St. Petersburg is turning the St. Pete Pier into a glowing show of support for the Tampa Bay Rays as the team heads into the World Series.
Beginning Wednesday evening and continuing through the end of the series, the pier will light up in Rays colors, according to a city news release. The city also is putting together a special World Series poster, with copies set to be available starting Friday at City Hall, 175 Fifth St.
N., and next door at the Greenhouse, 440 Second Ave N. The release said the city will share updates on poster availability through its social media pages.
If the Rays go on to win it all, both St. Petersburg and Tampa are planning parades.
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said his staff is considering a route along the downtown waterfront that would follow the Pride parade route, while a Tampa spokesperson said that city would celebrate with a boat parade.
For the Rays’ first World Series game at Tropicana Field on Monday, the city said it does not expect any street closures.
Fans heading to the game are being urged to get there early. Parking on site is prepaid only, and a baseball shuttle will begin running three hours before first pitch and continue for two hours after the game, with service about every five minutes. The shuttle is free and picks up at Second Street South between Central Avenue and First Avenue South under the pedestrian bridge before dropping riders near the Trop on 16th Street just south of Third Avenue South.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority will also add more SunRunner buses to handle the expected increase in ridership, with service running until midnight. Fans can also use e-scooters, bike share and rideshare options including Uber and Lyft.
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 🡒]
Erik Neanders Deadline Gamble Just Changed Everything For The Rays
Erik Neander has spent years building a reputation for leaning into the trade deadline when the moment calls for it, and this time the gamble paid off in a very visible way. The Rays push to the American League pennant added another layer to Neanders track record, recalling the kind of bold deadline swing that once brought Nelson Cruz to Tampa Bay and gave the club a needed jolt.
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 World Series Run Is Stirring Up A Bigger Tampa Bay Debate
With the Rays on the cusp of their first World Series title, city leaders on both sides of Tampa Bay are already sketching out what a celebration would look like if next week ends with a championship. St. Petersburg and Tampa both want to be ready, and the planning reflects just how much this team still means across the region even as the long-term stadium picture continues to shift.
The timing only adds to the larger debate surrounding the franchises future. The Rays are still under contract at Tropicana Field for two more seasons, while the clubs new stadium in Tampa is slated to open in 2029, keeping attention fixed on where this team belongs even as it chases a title somewhere else. A parade would be a welcome problem to have, but it would also serve as another reminder that the Rays next chapter is still being written. [Read more 🡒]