The Milwaukee Brewers won the World Series after the Tampa Bay Rays hosted the final game of the season in St. Petersburg. The Rays were the home team on a night when 30 teams and 162 games each boiled down to two clubs.
The Brewers lost just twice during their postseason run. One of those losses came Tuesday night at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay trailed the series 3-0, then dragged it out for as long as the home park could possibly hold it.
No title for the Rays. Still, the run pulled in crowds from all over the region. Every bar with a TV in Tampa became a Rays watch party during October, and Ferg’s in St. Petersburg had no standing room left. Fans who didn’t own Rays gear went out and found a shirt, a hat, or a towel.
The players gave fans moments they will keep telling stories about. Several popped bottles of Budweiser and champagne in the visiting locker room at Yankee Stadium. Yandy Diaz strolled around eating a tomahawk steak, and Brett Phillips celebrated in the upper deck of Tropicana Field.
Few people saw this coming. On Opening Day, oddsmakers gave the team a 1.1% chance of reaching the World Series. The club had ended the 2025 season eight games under .500 and missed the playoffs.
The last two years took a lot from the franchise and the region. The team lost stars and its owners, and its stadium lost its roof. Fans lost homes and businesses.
Thirteen months ago, the Rays were playing in a Single-A minor league ballpark.
Back-to-back hurricanes hit the Tampa Bay area hard two years ago, and St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, and Sarasota have spent that time rebuilding. Slow summers forced local businesses to close and stalled momentum.
After that long stretch, the October run gave the region something to rally around. The outlet reported that the number of fans in the area has grown. Its writer described the Rays as a team that fit the region’s underdog status, and closed the piece by hoping to see the team take another shot next year.
Another positive note to hang out hat on was being able to show off our city to more folks traveling to watch the games. Many Brewer’s fans were interviewed on the streets or at the game and said how welcoming and nice the people of Tampa Bay were to them.