The ongoing drama surrounding a storm-damaged Tropicana Field and plans to build a new ballpark was, at least temporarily, an afterthought for Tampa Bay Rays fans Saturday.
An estimated 20,000 people donned their favorite Rays gear and descended upon the St. Pete Pier for the team’s annual Fan Fest event. While the unique venue created logistical hurdles, it allowed fans to fish and take tiki boat rides with professional athletes who will play their 2025 season across the bay in Tampa.
Pitcher Drew Rasmussen was among the prominent players who held impromptu autograph signing sessions throughout the expansive festival area, which spanned the entirety of the Pier. He ensured no kids remained in an ever-growing line before finally allowing a staffer to pull him away.
“It’s a bummer that we’re not going to be at the Trop this year, but this is a really cool opportunity to get into the community and spend time and ingratiate yourself with the fans,” Rasmussen said. “It truly is a blessing and an honor to have the opportunity to be out here.”
Matt Sehner (second from back left) brought his family and a friend’s son (bottom right) to the event.
The feeling was mutual. Matt Sehner brought his family and a friend’s son to enjoy camaraderie with like-minded fans after an offseason filled with tense rhetoric between the team and local government officials.
Sehner noted the kids could not “care less” about the ongoing saga to repair the Trop in time for the 2026 season or build a new ballpark as part of the now-tenuous Historic Gas Plant redevelopment project. He said the group saw manager Kevin Cash, team executives and owner Stuart Sternberg also enjoying the waterfront festivities.
“This is baseball in its purest form,” Sehner added. “My kids love it. They just want to see some baseball and have fun. We’re not going to be down the road like we normally are … so spending some extra time with the players is awesome.
“I appreciate them spending extra time with us, too.”
Rasmussen said meeting big leaguers was a “really cool” and “special” experience for him as a kid, and he relishes the chance to pay it forward. Patrick Abts, vice president of marketing, believes maintaining a team tradition was worth the logistical challenges.
The Rays typically host Fan Fest at the Trop, which has remained out of order since Hurricane Milton shredded its roof in October 2024. Staff transported equipment, games and merchandise to the waterfront by truck.
The Rays spend four days setting up Fan Fest at the St. Pete Pier.
Buses ferried team executives and staff to the Pier, as parking spaces were a hot commodity. The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority brought fans from the Trop via enhanced SunRunner services.
Abts called the event an important milestone that signifies the start of a new season. He said the team, “from leadership on down,” was “pretty adamant” that canceling Fan Fest was not an option.
The Rays began exploring potential venues immediately after securing temporary offices in downtown St. Petersburg. Coachman Park in Clearwater was an option.
“But St. Pete is our home,” Abts said. “We hope to be here for the foreseeable future, the long-term future. And I think it was really important to try and do the event here.”
He noted city officials are “great partners” who have previously hosted team events at the Pier. However, Fan Fest was exponentially larger than last year’s City Connect uniform unveiling celebration.
The Rays “used the Pier from end to end” for the event, which Abts called a success. “I just want to shout out, and thank, all our contacts at the city, and specifically at the Pier, for all the help they provided,” he said.
Infielder Junior Caminero poses with a young fan after signing an autograph.
Abts said players “loved” the new tiki boat and fishing experiences. Pitcher Shane Baz, an avid angler initially not included in the latter fan interaction, petitioned the team to let him participate. When planning the event, Abts told his team, “If we have to do this thing outdoors and be different, let’s at least try to incorporate some of those elements.”
He said the season, games and fan interactions are why “we’re in the business we’re in.” While it is impossible to ignore the background noise, Abts said, “Life goes on.”
“At the end of the day, we’re a baseball team,” he continued. “The guys (players) really lean into engaging fans, signing autographs. A lot of these guys are just pretty down to earth, and they’re willing to do this kind of stuff. It’s just great to see every year.”
