The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are currently in the East Division of the American League. The Tampa Bay Rays play their home games at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays main rivalries are the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Tickets to the big rival games are a hot commodity and fans sit on the edge of their seats just waiting for a fly ball or a strike three call-out.
The Tampa Bay Rays franchise was awarded to Tampa Bay in 1995 as an expansion franchise. With its rich baseball tradition and growing population, the Tampa Bay area made many unsuccessful attempts to acquire a major league baseball team in the 1980s and 1990s. The Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners all considered moving to either Tampa Bay or St. Petersburg before deciding to remain in their current locations. After final approval for the expansion team, the Tampa Bay organization spent the next few years assembling the front office as well as the future team.
Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida is known as a loud stadium and offers a great home field advantage when it is full. Fans are often lined up to see the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field and the best tickets often go fast. Buy your favorite Tampa Bay Rays games early!