Tropicana Field is set to become the first cashless sports facility in North America.
Following news that the Tampa Bay Rays will reduce the seating capacity of Tropicana Field in 2019, the team announced the stadium will become the first cashless sports facility in North America.
According to the press release below, Tropicana Field’s concessions, team stores, box office, and all other points–of–sale will operate cash–free in 2019:
The Tampa Bay Rays announced today that, in collaboration with hospitality partner Levy and analytics and emerging tech firm E15, Tropicana Field will become the firstcash–free sports venue in North America.
Tropicana Field’s concessions, team stores, box office, and all other points–of–sale will operate cash–free in 2019. The move follows extensive pilot testing engineered and led by E15 at Tropicana Field and venues nationwide to measure the effects of cash–free transactions. These tests found that transitioning to cash–free environments results in an average transaction timeof up to half that of traditional environments that accept cash, resulting in faster moving lines and increased fan satisfaction.
Forms of payment accepted at concession stands and retail stores inside the ballpark will include major credit cards, Rays gift cards, NFC mobile payments such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, and Season Ticket Holder Rays Cards. For fans without electronic forms of payment, cash can be exchanged for gift cards in any amount at all retail locations and in $10 or $20 increments through roaming gift card vendors. Tropicana Field’s parking operations will also be cash–free, as they were for the 2018 season.
“We have made significant investments each year to improve the ballpark experience for fans, including an overhaul of our approach to food and beverage since the beginning of our partnership with Levy,” said Rays Vice President of Strategy & Development William Walsh. “This change will increase speed of service and reduce lines throughout the ballpark.”
“Throughout our testing last season at Tropicana Field, we saw thatfans quickly adapted to cash–free environments and loved the resulting benefits to the game–day experience,” said Jaime Faulkner, CEO of E15. “By offering fans a variety of forms of electronic payment, coupled with the ability to exchange cash for gift cards, we can ensure that fans are having frictionless experiences and getting back to enjoy the game.”
Fan Fest on February 9 will be the first cash–freeevent at Tropicana Field in 2019. A free event, fans are invited to shop at the Rays Baseball Foundation’s Yard Sale, as well as the Rays Republic Team Store and auxiliary shops during Fan Fest. Several concession stands will also be open and will accept digital payments.
Concerned fans have been quick to push back on the new policy. And while the team intends to create a frictionless experience that allows fans to get back the game, the decision ignores how restrictive this can be for low-income households that do not have access to credit cards or are not in a position to load cards with cash they won’t get back later.
Or, in the words of John Romano (Tampa Bay Times), “Going cashless at Tropicana Field carries the unmistakable whiff of arrogance.”
It’s a bold idea, and the Rays say plenty of research indicates it will lead to a better, more streamlined fan experience at the stadium. That may be true in theory. And it may be the wave of the future.
But it ignores the reality that a lot of people, for whatever reason, prefer to use cash. Even worse, this unilateral decision carries an unmistakable whiff of arrogance.
We know what’s best for you.
Essentially, that’s what the Rays are saying. And that’s a horrible message to send when you’re in the business of trying to attract more customers. Especially when you’re the worst in the league at that skill.
…So getting fans to buy gift cards in advance almost guarantees they will show up at Tropicana Field for some upcoming homestand, and that seems like a good business strategy.But what do you do with a $10 gift card that has $2 left on it? Do you now have to buy a second gift card so you can combine them to pay for your next $8 beer? And what about all of those gift cards that get lost or forgotten with $2 left on them? That’s free money in the team’s pocket.
On the bright side, the team is again tapping into the local art community for things like the Rays Artist Series caps, murals at the stadium, and more.
The Rays held a voluntary workout at Tropicana Field on Friday. Among the players in attendance were Yonny Chirinos, Jose De Leon, Wilmer Font, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Honeywell, Michael Perez, Ryne Stanek, and Ryan Yarbrough.
Font recently began to throw fastball-only bullpen sessions after suffering an abrupt season-ending lat strain in late June. He expects to be ready for Spring Training. The right-hander performed to a 1.67 ERA across 27 innings for Tampa Bay after he was acquired him from Oakland in May. A healthy Font would give the Rays yet another pitching weapon, capable of a traditional bullpen role or, perhaps, again working as an “opener.”
The highly touted Honeywell is said to be throwing well in recovery from Tommy John surgery with good progress and no setbacks. He is aiming for a potential Major League debut sometime in June.
De Leon, who had Tommy John surgery just after Honeywell, is also eager to get back on the mound on a similar timetable.
I don’t want to get too much ahead, De Leon said. But I’m 26; I’ll be 27 this year. So it’s time. The time is now. I feel really good. Today has been the best day I’ve felt so far. That’s my approach
Rays manager Kevin Cash told Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) he was pleased with the composition of the roster after the team acquired INF Yandy Diaz, OF Avasail Garcia, OF Guillermo Heredia, C Mike Zunino, and P Charlie Morton.
You’ve got to be excited, he said. Even without the moves in the off-season, we were pretty excited. … And we’ve made some nice additions that we think are going to fill some big spots, big roles for us.
Cash also said Matt Duffy is slated to be the Rays starting third baseman, with Diaz also projected to see time at the hot corner. Diaz figures to split time between third and first base, and “eventually” the outfield.
Pitching still remains an area of concern, although Cash is confident with the group they have now. As we noted previously, signing a closer is not out of the question, yet the trio of Jose Alvarado, Chaz Roe, and Diego Castillo are likely to earn the opportunity to close out games.
I like the options that we have, Cash said. Anytime you ask me about pitching I’m always going to say whatever we can do to get more. So we’ve just got to wait and see how spring training unfolds.
Noteworthiness
— The team inked a minor league deal with RHP Casey Sadler, adding to the list of pitchers with Major League experience invited to Spring Training with the Rays.
Sadler, 28, pitched for the Pirates in 2014 and 2015, yet suffered an elbow injury which required Tommy John surgery in November 2015. After a long recovery, the right-hander made it back to the big leagues last August.
Over the three seasons, he has pitched in nine Major League games having gone 1-1, with a 6.86 ERA. Sadler remains one out away from hurling his 20th inning.
He most of his 2018 campaign at Triple-A, working to a 3.39 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 across 77 innings.
— The Rays outrighted Oliver Drake, who had been designated for assignment in order to make room for Avisail Garcia last week. Per MLB Trade Rumors,
The Rays announced that left-hander Oliver Drake has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, as Drake cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week. This represents some rare stability for Drake, who has switched organizations seven times within the last nine months and became the first player to ever pitch for five different MLB teams in a single season. Drake posted a 5.29 ERA over 47 2/3 combined innings for his five clubs, with a 9.6 K/9 and 3.00 K/BB rate.
