FanFest fires up Devil Rays fans

[Times photo: Michael Rondou]

Robbie Carroll, 12, came to FanFest with his friend, Corey Fetting, 11. They waited in line to have their baseballs autographed by pitcher Travis Harper.

ST. PETERSBURG -- With football season over, it is time to listen for the crack of the bat. Time to singTake Me Out to the Ballgame. Time to eat hot dogs, peanuts and Cracker Jack.

Yep, it's baseball season.

Eager and excited baseball fans filed into Tropicana Field last month for the annual Tampa Bay Devil Rays ' FanFest to meet their favorite players and sign up for tickets. Huge crowds sported swarmed across the baseball field, sporting Rays clothing. Hundreds of fans lined up for autographs from their favorite players while children waited in line to run the bases.

Near the leftfield wall, large groups of people sat at a long table manned by computer operators to buy tickets for the season advertised as a "whole new ballgame."

The biggest reason for all the excitement is the hiring of the new manager, Lou Piniella. Jake Axley, a 9-year-old Rays fan, thinks that it was smart to hire Piniella. "He is a better coach than the other coach that they had," said Jake, a student at Braden River Elementary in Bradenton.

Jake and his parents had just finished a tour of the clubhouse. Jake got to see the player's lockers and Piniella's office.

After the clubhouse tour, Jake was able to sit in the visitors dugout and have his picture taken by his parents. He is hoping there will be a lot of unhappy teams sitting in that dugout this season.

While waiting in line for a player autograph, Robbie Carroll, 12, said he is a huge Devil Rays fan. "It is the home team and I like to go to the games," said Robbie, who is home-schooled. He agrees that the Rays will do better this year with Piniella in charge and probably will have a winning season. If so, it would be the first winning season in the team's short history.

"(Piniella) will help them improve," Robbie said. "He can get some new people to the team that will help them out."

[Times photo: Michael Rondou]

Besides getting to play, Jake Axley, 9, toured the Devil Rays’ clubhouse.

Robbie came to FanFest with his friend Corey Fetting, 11. They waited in line to have their baseballs autographed by pitcher Travis Harper. Getting autographs was their favorite part of the day.

As the fans walked around Tropicana Field, they watched Rays highlights on the big screen in the outfield. Children were throwing balls and playing catch in a roped-off area. Other children took off their shoes and jumped around in a Moonwalk. Kids lined up to run the bases.

So as spring training kicks into high gear, it will now only be a few weeks before the real season begins. Then it will be time for a whole new ballgame.

-- Jacob Ludin, 11, is a fifth grader at the Pinellas County Jewish Day School in Clearwater.

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