For nearly 30 years, Jack and Mary Critchfield have been a constant behind home plate at Tropicana Field, settling into the same front-row view as the Tampa Bay Rays built a franchise. Now, as the team chases its first World Series title, the Clearwater couple is preparing to be back in those seats Monday night for Game 3.
Their connection to baseball in Tampa Bay runs deeper than fandom. Jack, a former utility executive, was part of the effort that helped bring Major League Baseball to St.
Petersburg in the 1990s while working as an executive at Florida Progress Corp., the parent company of Florida Power. Since Opening Day in 1998, the Critchfields have been part of the ballpark scene, nearly always in place behind home plate.
Jack, now 93, says the game has shaped much of his life.
"All good things that have happened in my life really started with baseball and my love for the game," he said.
The couple has been married nearly 40 years, and baseball has become part of how they spend time together. Jack says Mary has become fully invested in the sport, even to the point of knowing it better than he does.
"Not only did she pick up on baseball, she now knows it better than I do," Critchfield said. "She pushes me to come to the game."
Mary puts it in simpler terms.
"I always say it’s our date night with 15,000 to 20,000 other people," she said.
That routine has been remarkably steady. Over the past 28 seasons, they have averaged attendance at 78 of 81 regular-season home games each year. Along the way, they’ve built real relationships with other fans and with people who work at the stadium, turning Tropicana Field into something close to a second home.
"We know a lot about people's lives," Mary said. "Sometimes more than you even know about your own family members."
The bond with the ballpark was tested last October, when Hurricane Milton tore the roof off Tropicana Field. Jack said the damage made him fear the Rays’ future in St. Petersburg.
"Truly when the top went off The Trop, I figured this might be the end," he said. "This might be end of baseball in this area."
Instead, the stadium has been restored after a nearly $60 million renovation, and the Rays have answered with a run to the American League pennant.
Earlier this month, the organization gave Jack a moment he’ll never forget: a call inviting him to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees. For a man who helped bring pro baseball to the area, the moment landed hard.
"That stadium was so full of people and they were cheering so loudly," Critchfield concluded. "It didn't just hit me in the heart; it hit me in my soul."
The Critchfields called it one of the best days of their lives.
They’re not done yet, either. Beyond this World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, they’re already looking ahead to the Rays’ planned $2.3 billion ballpark in Tampa, expected to open in 2029. The couple says the drive will be about the same as the one they make now, and they’ve already signed up for season tickets.
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