Rays offer free tickets to Florida residents displaced by Hurricane Dorian
The Tampa Bay Rays are looking to give Florida residents displaced by Hurricane Dorian a brief distraction on Sunday.
In a statement released before Saturday's game against the Cleveland Indians, the Rays announced they will be offering those Floridians complimentary tickets to Sunday's series finale.
We welcome any Florida resident who is being displaced or evacuated from the east coast to Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Indians.
INFO // https://t.co/pRWvQ4SCNO pic.twitter.com/S9PJBdzelK— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 31, 2019
The offer is good for residents on the east coast of Florida who are seeking refuge from the Category 4 hurricane.
Fans will be asked to show their Florida driver's license at the BayCare box office at Tropicana Field. Ticket distribution starts 90 minutes prior to the game's scheduled 1:10 p.m. ET first pitch.
More information can be found here.
Similar offers have been made by Major League Baseball teams in the past. In 2017, the Atlanta Braves offered tickets to anyone in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, or South Carolina that had been displaced by Hurricane Irma.
Some will joke that the Rays are following suit because of their attendance woes. Don’t be one of those people. This is a nice gesture on their part.
Rays reschedule Wednesday’s game
Hurricane Dorian is also wreaking havoc on the Rays’ travel schedule.
In addition to the ticket offer, the Rays announced that Wednesday’s home game against the Baltimore Orioles has been rescheduled for Tuesday.
Wednesday’s home game vs. the Orioles has been rescheduled for Tuesday as part of a single-admission doubleheader, beginning at 3:10 p.m.
Details on tickets, exchanges, etc. will follow shortly.— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 31, 2019
The Tampa Bay-St. Petersburg area is not expected to be directly impacted by Hurricane Dorian. However, the storm will undoubtedly impact travel in and out of the area, and will potentially impact travel all the way up the east coast.
The extra day will give the visiting Baltimore Orioles some extra time to figure out how and when they’ll travel home for Thursday’s game.
The scheduling change is notable for a Rays team that’s currently battling for the second AL wild card spot. The unexpected added doubleheader will change the team’s approach to the week. Fortunately, with expanded rosters in September, that should be easier to manage.
Above all else, here’s hoping everyone in Florida and along the east coast stays safe.
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