Rays fans arrive early

ST. PETERSBURG -- By 4 p.m., a steady stream of cars were rolling into the parking lot at Tropicana Field in anticipation of the Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox game. The game starts at 7:10 p.m.

"It's crazy," said Mike Seely, a parking lot attendant at Ferg's Sports Bar, who is tasked with keeping people out of the bar's parking lot.

Jeff Corns and Stephanie Latulip copped a squat on folding chairs under a shady tree in the Trop parking lot. Corns, 21 and his 17-year-old friend Stephanie drove 40 miles from Brandon for the game. They left extra early to avoid the traffic and crowds.

"We heard on the radio it was almost sold out," said Corns, a bar back at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. "I thought we'd beat the rush."

Thad and Rita Frost were in town on vacation from Delaware with their sons, Tim 10 and Ryan, 7. They arrived at the game with a cooler of sandwiches and sodas around 2 p.m.

To pass the time, they ate, played football and shopped. They even witnessed a fan conversion.

"He's gone from being a Boston fan to a Rays fan," Thad Frost said about his youngest.

Sporting a Rays shirt and Red Sox hat, Ryan chimed in simply: "I like the Rays better now."

-- Nicole Hutcheson, Times staff writer

[Tony Marshall of Oldsmar puts a package of brats on the grill in the parking lot outside Tropicana Field. Jim Borchuck | Times]

Comments

[chris]

Free appetizer to all Rays fans who bring in a ticket stub from a game or mention our new site.
Tropicanafield.com

[Rick K]

Cracks me up that this little blurb above destroys two of the LIES of the ANTI's..... First, Hillsborough residents WILL and DO come to Rays games....

Which of course the Rays already know, because they collect zip codes....

AND, here is an entire family on VACATION... tourists... who come to a Rays game....

So let's see....

Turns out.... The Rays DO draw people from other counties to their games... and they also attract tourists....

Hmmmm.

[Meg]

The Trop gives us a home ballpark advantage more often than it takes away. So a Sox ball hit a catwalk? We still won the game and it's the end result that matters. I like sitting up high, right in front of the A/C, can't imagine games without it. I'll support a new ballpark, but only if it has air, give it a retractable roof if you want, but don't leave off the air!

[Sharpie]

>>>Would it have sold out if you had to sit in the stifling heat & humidity,<<<

how is it cardinals fans pack busch stadium decade after decade when it's hotter there than in florida in the summer?

how is it that it could be 120 degrees outside in the middle of the afternoon and people flock to football games yet they can't handle a baseball game at night.

if it tax $1 billion (if you are going to lie, at least lie big) to rid baseball fans of that dump the fruitdome, i'll pay double the taxes gladly.

st. petersburg = gooberville, usa. you lowlifes deserve the green benches back.

no, "WE" don't love the fruitdome, unless you call "WE" 18,000 hypocrites. the fruitdome reached its end of a useful life the minute it was opened.

air conditioned buildings are for nursing homes and basketball gyms.

----Joe your a freaking idiot. Do you know anything about Tampa Bay Sports? So The Rams play in a NURSING home?

Joe Hillman - avg low temp for the next 10 days in St. Louis 69 degrees.

Avg low temp in Tampa Bay for the next ten days: 78 degrees.

Number of times temp is expected to hit 90 in St. Louis in next 10 days: once.

Number of times in Tampa Bay: 3 times

Don't let the facts get in the way of comments like "its just as hot in St. Louis as it is here." You said it best when you said "you can't fix stupid."

[RFN]

You bet I still love the Trop. When the thunderstorm rolled in about the 6th inning, I would've been soaked (please no "cloth sail cover will keep fans dry" comments).

Then, I would've had to endure a 90 minute rain delay. Yeah, I will take a ball hitting a guide wire twice a season (half the time favoring the Rays) over what would've been with an outdoor stadium.

[rayray]

Way to come over from the dark side. Keep the tailgating going & energizing the Trop w/home Rays fans.

I loved the crub & pony keg in parking lot outside Trop, and Trop chowda stew inside.

Sweep the Bosux back to beantown.....

[MLNFL]

Ball hitting the catwalk, run scores?
Biggest game of the year - coulda' been
real ugly had we lost due to that. It will happen again no doubt. I hope not in the upcoming playoffs or series games. Still love the Trop?

[joe hillman]

>>>Fewer seats = increased demand = higher prices = better talent on field. Please learn the business of sports, thanks.<<<

forget it man. you can't reason with people who believes lies like what lou posted. you can't fix stupid.

[joe hillman]

>>>Would it have sold out if you had to sit in the stifling heat & humidity,<<<

how is it cardinals fans pack busch stadium decade after decade when it's hotter there than in florida in the summer?

how is it that it could be 120 degrees outside in the middle of the afternoon and people flock to football games yet they can't handle a baseball game at night.

if it tax $1 billion (if you are going to lie, at least lie big) to rid baseball fans of that dump the fruitdome, i'll pay double the taxes gladly.

st. petersburg = gooberville, usa. you lowlifes deserve the green benches back.

no, "WE" don't love the fruitdome, unless you call "WE" 18,000 hypocrites. the fruitdome reached its end of a useful life the minute it was opened.

air conditioned buildings are for nursing homes and basketball gyms.

[mario]

I agree, while I am for a new stadium, I'm not gonna be mad about sitting in AC all game long .. GO SHIELDS!! GO RAYS!!!

[Shane]

hey lets not get political we're missing the entire point of the blog a Bosux bandwaggoner has jumped ship to the Rays, now all he needs to do is ditch the Bosux cap for a Rays

[Shane]

hey lets not get political we're missing the entire point of the blog a Bosux bandwaggoner has jumped ship to the Rays, now all he needs to do is ditch the Bosux cap for a Rays

[Shane]

hey lets not get political we're missing the entire point of the blog a Bosux bandwaggoner has jumped ship to the Rays, now all he needs to do is ditch the Bosux cap for a Rays

[Taylor]

Fewer seats = increased demand = higher prices = better talent on field. Please learn the business of sports, thanks.

[Lou]

Noooooo the Trop won't draw a crowd, we need to spend 450 million dollars of taxpayer money to have FEWER SEATS!!!!!

Would it have sold out if there was no place to tailgate because you had to park on private property and then walk blocks to the stadium?

Would it have sold out if you had to sit in the stifling heat & humidity, swatting noseeums off your hotdog for the game, rather than a comfortable 72 degrees with no insects and never a threat of being hit by lightning or the chance of a rain-out?

When the Trop reaches the end of its useful life, replace it with an air conditioned retractable roof ballpark. 10 years down the road, minimum.

WE LOVE THE TROP AND GO RAYS!!!!