Let's Road Trip 2024: Trip #12 - From the Trop to the Kauff, Tampa and Kansas City (September 2-8)

[Steven Trefz]

The Twins start off the final month of the season with a jet setting trip to play the perennial thorns in Tampa Bay, and the AL Central up-and-coming Royals. These seven games have the potential to give separation to the playoff race, or to send the Twins back home limping. Which will it be?

Image courtesy of Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay Rays – September 2-5
Tropicana Field: Capacity 42,735
2023 Attendance: 1,440,301, up from 1,128,127 in 2022 (Averaged 17,781, ranked 13th in AL, 27th overall MLB)

It made sense on paper. Home of spring training and epi-center of major league baseball for two months each year, so why not put an actual franchise in town? 1998 brought MLB and the Tampa/St. Pete metro area its own ballclub: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They celebrated by losing at least 90 games in each of their first 10 seasons!

Then after a 2008 name change to the Rays (think “sunshine,” not “animal”), the tide turned in many respects. Their first World Series appearance and a constant stream of small market success stories defined the next decade. Attendance, however, hasn’t followed suit.

Tropicana Field boasts the notorious label of being “unattractive” and “nondescript.” A concrete dome, with Astroturf (that even the Astros stopped using…), optical illusions from the seating arrangement, and catwalks that giveth (Jason Kubel in 2010) and taketh away (Miguel Sano in 2015). Tropicana Field defines “quirky.” It’s days are also numbered! The new stadium is set to open in 2028, so if you have ever wanted to experience this thing for yourself, now’s the time!

Apparently, the Tropicana Field game experience itself can be a lot of fun. Dancing grounds crews, a live ray tank in the outfield (think “animal,” not “sunshine”), a Ted Williams and Hitters Halls of Fame, and plenty of room to roam make the Tropicana experience a good buy. If you can time the series right, you can also catch a few minor league games in the area while you are there.

I’m not sure that the Twins have a “history” at Tropicana Field. The Rays’ rise coincided with the Twins’ decline most recently. Rocco Baldelli grew up in the organization. Delmon Young and the Nelson Cruz/Joe Ryan trade stick out a bit as moments of connection.

When traveling about town, the Salvador Dali Museum, the Sunken Gardens, the Big Cat Rescue, or the Florida Aquarium are great spots to visit. With a four-game series, there is plenty of time to explore! Then, its time to hop back on a plane for a 1,255 mile journey to wrap up the season series with the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

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Kansas City Royals – September 6-8
Kauffman Stadium: Capacity 37,903
2023 Attendance: 1,307,052, up from 1,277,686 in 2022 (averaged 16,136, ranked 14th out of 15 AL teams, 28th overall)

For the ins and outs of Kansas City baseball travel, please look back at the article from the opening week preview. For the purpose of this conversation, its important to note that the defending NFL-champion Chiefs will be next door for the Thursday, September 5th NFL season kickoff! Prepare right, and you can catch two games, two sports, two days, in one parking lot!

While the Chiefs have been the talk of the town, the Royals have an opportunity to rise within a weak AL Central. Will they still be in the discussion come September? Either way, this city will be ready to party that week, so keep that in mind as you plan your trip.

The Twins will be traveling 3,275 miles for seven games, zero off days, and ____ wins?

How do you think the Twins will fare on this September voyage? Anyone planning to go to Tampa or Kansas City? Any favorite watering holes or tourist traps? Baseball is almost here Twins Territory…let’s get talking!

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Let's Road Trip is a series of stories exploring the Twins' 13 road trips during the 2024 season. I will focus on stadium highlights, attributes, Twins history, and community amenities. Potential pitfalls and roadblocks get considered, and travel considerations get mentioned. My handy-dandy Baseball Road Trips by Timothy Malcolm and Moon travel guides will be a go-to for this conversation.

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[jkcarew]

A crime that the Chiefs and Royals are looking to move downtown. Kauffman is a beautiful park, and the setting is perfect for tailgating. But, I suppose when you’re asking governments to pick up a huge part of the tab as is the norm these days, they’re going to go where the money is.

[David HK]

That Tropicana nightmare has always made the Metrodome look positively pastoral.  What a sheer sterile nightmare, and practically empty even with winning teams there. 

Plus it's in the Tampa area, no reason at all to go there, unless it's for strawberries.