Sunday, April 06

TAMPA -- The Rays are going to get to know George M. Steinbrenner Field quite well over the next month.

Of the Rays’ first 22 games this season, 19 will be at their temporary home ballpark, with the lone exception being this weekend’s trip to face the Rangers in Arlington. They’ll be the fifth Major League team since 1901 to begin a season with at least 19 of their first 22 games at home and the first since the 1970 Washington Senators started with 20 of 22 at RFK Stadium.

One thing they discovered immediately? All the hard work by Tampa Bay’s staff has made it feel like home.

“To get this place turned over in four days was remarkable,” manager Kevin Cash said. “It certainly felt like Opening Day, we walked out into a Rays stadium.”

After four games and a lot of talk, here are a few more things we’ve learned about Steinbrenner Field as a Major League ballpark.

The dimensions at Steinbrenner Field are identical to Yankee Stadium, which famously tends to benefit left-handed power hitters. The Rays figured that would be the case here, too.

“All spring, everyone told me about how the ball flies,” starter Drew Rasmussen said. “And I am yet to see it.”

Indeed, the Rays, Rockies and Pirates combined for only three home runs in the first four games. The wind made the park play much smaller, especially the first two days, and affected nearly every ball hit in the air. Everyone in both dugouts seemed to think Jonathan Aranda went deep on Friday, for instance -- Brandon Lowe thought it was bound for Dale Mabry Highway -- and it turned out to be a sacrifice fly.

“I'm kind of glad we're getting this out of the way before the heat comes in and this place becomes a bang box,” Rockies Opening Day starter Kyle Freeland said.

Left fielder Christopher Morel said he checks the flags beyond the center-field fence “every pitch” to see how they’re blowing. The impact is no different than any other outdoor ballpark, really, aside from the lack of an upper deck or surrounding structures to cut down the wind. It will give, and it will take away.

“We’re going to complain about it now, but there’s going to be a day that somebody hits an 87 mph homer and we’re going to be very excited,” Lowe said. “I will trust in the baseball gods that those 108 [mph exit velocities] that are flyouts now will get repaid.”

There will be talk about the LED lights making things challenging during night games, although neither team reported any issues Monday, and the sun will have the same effect during day games.

Jonny DeLuca acknowledged the sun felt like it was “right above” him in center field whenever there wasn’t cloud cover the first two days, making it all the more important for the outfielders to be in constant communication.

Tropicana Field had plenty of room to roam (and both bullpens) in foul territory. Steinbrenner Field is the exact opposite, with Cash saying it “feels very much like Fenway Park down the lines” and calling it “maybe the biggest change of anything.” That should also make it a more favorable offensive environment.

As Rays chief business officer Bill Walsh said, “The 10,000 seats at Steinbrenner Field are as good as the best 10,000 seats at any other Major League park in the country.”

In other words: Everyone’s close to the action, and you can feel it. Capacity is officially listed at 10,046, but the atmosphere has been excellent for all four games.

“That was probably the first thing I noticed was it seems like they're right there,” starter Shane Baz said. “And the fans have been great so far.”

And we’ve got much more to learn.

When the Rays return from Texas, they’ll find the infield dirt -- the standard Spring Training clay that’s been somewhat of an issue in the early going -- has been replaced by a surface like the one they played on at Tropicana Field. That was always the plan, but Dan Moeller and his staff simply didn’t have time before Opening Day with all the other work going on.

And the biggest changes will take place as the weather gets warmer and wetter. Outdoor batting practice will be harder to come by once afternoon rainstorms become part of the daily routine. As for the heat? Take it from Pirates manager Derek Shelton, who was the Tampa Yankees’ hitting coach in 1999.

“In the summer, the ball’s going to fly. Like, fly,” Shelton said. “It’s going to turn into an airport in the summertime.”

• After a long journey to the Majors, Jake Mangum lived out his dream in Monday's win. Read more >>
  
  
• After being stymied by the Rockies’ stellar defense on Saturday, the Rays made things happen offensively to win their first series. Read more >>
  
  
• The years in Triple-A, the long Uber ride to Durham, the years of working and dreaming -- getting called up made it all worth it for Mangum. Read more >>
  
  
• Whatever else happens this season, the Rays had an Opening Day to remember thanks to Kameron Misner’s walk-off homer. Read more >>

As a reminder, the Rays will release a limited number of $20 standing-room-only tickets for every home game this season. Those “Rays Rush” tickets will be released prior to each home series, and the only way to be notified is by signing up for Rays text messages. To do so, text RAYS to 42086. Click here to learn more.

Don’t be surprised if you see more Rays swinging the “Torpedo” bats that are taking baseball by storm after the Yankees’ season-opening home run binge. Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz and DeLuca tested them out on Sunday, and more are on the way.

When the bat manufacturer B45 Baseball came through Spring Training, the Rays ordered four Torpedo-style bats just to test out and experiment with. Prompted by the increased interest resulting from the Yanks’ success, the Rays' clubhouse staff put them out in the dugout. Caminero gave it a shot and said he intends to use that type of bat “sometimes” the rest of the season.

“I hope they work,” Cash said. “If we hit homers with them, then I’ll start encouraging it a lot.”

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