If the Rays finish the job next week, fans may not have to choose between St. Petersburg and Tampa to celebrate. Both cities say they are preparing for victory parades if Tampa Bay wins its first World Series.
In St. Petersburg, Mayor Ken Welch said planners are looking at a route that could mirror the annual St.
Pete Pride parade along the downtown waterfront. “We are looking at that right now because the timetable is really tight,” Welch said.
Game 7, if it’s necessary, falls on Halloween, just three days before the Nov. 3 election, and Welch is on the ballot for reelection. “We invite all of our brethren to come party at the home of the Rays.”
Tampa, meanwhile, is talking about a boat parade, keeping with the way the city has marked other sports titles. “We had one for the Super Bowl-winning Bucs, two for the Stanley Cup-winning Lightning, and one for the USL Super League Champions, the Tampa Bay Sun,” Tampa spokesperson Adam Smith texted. “Heck yeah, we’re going to have a boat parade after the Rays win the (World Series).”
Tampa City Council chairperson Alan Clendenin said the city is “actively working on it behind the scenes.” Rays CEO Ken Babby did not immediately respond to a text message and phone call seeking comment.
The dual planning says plenty about the franchise’s split identity, with St. Petersburg tied to the past and Tampa linked to what comes next. The Rays have already brokered a deal to build a stadium on Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus, while Tropicana Field remains their home for two more seasons under contract.
That old ballpark is also in line for one last spotlight. The World Series amounts to a kind of final sendoff for Tropicana Field before the team’s move, and the new Tampa stadium is expected to open in 2029.
Clendenin, a strong backer of the Tampa plan, said he believes the current success could carry forward. He praised the ownership group led by managing partner Patrick Zalupski and said, “This isn’t going to be one of those one-offs where they’ve dumped a bunch of money to buy a bunch of rich talent and it only pays off one time,” Clendenin said.
“I could see this kind of momentum carrying us through to the new stadium. That’d be amazing.”
In Other News...
Junior Caminero Just Gave Rays Fans A New October Debate
Junior Camineros seventh-inning blast in ALCS Game 6 was the kind of swing that can tilt a series and shift a clubhouses whole mood. The Rays needed a breakthrough against Cleveland, got one in a 7-3 win, and now have themselves a World Series date with the Milwaukee Brewers. For a young player who has been part of the franchises growing October identity, it was the sort of moment that can linger well beyond the box score.
What made the homer even more of a talking point was everything that followed it, because Camineros celebration quickly became part of the story too. Baseball has a long memory for postseason theatrics, and this one drew a split reaction from commentators who either loved the swagger or thought it went too far. In a month where every detail gets magnified, the Rays suddenly have a fresh debate attached to their newest October star. [Read more 🡒]
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This one proved even more consequential. Freddy Peralta became a central figure in the postseason run, giving the Rays the kind of impact arm they needed when the games tightened and the stakes rose. The price to land him was significant, with Emilien Pitre, Aidan Smith and Gary Gill Hill all heading the other way, but the sort of move that can define a front office is rarely judged by the prospect package first. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Fans Are Loving This Simpson And Caminero Speed Contrast
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A viral video from Rob Friedman put the contrast on full display, and it is easy to see why Rays fans ran with it. Simpson was all urgency and footspeed, Caminero all deliberate power, and the comparison captured something fun about this team at exactly the right time. It also set up a memorable bit of postseason theater, with one player racing to beat the throw and the other taking his time circling the bases after one of the biggest swings of the night. [Read more 🡒]