Here’s what’s happening on Opening Day 2018
Opening Day 2018 is right around the corner! Here is everything you need to know for March 29th!
Game Info
BOSTON RED SOX (0–0) AT TAMPA BAY RAYS (0–0)
RH Chris Archer (10–12, 4.07 in 2017) vs. LH Chris Sale (17–8, 2.90 in 2017) First Pitch: 4:00 p.m. — TV: FOX Sports Sun -Radio: WDAE 620 AM, WGES 680 AM
NEW Parking Policy and Payment
New in 2018, gameday parking at Tropicana Field can be purchased by credit card or Rays Card only…for increased efficiency, cash is no longer accepted at Rays-owned parking lots…the latest, most secure mobile technology will be used to swipe credit cards for payment…parking is $15 on Opening Day, and an early “Happy Hour” tailgate rate of $12 is available from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. …for all other home games, rates range from $15 to $20 per vehicle, depending on game date…parking passes can also be purchased in advance at the box office or online at www.raysbaseball.com/parking.
Ballpark Info
Parking — Lots open at 11:00am, $12 parking from 11:00am-1:00pm
Gates — Gates open at 2:00pm — Players will greet fans at Gate 1 for the first few minutes.
Giveaways
All fans in attendance will receive a schedule magnet & 20th anniversary cowbell, presented by Tropicana. *While supplies last*
First Pitch
Will be thrown by Rays special assistant, baseball operations Tom Foley…Foley enters his 42nd season in professional baseball and 23rd in the Rays organization…he spent the last 16 seasons on the Rays major league coaching staff, the longest-tenured coach in club history…he first joined the organization as field coordinator in 1996, and that summer oversaw the Rays first mini-camp and managed Rookie-level Butte…he served as director of minor league operations for two years (2000–01) before joining the coaching staff…he moved into his new role last Nov 17.
National Anthem
Local singer, worship leader, actor and teacher Belinda Womack will perform the national anthem on Opening Day… Ms. Womack sang the anthem at the very first game in franchise history, here at Tropicana Field on March 31, 1998.
Miscellaneous
21ST OPENING DAY — Thursday, March 29 will mark the 21st Opening Day in Rays history as they host the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field… Tampa Bay is 10–10 in season openers as well as 10–10 in home openers…it is the ninth straight year the Rays have opened the schedule at home, tying Oakland for the longest active streak in the AL…the only major league team with a longer current streak is Cincinnati, where it is tradition — the Reds are playing their 28th consecutive Opening Day at home this year… this is the 14th time overall the Rays have opened the season at home, and they are 7–6 in the previous 13 games…after last year’s 7–3 win over the Yankees, the Rays are attempting to win back-to-back Opening Day tilts for the first time since winning 5 straight, 2000–04.
This will be the third time the Rays have hosted the Red Sox for their home opener, following March 31, 2003 (a 6–4, walk-off win) and April 5, 1999 (a 4–1 loss)…it will be the third time they play the Red Sox on Opening Day, following April 7, 2009 (a 5–3 loss) and 2003.
The Rays will be part of three home openers to begin the season, as they will help open Yankee Stadium (Mon., April 2) and Fenway Park (Thurs., April 5) the following week.
MAKE IT A NATIONAL HOLIDAY — Thursday will be the first time in 50 years that every major league club opened on the same day…in 1968, a much smaller league of 20 teams opened the season together…March 29 will represent the earliest calendar start to a season in major league history, excluding off-site special events…it will also mark the earliest the Rays have ever played their season opener, topping March 30, 2004, when they opened at the Tokyo Dome against the New York Yankees…
it will also be the first time the Rays have played their season opener
on a Thursday.
PACK A LUNCH — The Rays continue to be the only major pro sports team in Florida to allow fans to bring food and select beverages to games.
WHAT’S NEW AT TROPICANA FIELD — The Rays invested $7 million in capital improvements to Tropicana Field over the offseason, with an aim to dramatically overhaul the food, beverage and retail experience… this project brings the total investment in Tropicana Field to more than $37 million since 2005, under the current ownership group led by Stuart Sternberg…central to these offseason improvements was the Rays partnership with Levy and its retail division, Rank + Rally…the Rays and Levy have renovated amenities, updated culinary equipment and invested in new technologies…the changes include modernized “food halls” in the first- and third-base concourses and major updates to the center field experience, including the Porch and the Rays Republic Team Store…new specialty stands include Pressed (Center Field Street), Central Burger (First and Third Base Food Halls), Fresh Mex (Right Field Street) and Rocco’s Ball Deli (First Base Food Hall)
Coca-Cola Beverages Florida is the new Official Beverage Partner of the Rays, and the exclusive provider of sparkling soft drinks, bottled water and other refreshing beverages throughout the Rays ballpark.
Fans will notice several changes to the in-game entertainment at Tropicana Field…the Rays will introduce a new in-game host, Angella Sharpe, who spent the last 11 years as in-game host for the NHL’s St. Louis Blues…they have also installed an organ in left field, which will be played live at each home game to intersperse traditional and modern songs into the game experience.
The Rays have extended the netting to the ends of both dugouts to improve the safety of fans attending games…the green, knotless net provides enhanced visibility for fans seated behind it, replacing the traditional black, knotted nets that previously extended to the home plate end of each dugout…all 30 major league ballparks have extended netting to the far ends of the dugouts…at Tropicana Field, the best location for autographs is still the railing at the outfield side of both dugouts until the end of BP (or 40 minutes before first pitch on days with no BP).
While the Rays were away at spring training, Shaw Sports Turf installed a new playing surface at Tropicana Field, the sixth surface in 21 seasons.
See you on March 29th!
