Youth baseball in St. Petersburg is feeding the next wave of Tampa Bay Rays fans, one practice and one postseason moment at a time.
At Northwest Youth Baseball and Softball, kids are not just working through drills and getting ready for league games. They are also watching the Rays and taking in a run that has helped pull them closer to the sport. Eleven-year-old Nolan Lyver, a catcher in the 12U league, said the game is simply in his blood.
"I just like the love of the game. Everyone wants to play it. You can play any position that you want as long as you practice," said Lyver.
Coach Brett Gerdes, who coaches a 10-U team, said he wants the players to have fun, learn the game and leave with a lasting connection to baseball - whether that carries into high school, college or just a lifelong fandom. He said the Rays being in St. Petersburg matters for that reason.
"Right now, we get of flack that there are a lot of Yankees, Red Sox and away fans at our games. That’s because there’s nobody really who grew up a Rays fan who has another generation growing up as Rays fans, and that’s what we’re doing right now," said Gerdes.
The postseason has given the kids plenty to talk about. Young players have been following the Rays' run, including home runs by Yandy DÃaz and Junior Caminero, along with pitcher Freddy Peralta earning MVP honors.
For 10-year-old Henry Gerdes, that interest turned into something unforgettable when his dad - also Coach Brett - surprised him with tickets to Game 3 on Monday.
"Wow, my brain’s still processing that. That’s amazing," said Henry Gerdes. "Win or lose, I just like to see them play."
Northwest Youth Baseball and Softball serves more than 400 boys and girls ages 3 to 16 in its recreational program, and the hope is that the growing baseball culture keeps building from there. Nine-year-old Grayson Graves said the Rays' playoff push has made the sport click for him in a new way.
"First time in my life that I really paid attention to baseball, and I understand how to play and they make the World Series. It’s exciting," said Graves.
In Other News...
Rays Payroll Debate Just Got Harder To Ignore
The payroll conversation around the Rays has only gotten louder because the gap between Tampa Bay and the leagues heavy spenders keeps showing up in the standings and in October. The Brewers sit in the middle of the pack by comparison, but both clubs are still built around value, with most of the roster coming through on bargain contracts rather than the kind of high-priced core that has defined recent World Series winners.
For Tampa Bay, that model is still the defining feature of the roster, and it is easy to see why the debate keeps coming back whenever the playoff field gets smaller and the richest clubs remain in it. The Rays have been able to stay competitive by squeezing production from young, inexpensive talent and maximizing every dollar, but the broader question is whether that approach can keep matching up against teams that can simply absorb mistakes and add more impact talent when they need it. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Face A World Series Problem Their Speed May Not Solve
The Rays have made speed part of their identity all season, and that has carried straight into October. Tampa Bay and Milwaukee both pushed the running game to the front of the scouting report during the regular season, finishing first and second in stolen bases, and neither club has backed off in the playoffs. It figures to be one of the most interesting subplots of the World Series, especially with the Rays trying to use quickness as a way to create pressure in a matchup where every extra base can matter.
Chandler Simpson has been a central figure in that approach, giving Tampa Bay a true threat once he reaches. The bigger question is whether the Rays can also handle the other side of the equation, because Milwaukee comes in with a reputation for controlling the running game better than almost anyone. If Tampa Bay cannot keep that from becoming a factor, the Series may end up turning on whether its speed can create enough chaos to offset what the Brewers do best. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Fans Heading To The World Series Face A Brutal Parking Problem
With the World Series landing at Tropicana Field, the biggest headache for fans may not be inside the ballpark but outside it. Parking and transportation are expected to be a problem with large crowds converging on St. Petersburg, and local transportation companies say demand is already rising as they get ready for the event.
St. Pete Police are urging attendees to plan ahead and look at alternative ways to get there rather than counting on a simple drive-and-park routine. The advice is straightforward: give yourself extra time, consider rideshare or other transit options, and think about a drop-off plan before heading out, because getting in and out of the area is likely to be the part of the trip no one remembers fondly. [Read more 🡒]