciated a return home to a packed and enclosed Tropicana Field. The team spent the 2025 season without air conditioning or a roof at the New York Yankees’ minor league ballpark in Tampa.
“It was just great to feel the fans and have them here,” said Jonathan Aranda, whose two-run home run in the bottom of the 7th inning provided the winning margin over the Cubs.
“With everything the stadium went through, obviously, it’s just a great feeling. Just to hear the roar and to have them here and have their support and have their love, it makes things great for us.”
The Rays will play at Tropicana Field through Sunday before embarking on another road trip.
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More Photos
Rays CEO Ken Babby (right) talks with principal owner Patrick Zalupski before the game.
A team staffer and mascot Raymond share an embrace.
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch (right) said he and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor did not discuss the team’s future before the ceremonial first pitch.
The Rays would go on to beat the Cubs 6-4.
From left: Rays co-chair Bill Cosgrove, CEO Ken Babby, Gov. Ron DeSantis, and co-chair Patrick Zalupski walk across the street to Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill after the game. The team bought customers a round of beer. Image: Screengrab, Rays.
