Tampa And Canaveral

I flew from Seatac to Orlando on July 8th. I'm staying with my parents, who joined me for the three games we'll talk about later. We weren't a Rays family, more Marlins fans in my youth, but my sister went to USF in Tampa so we've definitely adopted them as our AL East team.

Watching the Marlins series that preceded this was rough, nobody likes to see their team swept, but the heartbreaking bit was the absolute emptiness of the park in Miami. I was at WS Game 7 in 1997 and it was my first time in a sold out ballpark. To see a team like the Marlins doing so well for no audience can only be described as dismaying. I wasn't helping the issue, watching from my cell phone on the plane or on tv from a Satellite Beach bar, but I still am sad to see it.

This season, the Mariners are great at home and doing terrible on the road. This trip was no different.

2026-07-10: SEA vs TBR

Mariners 2

@

7 Rays

Tropicana Field ·St. Petersburg, FL · 2:22 ·W: Nick Martinez ·L: Luis Castillo Box Score

Friday night. Hard to watch. Seated by the Visitor dugout, so great spot to do so regardless.

2026-07-11: SEA vs TBR

Mariners 1

@

6 Rays

Tropicana Field ·St. Petersburg, FL · 2:31 ·W: Griffin Jax ·L: Logan Gilbert Box Score

Saturday evening. It was Longoria weekend at the Trop, and before the game they inducted him into Rays Hall of Fame. Nice ceremony. Cool to see Wade Boggs there as well. This was the first series they opened the upper deck this season, and we were sitting up there for this game. Only game of the series that we got to see Colt Emerson, which was nice for my parents. Glad that they got a W with Longo in the house.

2026-07-12: SEA vs TBR

Mariners 8

@

2 Rays

Tropicana Field ·St. Petersburg, FL · 2:51 ·W: José A. Ferrer ·L: Ian Seymour Box Score

Before this one, the Rays retired number 3, which was great to be there for. Emerson Hancock coming out so early was deeply worrying, but sitting next to the visitors bullpen, it was awesome getting to watch the relievers warm up.

The Mariners seem to do spectacular work under pressure, and this seemed like a great example of that. I don't know why "normal" games on the road aren't able to get this level of rally.

We got to walk onto the field after the game ended. Was pretty cool to get to touch and walk around on the turf.

Highlights Of The Series:

1. Sunday
2. Longo + Boggs
3. Cuban sandwiches from the deck in center field
4. Randy signing autographs for so many Tampa kids
5. $6 iced lattes and $5 hot candied pecans

Lowlights:

1. Friday and Saturday
2. Getting thunderstormed on while waiting at the entrance to the stadium while the security staff just kinda watch and shrug behind the door
3. Drink prices
4. Tarps off section chanting about the Yankees(?)
5. Concessions on the 300 level.

What's next?

Hanging out with family in Cape Canaveral for a few days, then back to Seattle, where I think that my first real "off" days will start. I think my next trip is towards the end of July, but TBD still.

I just finished a book I want to write down some thoughts on in a post soon, and I have a side project I've been playing with that might be good for a post. The product I was working on before I took this time off launches soon, too, and while I won't write about it, it'll be a big moment for me in the next few days. Promise there's more than just a Mariners journal coming down the pipe, but I've been glad to have it as a thing to force me to start typing.