TAMPA, Fla. -- Not long after the Yankees reported to George M. Steinbrenner Field for Spring Training, Gerrit Cole was raving about the ballpark¡¯s renovated and upgraded home clubhouse facilities. From the massive locker room to the tremendous training room to the sizable patio bathed in natural light, it was all top-notch -- not just for a Spring Training complex, but for any Major League ballpark.
¡°The Rays will enjoy this,¡± Cole said at the time. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you that.¡±
After moving into their temporary home, the Rays agreed.
¡°It¡¯s pretty much the best conditions we could ask for,¡± center fielder Jonny DeLuca said.
While club staff and contractors have been working tirelessly since Sunday to convert the ballpark from the Yankees¡¯ spring facility to the Rays¡¯ regular-season ballpark, players and coaches got their first look at life on the home side of George M. Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday ahead of Friday¡¯s sold-out Opening Day matchup against the Rockies.
¡°I'm incredibly grateful,¡± Rays manager Kevin Cash said. ¡°And you can tell the players are, too.¡±
There will be plenty of talk about the different challenges associated with playing this season at a Minor League ballpark after being forced out of Tropicana Field due to the damage caused by Hurricane Milton. The seating capacity is lower. The weather will be an issue, especially during Florida¡¯s hot and rainy summer season. The dimensions are different, replicating the more hitter-friendly environment of Yankee Stadium.
But their home clubhouse setup could be as good as any in baseball, and they quickly came to appreciate that as they learned their way around the luxurious space prior to an intrasquad scrimmage at Steinbrenner Field.
¡°Inside here, it¡¯s the big leagues. It¡¯s fantastic. They¡¯ve done a great job,¡± second baseman Brandon Lowe said. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to hear a lot of guys complain about anything that we have this year. We¡¯re going to be really thankful that we have a place to play and a home clubhouse that¡¯s as good as the one we have.¡±
Although the Yankees resided here a few days ago, the Rays are doing everything they can to make it feel like home.
Tyler Wall, the club¡¯s director of Major League equipment and clubhouse operations, pointed to the ¡°burst¡± logos on the players¡¯ chairs, the Tampa Bay nameplates and the Rays canopy covering the interlocking ¡°NY¡± logo in the middle of the clubhouse as examples of the extensive work they¡¯ve done since Sunday.
¡°As soon as they get here, we want them to feel like they¡¯re home,¡± said Warren Hypes, the Rays¡¯ vice president, creative and brand.
Certain aspects of the facility stood out to different players.
DeLuca raved about the gym after a workout with Yandy D¨ªaz, with special appreciation for the natural light that was all but impossible to come by inside the Trop¡¯s dome, while outfielder Kameron Misner was impressed by the kitchen. They¡¯ll have four indoor batting cages to prepare before or during games.
Third baseman Junior Caminero was amazed by the clubhouse and gym -- and found that Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton had left him a bat in his locker¡¯s built-in bat rack. Lowe was in awe of the spacious whirlpools -- ¡°I didn¡¯t know they made them that big,¡± he said -- and Cash quipped that the rows of eye-level TV screens beside each pool were ¡°pretty remarkable.¡±
¡°This is dope. There's no other way of saying it,¡± infielder/outfielder Richie Palacios said, smiling. ¡°The guys seem excited. I'm excited about it. So I feel like we'll have a good season feeling comfortable.¡±
Right fielder Josh Lowe referenced the sheer size of the space. The clubhouse is built to accommodate a full Spring Training roster of at least 60 players, but the Rays will get to spread out with 26 players and anyone who¡¯s rehabbing from an injury. According to the Yankees, the overall footprint of the player/staff area is now approximately 50,000 square feet, roughly double what it was.
¡°Usually when the Yankees are going to put money into something, it¡¯s going to be pretty good. And it shows,¡± Lowe said. ¡°It¡¯s definitely stood up to the standard that everybody¡¯s said about it so far. It¡¯s great.¡±
It might take some time for everyone to get settled. Shortly before infield work and batting practice, Jos¨¦ Caballero was walking around the clubhouse, trying to figure out how to get to the field. Caminero joked about getting lost inside the sprawling complex. Cash acknowledged players might be ¡°a little bit overwhelmed, taking it all in.¡±
Indeed, there¡¯s no place quite like their new home.
¡°It's just very, very well put together. I mean, no excuses,¡± Cash said. ¡°We are in a very nice ballpark with great amenities, and the inside of it is going to do everything we need to keep our players on the field, happy and playing good baseball.¡±