Outside The Confines: Tropicana Field devastated by Hurricane Milton

The Tampa Bay Rays may need a new stadium sooner than expected.

Hurricane Milton, the fifth hurricane this year to make landfall in the US, and following shortly on the heels of Hurricane Helene was always going to be a destructive force in the Tampa Bay area, but in the aftermath of the brutal winds, there was an unexpected victim to the devastation: the roof of Tropicana Field.

The roof, though made of fabric, was built to withstand winds up to 115mph, and Milton proved to be too much for the stadium, as footage started to emerge on Wednesday night showing the roof in tatters. In the daylight, the destruction was even more heartbreakingly evident, with the roof almost entirely gone, and the interior of the field littered with debris.

At this time there’s no way to know the entirety of the damage the park has sustained. The Jumbotron is likely destroyed, the championship pennants no longer hang where they have for years, and the turf outfield may be a write-off.

But the Rays won’t know the totality of that destruction—or indeed if the stadium can be restored to be played in again—for some time. St. Petersburg and Tampa have more important matters to deal with before any rebuilding steps can take place, as displaced residents return to see if they have any homes waiting for them.

• Adam Berry looks at the damage and what might come after.
• The Washington Post staff explain how the stadium went from being an emergency relief center to a site of some of the city’s worst destruction.
• Marc Topkin looks at the future viability of the stadium. (Worth noting Topkin works for the Tampa Bay Times, whose office suffered its own remarkable damage when a construction crane fell through the windows)

Now on to the rest of today’s links!

• In the other biggest story of the week, it looks like the Twins may soon be on the market.

• Do-Hyoung Park looks at the potential sale of the Twins in more detail.
• Patrick Andres digs into the possible Twins sale as well.
• Ben Clemens thinks Riley Greene needs to make some new adjustments to regain his regular season All-Star quality.
• Shortstop Harry Chappas, famed for his small stature, has passed at age 66. Story by Mitch Dudek.
• Matt Martell relives the epic moment that sent the Mets to the NLCS.
• Tom Verducci believes Francisco Lindor is the postseason hero the Mets needed.
• Jayson Stark waxes poetic about the Lindor grand slam. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Bill Ladson shares Daniel Murphy’s enthusiasm that has the team believing they could win it all.
• Jazz Chisholm Jr reacts to the big boos from Royals fans. Story by Liam McKeone.
• Kiley McDaniel looks at the new qualifying offer value.
• Jay Jaffe looks at the unlikely run of good luck Jose Quintana is having.
• Cody Stavenhagen looks at the electric and chaotic path that brought the Tigers to the postseason. (The Athletic subscription required)
• The Braves are cleaning house with their coaching staff. (Field Level Media)
• Andy Nesbitt shares a rare heated moment from Shohei Ohtani that was captured on camera.
• Not sure how I feel about the dice, but I appreciate they’re keeping the classic design, name, and colors.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.