Tonight's Rays game: arrive early, take the shuttle
ST. PETERSBURG -- City officials are encouraging people to arrive early and catch the shuttle to and from Tropicana field for tonight's Rays vs. Boston Red Sox game.
"We're expecting a large turnout," said Joe Kubicki, director of transportation and parking for St. Petersburg.
The shuttle picks passengers up from the pedestrian overpass at 2nd Street, near the parking garage located at First Avenue South and 2nd Street. The ride is free.
Portions of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd are scheduled to be blocked off temporarily during entering and exiting times at the stadium.
Nicole Hutcheson, Times staff writer
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Looks like quite a few more Rays than Sox fans there tonight. It was so much louder for the Rays. The four years of Fenway south is over. Y'all weren't there in 2003 (or before).
Posted by: 2 cents ... | June 30, 2008 at 11:42 PM
I meant luxury tax...not salary cap!...glad they beat the Sox tonight
Posted by: Greg | June 30, 2008 at 10:13 PM
When the Rays are playing in Charlotte, Vegas, Portland, Orlando, or Walla Walla in 5 years...all 43 of the Rays fans can get their Yanks and Sox hats back out of the closet...if these games do not sell out this week...there is NO EXCUSE..the owners should pack the team up and move it after Wednesday nights game. Stop paying your salaries with Yanks and Sox mooney!!! Get rid of the salary cap... be ready for more crownds of 14000 if there is no concert, no Sox, or Cubs, or Yanks....Go Yankees!
Posted by: Greg | June 30, 2008 at 08:48 PM
I don't think enough Rays fans have shown up this year to qualify that fan base as "bandwagon."
Posted by: Adam | June 30, 2008 at 06:16 PM
how can Rays fans be calling sox fans bandwagon fans? What were all you doing staying home the last 10 years while we invaded your stadium? Its is true that the sox do have bandwagon fans, but the majority of the fans are not and they are very passionate. I am a Red Sox fan because my dad is and because my grandfather is, it's a generational thing in New England, you guys are just going to have to wait another 50 years or so to get that. To all the real Rays fans out there- good luck, I hope it will be a fun seris and I am happy for your team's succes, very similar to the 1967 Red Sox.
Posted by: hartfordsoxfan | June 30, 2008 at 06:09 PM
Hey reality - there you go again. Another misspelling. Geez, you just proved twice how much of an idiot you are. In case you can't figure it out -- situation has 2 Ts in it. Go Rays!
Posted by: John | June 30, 2008 at 05:05 PM
Shane...enlighten me(let me know), which word did I spell wrong? Yeah that's it bandwagon siuation...wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that the population of New England is a little higher than the Tampa Bay area. It's called tourism and retirement. Look those words up too.
Posted by: Reality | June 30, 2008 at 04:54 PM
Leettttssssssss Get Readdddyyy to RUUUMMMMMBBBBBLLLLEEEEE!!!!!
Bring it Loud Mouth IDIOTS.
Thanks for moving here and mowing the grass, changing my oil,taking my order, etc.... 'Preciate it.
Posted by: THE TROP | June 30, 2008 at 04:50 PM
I hate the Red Sox and their bandwagon fans... Go Rays!!!! Let's shut these idiots up.
Posted by: Brent | June 30, 2008 at 04:45 PM
GO RAYS BABY!!!
Posted by: Mario | June 30, 2008 at 04:40 PM
And the Bucs didn't need a video camera to win, either ...
put a big fat asterisk next to the Patriots' Lombardi trophies!
What an atrocity ...
*THIS* is Coach Billicheat's legacy!
GO RAYS, BEAT UP SOME SMART KIDS!!! :D
***
The Red Sox are 1-9 on turf ... ONE AND NINE!!
Posted by: sevenyearhawk | June 30, 2008 at 04:39 PM
When was the last time Tampa Bay won a championship?
You must have a short memory. The Bucs won the Super Bowl in 2002 and the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2003.
Posted by: Mike Creyton | June 30, 2008 at 04:35 PM
to the 3:10 poster:
1. T-H-E-I-R own team
2. Rays ' fans (twice)... it's called an apostrophe
3. lazy M-A-N- ' S another apostrophe violation
It's called grammar... learn how to use it.
to the 3:37 poster:
All I have to say to that is- At least we won't go 86 years without winning one. That's a whole generation!!! People were born, lived, and died and never got a chance to see a Sux championship. So, in the 10 years we've been in the league, your team has one 2 titles. Does that constitute a dynasty??? You Sux fans have a lot of catching up to do.
The Cubs at least get to be called "the LOVEABLE losers." I guess it's tough for a Red Sux fan to stomach calling their team the "Loveable Chokers" isn't it???
