Ballpark construction began in 1986 in the hope that it would lure a Major League Baseball team to the facility. Ultimately, city officials decided that a stadium with a fixed permanent dome was necessary for a prospective major league team to be viable in the area, due to its hot, humid summers and frequent thunderstorms. It took several design cues from Kauffman Stadium, including fountains beyond the outfield wall. One such design, in the same location where Tropicana Field would ultimately be built, called for an open-air stadium with a circus tent-like covering. Possible designs for a baseball park or multi-purpose stadium were proposed as early as 1983. City officials decided early on that the city would attempt to attract Major League Baseball. Petersburg decided it wanted a share of the professional sports scene in Tampa Bay. See also: Baseball in the Tampa Bay area and Sports in the Tampa Bay areaĪfter Tampa was awarded the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tampa Bay Rowdies in the 1970s, St.

Major League Baseball has cited the need to replace Oakland Coliseum and Tropicana Field as one of the primary obstacles to future MLB expansion. Along with Oakland Coliseum, it is often cited as one of the worst ballparks in Major League Baseball and consistently takes the last or second-to-last spot in rankings of stadiums. Tropicana Field's location and design (especially the ceiling catwalks) have been widely criticized. In October 1996, Tropicana Products, a fruit juice company then based in nearby Bradenton, signed a 30-year naming rights deal. In 1993, the Tampa Bay Lightning moved to the facility and its name was changed to the ThunderDome until the team moved to their new home in downtown Tampa in 1996. Tropicana Field opened in 1990 and was originally known as the Florida Suncoast Dome. Tropicana Field is the smallest MLB stadium by seating capacity when obstructed-view rows in the uppermost sections are covered with tarps as they are for most Rays games. The venue is the only non-retractable domed stadium in Major League Baseball, making it the only year-round indoor venue in MLB. Petersburg Bowl, an annual postseason bowl game.

The stadium is also used for college football, and from December 2008 to December 2017 was the home of the St. The stadium has been the ballpark of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) since the team's inaugural season in 1998. Tropicana Field (commonly known as the Trop) is a multi-purpose domed stadium located in St. WWE ThunderDome ( pro-wrestling) (2020–2021)

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