The mast is probably the dumbest thing I've ever seen at a ballpark. They're the Rays, not the Buccaneers. Or is "Ray" supposed to be a famous Pirate or something?

This is hilarious:

The average high in St. Petersburg during July and August is 90 degrees. On average, there are nearly 15 inches of rain in those two months.

"I'm a Rays fan who kind of likes that 72 degree temperature," City Council member Jamie Bennett said recently.

Ohmigosh, 90 degrees in July and August?!?!? Its like 100 in most of the country.

That drawing makes me wonder why they never ripped the roof off of Stade Olympique. Oh, I know, the weather. But to have that big Tomorrow Landy tower rising above the field would have been awesome.

Put a crow's nest on that mast and sell a few more seats!

I wish it was only 90 when I went this July. If they aren't having a roof or AC I'm not going again.

That drawing makes me wonder why they never ripped the roof off of Stade Olympique.

They did, in 1998.

http://www.baseball-statistics.com/Ballparks/Mtl/index.htm

I like the sail thingy. It fits in with the harbor theme and provides shade and a windbreak. I think it's an excellent and creative touch. It's, thankfully, not just one more ripoff of Ebbets Field. This design and the A's new stadium design are both stepping away from the nostalgia of all the other recent stadiums and I think this is a good thing.

The mast is probably the dumbest thing I've ever seen at a ballpark.

I think it's pretty awesome.

The comments on that site are pretty funny; in particular, the whining about having to walk from your car to the game in the hot sun amuses me. Jesus Christ. With fans like those, no wonder the stands are empty (or full of fans of the opposing team).

Most games are played at night anyway, making the heat related comments asinine. Is Tampa really that much hotter than Atlanta in the summer?

All that said, the sail thing is a good idea. Cheap but effective, if it works as advertised. I'd be much more comfortable supporting something like that instead of an incredibly expensive retractable roof.

It also provides an opportunity to revise the team's image, perhaps tweaking the name and possibly even revisiting the uniform colors and such to reflect a new ocean/pirate/America's Cup meme. Wait, how about waves? Can we get waves in there?

I think it's both a creative engineering solution and a derivative design that reminds me of the Bucs' giant endzone boat thing across town. There's room to make it less pirate-y so it'll likely be OK in the end. Also, the comments point out that this is similar to the Roman Colosseum's approach, so maybe they could go to a gladiator theme the next time they rename the team.

Also, the comments point out that this is similar to the Roman Colosseum's approach, so maybe they could go to a gladiator theme the next time they rename the team.

The team that dropped 'devil' is so not revisiting lions eating Christians. On the other hand, it beats the lame nautical theme.

The mast does kinda look like a huge crucifixion cross.

This is pretty much the greatest thing ever - I wish I wouldn't have to visit Florida to see it.

I remember the history channel showed an archaeologist's recreation of the Roman Colosseum that had a canvas canopy partially, not unlike what's being shown here. The Rays should've built it about five years ago and had Chuck Lamarr and Vince Namoli in Roman togas sitting in their air-conditioned boxes eating grapes and observing all the gore and senseless death beneath them.

At least it's interesting. Which I can't say for the new name or uniforms.

I like the fact that it plans to cover "MOST OF THE FIELD". At what point do you call a rain delay then? "Parts of the outfield will be exposed". That's a genius way to sneak an injury or two in there. Of course if you are allowed to put a hill in your CF, then why not mud holes?

Other than that, I think it's awesome.

I know we are supposed to mock articles posted here, but I like the plans for this stadium. It doesn't look like every other HOK retro stadium. HOK was a nice change from the sterile dual purpose stadium, but every stadium has that HOK look and feel.

They should change their name to the butt pirates.

Interesting stadium. Always glad to see teams do unique things although I do wonder if we'll be seeing video of the fabric covers flapping in the wind causing crowds to have to leave due to potential danger. Perhaps having the mast fall down someday. A big challenge to engineers - lets hope they are up for it.

Above that, hundreds of yards of fabric sails are stored. A series of cables runs from the roof to a mast in center field, 300-feet-tall. Other cables arch across the stadium to help create a form. Then, the storm comes. With a push of the button, the fabric starts to unfurl. It rises toward the hulking center field poll. When it's in place, the fabric covers the stands and most of the field. It provides shade for the field and the seats, and protects fans and players from the rain.

It looks to me like a hokey rip off of the Buccaneers stadium. Why do "Rays" need a pirate ship?

And 300 feet tall? As Kenny Mayne would say: that's tall.

What happens when a hurricane rolls through Tampa?

Try not to think of it as a ship's mast and picture it more as a lightning rod. (Wouldn't that be fun? KZAP!)

Ohmigosh, 90 degrees in July and August?!?!? Its like 100 in most of the country.

You've probably never been to Florida during those months, if at all, so you have no idea just how miserable it can feel to just sit outside for several hours. It's not just bad ownership and the threat of rain that kills the Marlins attendance.

This is, like, the awesomest thing ever. How much would I give to see Jose Gaspar and his crewe of marauding pirates sail into Tampa Bay and aim their cannons at the mainsail mast. Arrgh. Now that's a pirate's dream come true.

I live in North Carolina and I've spent summers in Atlanta. I've never been to FL in the summer, but I went to Walt Disney World at the beginning of October. It was ridiculous. Temps in the high 80s to low 90s, insane humidity, two or three rain showers a day, each about ten minutes in length.

The mast is probably the dumbest thing I've ever seen at a ballpark.

I take it you've never seen Birdzerk.

I like the idea of the grass berm outfield.
I always thought it would work for a modern MLB team if it was done right.

hey, how are they going to keep the birds off those wires. The Seagulls.
can't have birds crapping on the customers.

That's wicked cool.
Yeah, they love them some pirates in Tampa Bay. At Bucs games, the pre-kickoff entertainment is cheesy CGI ships doing battle as "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" plays. The fans go nuts.

I take it you've never seen Birdzerk.

Oh god, is that awful. Awful, awful, awful.

I like the concept behind the park, but the execution thereof is awful.

hey, how are they going to keep the birds off those wires. The Seagulls.

Great question! And I have a great answer - Electrify the wires! "And that's a popped fowl into the crowd!"

how are they going to keep the birds off those wires. The Seagulls.
can't have birds crapping on the customers.

Would the apparently steep angle of the wires be sufficient?

BTW, how much advertising can they cram on those "sails"?

I'm not seeing the need for a new park. I guess having a 35,000 seat park looks fuller when you draw your usual 7,000 people to a game.