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Fan: 'It was about being here'By JOHN C. COTEY © St. Petersburg Times, published April 1, 1998 The Rays lost their opener 11-6, but that seemed to matter little to fans exiting Tropicana Field on Tuesday night. "So what?" was the general response. Loaded down with seat cushions, commemorative pennants, souvenir cups and white plastic bags filled with gift-shop buys, fans were almost jovial as lines six and seven people deep formed afterward to buy tickets. "I thought it was awesome," said Tampa's Brad Welch, flanked by sons Bradley, 10, and Logan, 8. "It'll take awhile to get it going. It wasn't about winning tonight, it was about being here." Bradley was undeterred by the score. "I think they'll go all the way," he said. The Devil Rays seemed to win over most fans, many of whom hung in as Detroit took a big lead. Children who before had only Atlanta and Florida to root for finally had a hometown team. Chris Patrick, 12, of Tampa, seemed proud of the Vince Naimoli autograph on the bill of his Devil Rays cap. Chris confessed to being a Braves fan, and friends Shay Corbett and Nathan Langford, both 12, admitted they rooted for the New York Mets and Braves, respectively, but they were open to change. "It was good to have a home team (to root for)," Chris said. "I'm excited." Said Shay: "I thought they were doing great. But Detroit's just a better team, and it was the first game. I really like the Devil Rays lineup, though." Mark Green was typical of many fans. He came straight from the office for the 5:05 start. A workday outfit of gray slacks, white shirt, tie and cell phone was topped off with a Devil Rays cap touting the inaugural season. "I love them," Green said. "I've been here all my life. This was a dream come true. You have to expect the result, though. It's an expansion team. But they're going to do good. You just need time and patience. "They could have lost 100-0 and I would have been just as happy being here." Travis Nafe and his pal R.J. Menendez, 10th-graders at Jesuit High School in Tampa, skipped school for Opening Day. Nafe is the son of Rick Nafe, vice president of stadium operations. "I wouldn't miss it," Travis said. "I waited three years for this day." Tampa's Suzanne McCaskill, 56, shared that sentiment. She had a cast on her right leg. Despite having to walk up to the "nosebleed" section in the upper deck, she was more than willing. "I said before we came, I told her that I don't know if she was going to be able to make it," said her friend Kathy Patrick of Tampa. "But she told me, "Oh, I'll make it.' " Said McCaskill: "I wasn't going to miss this game." There was some disappointment. "Wilson Alvarez was sucking wind,"' Bradley Welch said. "They do need pitching," said John Fernandez of Tampa, who was loaded down with Devil Rays paraphernalia. But home runs by Tampa natives Wade Boggs ("the highlight of the night," Fernandez called it) and Luis Gonzalez and a spirited rally helped dull the effect of the Tigers' big lead and 15 hits. "When it's 11-0, it's tough," said Ralph Barbon, 35, who went to the game with Fernandez. "You can't expect too much." What was expected was pomp and circumstance. From the ceremonial first pitch to the final rally, fans seemed to drink up the atmosphere of an event that was a long time coming. "I liked it a lot," Patrick Shea of Tampa said. "We weren't expecting them to really even win the game. It was just an excellent time, and it was so good to see the community come out for the first game. It would have been hard to have that same excitement without being here."
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T. PETERSBURG -- The fans wore Devil Rays T-shirts, hats and even face paint. What they weren't wearing were frowns.
