Warriors weigh in on new Rays stadium

Rays+play+in+front+of+their+fans+for+what+might+be+their+last+year+at+the+Trop.

Rays play in front of their fans for what might be their last year at the Trop.

Jake Nicholas, Writer

The Tampa bay Rays want a new stadium and are asking their fans what they would like to see in it. The Rays have launched a website called ballparkreimagined.com last Monday. On the site, fans can submit their ideas of what they would like to see at the new Ball Park.

Team officials have said that they were striving for something no one has ever seen before. So far some of the most popular ideas are the addition of more comfortable seats with audio in the head rests, a retractable roof so the team can play either inside or outside depending on the weather conditions, and a replica of the Sunshine Skyway that fans can walk across. Tyler Cottle of the Osceola Baseball team said “I would add a new retractable roof so when the weather is rainy we can still play!” The Toronto Blue Jays Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros and Miami Marlins are the teams in the Major Leagues with retractable roofs. Luke Leskanic, the Pitcher for the Warrior Baseball team, stated he would like to see the Rays “Build recliner seats with buttons for a back massage and also a button to call over a waiter.”

The idea of having a waterfront stadium has been tossed around for years by county officials, but the issue is finding the correct amount of space to build a stadium. One option being explored is a 39 acre Harbor site located in St. Petersburg. The idea of the new stadium is that it would be a place not just for baseball, but for the community to use year round for multiple activities. The Rays say they aren’t looking for the next most expensive stadium, but want a reasonable ballpark that incorporates the fans ideas as well as the team’s needs.