The History of George M. Steinbrenner Field

In the event you plan to attend a Tampa Bay Rays residence recreation in 2025, you’ll be visiting Steinbrenner Area on Dale Mabry Freeway in Tampa.

Because the Rays take up residence throughout the bay, it obtained us enthusiastic about the shut, century-long connection between skilled baseball and town of Tampa.

Right here’s a quick historical past on the legend of what was as soon as known as Legends Area.

Tampa Baseball Doesn’t Begin with the Yankees

Earlier than Aki Iwamura stepped on second and despatched the Rays to the World Collection, Al Lopez suited up for the Tampa People who smoke. Earlier than Wilson Alvarez yanked the primary pitch in Satan Rays historical past, Babe Ruth launched what is taken into account his longest homerun ever. And effectively earlier than Parnell Dickinson accomplished the primary landing move for the inept inaugural Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there have been multitudes {of professional} baseball groups littered all through the realm.

The primary occasion recorded of Main League Baseball coming to Florida and the Tampa Bay space was when the Chicago Cubs arrange their Spring Coaching residence, transferring into Plant Area, constructed by enterprise magnate Henry Plant in 1899, in downtown Tampa previous to the 1913 season.

Quickly the Cubs moved out, however extra groups moved in. The Boston Crimson Sox adopted and introduced together with them younger phenom Babe Ruth. It was in 1919 that Babe Ruth clobbered a ball that’s estimated to have been hit 587 ft. There’s now a plaque commemorating this achievement, positioned within the space that after was once Plant Area.

Over time, extra groups got here to the realm. Main League Baseball moved in each Spring for Spring Coaching; the Negro League and a number of other semi-pro groups performed over the summer time.

Al Lopez was only one among the many many locals who performed in a semi-pro league. Lopez suited up for the Tampa People who smoke in 1924 on the age of 16. Throughout a sequence of exhibition video games, Lopez impressed future Corridor of Famer Walter Johnson, who satisfied the White Sox to aim to signal him. Issues didn’t work out, however Lopez nonetheless gained precious expertise and ultimately carved his personal path to the massive leagues.

In the end, Lopez would play within the majors from 1928 via 1947. After retiring, Lopez was remembered as being one of the sturdy catchers in baseball historical past after which later as one of the profitable managers of all-time; Lopez can be enshrined within the Corridor of Fame in 1977.

In 1954, whereas Lopez was managing the pennant profitable Cleveland Guardians, Tampa opened a brand new minor league facility and named it after town’s completed son, though his baseball profession was not but executed.

Lopez would afterward handle the Chicago White Sox, who made Al Lopez Area their Spring Coaching residence for a number of years. This led to Al Lopez managing video games at Al Lopez Area and a humorous second when an umpire was threatening to eject him from a recreation. Lopez responded to the umpire by saying “You may’t throw me out of this ballpark. That is my ballpark.” Lopez was promptly ejected from the sport anyway.

Al Lopez Area was demolished in 1989 within the hopes of constructing a brand new Main League Baseball stadium, whereas town actively negotiating for a number of groups to make the transfer. Sadly, MLB by no means got here calling to Tampa as a website for full season exercise. As a substitute, the Nationwide Soccer League, which had already arrange store beside Al Lopez Area within the Nineteen Seventies, erected what grew to become identified regionally as The Sombrero on its former website.

Thus, baseball was formally gone from Tampa. That’s, till the New York Yankees got here to city (as is so usually the case, northern groups had spring coaching houses wherever their homeowners “wintered,”) and town of Tampa paid each expense to construct them a brand new stadium to function their new Spring Coaching residence and minor league area all through the season.

The stadium can be constructed throughout the road from the Buccaneers residence, now known as Raymond James Stadium on the former website of Al Lopez Area, and the Yankees started their residency on the newly constructed Legends Area in 1996.

The stadium’s design paid homage to Yankees historical past with related dimensions arrange on the enjoying area. There are a number of plaques outdoors of the stadium commemorating the entire retired numbers in Yankees historical past.

In the meantime, in 1990 town of St Petersburg made its personal gambit for a baseball staff, constructing a stadium that may go on to carry hockey video games earlier than Pinellas County was lastly profitable in gaining an growth staff because the Tampa Bay Satan Rays got here into existence in 1995. Al Lopez, together with Monte Irvin, Ted Williams, and Stan Musial, would throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

The Yankees have made Legends Area, within the coronary heart of Tampa Bay, their Spring Coaching residence yearly since transferring there in 1996, notably the 12 months after the Satan Rays have been introduced, however earlier than the staff’s identification may take over the realm.

Following the loss of life of longtime Yankees proprietor George Steinbrenner, the sector was redubbed George Steinbrenner Area and a statue was commissioned to additional honor Steinbrenner’s legacy (Editor’s Notice: presumably that legacy won’t embody the components the place he was convicted of a number of felonies, pardoned by Ronald Reagan, after which later “banned for all times” from baseball earlier than his reinstatement).

The stadium and sophisticated has been renovated a number of instances making the general facility one of many prime spring coaching and minor league ballparks within the recreation. In 2016, Hillsborough County authorised a $40M (cut up evenly between the Yankees, Hillsborough County, and the state of Florida) renovation that was key to an settlement that retains the Yankees in Tampa via 2046.

Throughout these renovations, new building was undertaken so as to add outfield concourses with shaded gathering spots. Moreover, entry passages to the ballpark have been improved and a number of other new upscale seating choices or facilities for followers on the video games. New loge packing containers, cabanas, and suite upgrades have been put in, whereas a beachside bar was erected alongside the seats in proper area. The renovations additionally included a number of enhancements to the complete coaching complicated. It’s these enhancements that possible led the Rays and MLB to pick out it to be used following the injury to Tropicana Area by Hurricane Milton.

What was known as Legends Area could not have been the place the Legends have been made, however it’s the place they’re remembered, and it’s right here the Rays will add to that legend as they play their residence video games for the 2025 season.

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