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The Tampa Bay Rays were displaced from Tropicana Field this season due to Hurricane Milton ripping the roof off the stadium. The quick solution for the Rays and Major League Baseball was to have the team play its home games at nearby Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees.
With the second half set to begin Friday and the Rays in the playoff hunt, though, the league had to make a decision.
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The Rays are on the cusp of securing a playoff spot, and if they were to clinch a spot, MLB has decided that the Rays will play their home playoff games at Steinbrenner Field, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Rays were in preliminary talks with MLB back in June about where they would play their home playoff games. While the thought of playing postseason baseball at a spring training stadium isn’t the most exciting proposition, that is what the league decided upon.
Topkin also reported that Manfred said, “Our rule has always been that people play in their home stadiums during the World Series. And I’m not of a mind to change that rule.”
While the scene may look strange, by having the Rays play October baseball at Steinbrenner Field, Rob Manfred and league officials are allowing the Tampa Bay fans to experience postseason baseball in their city rather than have the Rays play at a different stadium that makes it difficult for local fans to experience the playoffs.
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