Posted by: Ray F | June 30, 2008 at 04:00 PM
reality heres what you need...a reality check, you also need a spell check(wait your a boston fan so you wouldn't know proper grammar if it bit you on the a55). Most of you BoSux fans are a bunch of bandwagon fans and once those bandwagon fans trade in their BoSux caps for a Tampa Bay Ray hat you guys will be outnumbered
Posted by: Shane | June 30, 2008 at 03:56 PM
Of course I meant 76 MORE years, as we are all aware of the Sox poor display for 86 years while the Yankees kept you over their knee.
Posted by: Brian | June 30, 2008 at 03:56 PM
Come on Steve, give us 76 years. Such harsh words, can't wait to see you there. Rays fans, let's blow the freak'n top of The Pit!!! Remember, all the new Sox fans are fans because it is easy; they will either back down or change colors this week.
Posted by: Brian | June 30, 2008 at 03:55 PM
Obnoxious!?!? And the cowbells aren't? Yeah for 10 years your fans have been outnumbered...and still are. Call it what it is... fans cheering there own team, while the sprinkling of Rays fans just sit like they are in church. You only have yourselves to blame for the Red Sox chants drowning out the silence of the Rays fans acting like they are at the opera. Go ahead rely on your cowbells to make noise, that's the lazy mans way of cheering on your team.
Posted by: Reality | June 30, 2008 at 03:41 PM
you tampa bay pussys have no chance at beating the red sox, when was the last time tampa bay won a championship?
Posted by: steve | June 30, 2008 at 03:37 PM
GO BACK TO BOSTON !!!
GO RAYS
Posted by: Mike | June 30, 2008 at 03:33 PM
Dear U.S. Geological Survey:
In response to the thousands of calls coming from the Tampa Bay area regarding earthquake reports...
Please ignore those calls.
It has been discovered that the tremors originated from St Petersburg at a place called Tropicana Field- Home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
There is no cause for concern it's just THE PIT ROCKING!!!
LET'S GO RAYS!!!
Posted by: Ray F | June 30, 2008 at 03:26 PM
This series is a chance for the Rays to get some revenge and us fans too. For 10 years we have had residents of this area show up and spit in our face, make fun of us for having civic pride and supporting the home team even when they were down, and just be utterly obnoxious in Tropicana Field as if it were the Red Sox home park.
No more. This series we outnumber them, we out obnoxious them, and we remind them where those CHOOSE to live. This is Tampa Bay. This is OUR team and we won't go silently in the night anymore. Let's make a statement to the baseball world. Lets give our boys a homefield advantage they can only dream of. Get on your feet. Say it with me...Tampa.......Bay......Tampa......Bay!! Lets Go RAYS!!!!!!
This is our time and this is our town.
Posted by: Mike Creyton | June 30, 2008 at 03:19 PM
This series is a chance for the Rays to get some revenge and us fans too. For 10 years we have had residents of this area show up and spit in our face, make fun of us for having civic pride and supporting the home team even when they were down, and just be utterly obnoxious in Tropicana Field as if it were the Red Sox home park.
No more. This series we outnumber them, we out obnoxious them, and we remind them where those CHOOSE to live. This is Tampa Bay. This is OUR team and we won't go silently in the night anymore. Let's make a statement to the baseball world. Lets give our boys a homefield advantage they can only dream of. Get on your feet. Say it with me...Tampa.......Bay......Tampa......Bay!! Lets Go RAYS!!!!!!
This is our time and this is our town.
Posted by: Mike Creyton | June 30, 2008 at 03:18 PM
Paybacks are you know what.
Loud and proud tonight.
Go HOME Red SUX bandwagoners!
Posted by: Karma | June 30, 2008 at 03:09 PM
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/john_donovan/06/30/donovan.rays/index.html?eref=T1
Posted by: Bernie | June 30, 2008 at 02:57 PM
Don't forget to wear BLUE!
Bring any and all noisemakers. Use them early and often.
Don't get kicked out before you get one of them kicked out. Better yet, don't get kicked out at all. How much fun would that be?
Posted by: McLovin | June 30, 2008 at 02:56 PM
The Bert,
That's funny...I don't think I will do that, but it would make for a good chant at the game :-).
Posted by: Marc | June 30, 2008 at 02:54 PM
GO RAYS!
Make the world a better place - punch a Red Sox idiot fan in the face.
Posted by: The Bert | June 30, 2008 at 02:34 PM
Go Rays!!!! Sweep the Red Sox!!!!
Posted by: brown | June 30, 2008 at 02:03 PM