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April 1, 1998 Hello Big Leagues And when it was done: Only remnants of Opening Day litter the Devil Rays dugout after the 11-6 loss to the Tigers on Tuesday. [Times photo: Toni L Sandys] Hurts So Good We built it. They came. They got stomped. But a late rally reminds Tampa Bay fans it's a season of 162 chances. Rays' defeat can't dampen winning spirit ST. PETERSBURG -- The day was memorable. The stadium resplendent. The fans euphoric. As for the Devil Rays? Well, they didn't fare as well. Their first-ever game turned out to be their first-ever defeat, an 11-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Glitches aside, opener is a hit with crowds ST. PETERSBURG -- The game was wonderfully ugly, and it didn't matter. The festive throng that packed Tropicana Field on Tuesday finally put St. Petersburg's 8-year-old domed stadium to its intended use and came away fulfilled. Gary Shelton | Hubert Mizell | Jacquin Sanders | The Umpires | The Visitors | Hometown Heroes | The Owner | The Rally |The Forgotten One | The Fans | The Manager | The Jazz Singer | The Anthem | Police actions | More Fanfare | The Food | The Beach | The Firsts Gary Shelton Dream was sweet for a moment ST. PETERSBURG -- There was a moment, just a moment, when they made you try to believe. When they made you push aside the obvious, when they made you think they could do things impossible. Back to menu Hubert Mizell At long last, Tampa Bay's major beginning ST. PETERSBURG -- Fruition. Jacquin Sanders Boys of summer tickle fancy of kids at the park Tropicana Field and the Devil Rays draw the younger set, who feel like winners even if the team didn't. Back to menu The Umpires Behind home and close to it Clearwater resident Richie Garcia has one of the best views of Tuesday's game: calling the balls and strikes. Back to menu Click here for a photo gallery of Opening Day at The Trop The Visitors Tigers steal thunder in dome From Detroit's point of view, a happy ending meant a victory for the visiting team. And that was all but sealed by the fifth inning. Back to menu Hometown Heroes Overall, a special day for Boggs Tampa's Wade Boggs, an area resident since 1969, became the first Devil Rays player to hit a home run. Afterward, he shared his thoughts on the fans, the atmosphere and the game. Back to menu Native makes a rousing return Detroit Tigers leftfielder Luis Gonzalez, a former star at Tampa Jefferson High, hit the first regular-season home run at Tropicana Field on Tuesday. The following is a compilation of his post-game comments. Back to menu The Owner Naimoli does it all on Opening Day From removing construction debris, to conducting media interviews, to signing autographs, the Devils Rays' managing general partner seemed to be everywhere. Back to menu The Rally Hey, what happened in the ninth? Fans cannot be faulted for losing interest in the late innings of a blowout baseball game, maybe leaving early to beat the traffic. Back to menu Game 2 starter Rolando Arrojo. Tonight's game: 7:05 vs. Detroit. The Forgotten One Announcer leaves Arrojo on bench When the Devil Rays were introduced before the game, the public address announcer omitted Rolando Arrojo, the former Cuban national team star and the Rays' highly touted $7-million ace. Back to menu The Firsts From pitches to double plays to proposals: night of firsts FIRST BANK CUSTOMER: Elmo and Janette Earls, 11 a.m. The Fans Fan: 'It was about being here' ST. PETERSBURG -- The fans wore Devil Rays T-shirts, hats and even face paint. What they weren't wearing were frowns. Back to menu The Food Fans forgive high prices for fabulous food ST. PETERSBURG -- Even before the Devil Rays took the field, Opening Day fans cheered the lineup in the concession stands, singing the praises of buying themselves peanuts and popcorn and Cracker Jacks -- and sushi, penne pasta, fresh shrimp, chicken tacos and $15 cigars. Where sports fans can feast their eyes Think of the Batter's Eye restaurant as a sports bar with an awesome view. The dome sells all, from beer to beignets Dale Del Bello's big baseball bet: Devil Rays fans will pick sushi over weiners. Thirsty fans pack bars, restaurants The Devil Rays lure fans -- even those without tickets -- to businesses near Tropicana Field before game time. "It's chaos. It's great," says one restaurant manager. Back to menu The Beach Palm trees, a view and a laid-back 'tude Spring in Connecticut is cold and wet. Chris Snyder and Jason Gahr needed a little sun and sand. The Manager His 15-hour day ends at 0-1 But Larry Rothschild sees no need for despair. "It's 162 games; we've got 161 left." Back to menu The Jazz Singer One more time, from the top Jazz singer Belinda Womack began the national anthem, then stopped when the field announcer continued to speak, completing his introductions. Back to menu The Anthem Finally, it was our anthem ST. PETERSBURG -- It takes only about 90 seconds to render The Star-Spangled Banner, which may be why, save for a performance by a big-name singing star, it has become such a trifling formality in the fast-paced world of professional sports. Back to menu Police actions Six arrested during Uhuru protest along Interstate 175 ST. PETERSBURG -- As jubilant baseball fans poured into the city Tuesday, members of a black activist group stood in front of traffic to call attention to economic disparities they say keep minorities from sharing in baseball's riches. Police shut out ticket scalpers Undercover officers at Tropicana Field arrest about 30 people who are accused of selling tickets or unlicensed products. Back to menu More Fanfare Parking lots fill up as fans come early ST. PETERSBURG -- Tom Mumford thought he had it all figured out. Fans find traffic flows freely Backups never materialize, which the city parking manager attributes to residents' familiarity with the area. Back to menu The money is there for the making Vince Naimoli and his partners weren't the only ones collecting money from baseball fans Tuesday afternoon. Back to menu For business heavy hitters: How suite it is A look inside Tropicana Field's luxury suites says a lot about the bay area as a corporate center. Back to menu Nothing tops the dome's front row Kevin Reilly sat quietly in his $195 seat 10 minutes before reality sunk in. Then the St. Petersburg lumber wholesaler stood up and bellowed. Back to menu Trip across bay becomes 'real good soft ride' Fans from outside St. Petersburg say the drive to the stadium was quick and easy. Back to menu The Dome's secrets lie buried no more A player makes a grisly discovery in the infield. Or did he? It is April 1, after all. Back to menu Two visionaries live their 'Field of Dreams' ST. PETERSBURG -- They ended their long quest exactly as they had started it. Just fans. Back to menu Rays tickets are a piece of history Fans, collectors look to preserve and cash in on Game 1 memorabilia. Tampa Bay's high points in sports Of the seven teams before the Rays to start up in Tampa Bay since 1970, only the Bucs and Storm lost their debuts. Here's how the teams' debuts went: National media need geography lesson Baseball may have been the center of the Tampa Bay area's existence Tuesday, but a glance at the national media reveals that the Devil Rays' first game didn't receive quite the same attention outside the Sunshine State. Trop's creature comforts leave fans feeling satisfied From its cigar bar to its wine room to its concession stands offering everything from hot dogs to steaks, fans were right at home. Alvarez comes up way short ST. PETERSBURG -- Reliever Terrell Wade was the first to meet Wilson Alvarez at the edge of the dugout. The meeting came far sooner than expected. Devil Rays Quotebook "I've been a part of a lot of Opening Days, and this was a good one. They're all special. Just to be playing the game is special. We lost today 11-6, but that's the same as losing 1-0. It's still a loss. The good thing about baseball is you learn from your mistakes, come back at 7 o'clock tomorrow night and get another chance. It's a long season." Business | Citrus | Commentary | Entertainment Hernando | Floridian | Obituaries | Pasco | Sports State | Tampa Bay | World & Nation © Copyright 1999 St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.