In the early hours of what would be another Randy Land event at Tropicana Field, the Rays traded their star player, denying him the chance to step onto the field and bask in the spotlight one final time.
It felt surreal when the broadcast camera caught Randy and his family sitting in the left field stands during the fourth inning.
I quickly shared my feelings on X, realizing I couldn’t bear to watch the game—I was too emotional and upset to deal with the Rays broadcast while the moment still felt so fresh and painful.
By that point, the Rays had scored two runs, with Jose Siri getting an RBI through a fielder’s choice and Caballero adding another with a hit through the left side and a celebratory bat spike.
In the top of the fourth, Yandy made an impressive diving stop and threw out the runner advancing to second base.
Then the cameras found Randy.
The Arozarena family weeping from the stands.
This is simultaneously everything right and wrong with Rays baseball. pic.twitter.com/ZCAljgAtmE
— Danny Russell (@d_russ) July 27, 2024
After that, I ended up at the beach with two close friends, playing catch to release some frustration. Once I had calmed down enough, I put on my Randy Land shirt, went out for wings, and then returned to the beach for some cigars. By the time I got home, I couldn’t even bring myself to check the score.
The Rays ended up losing despite a strong performance from Shane Baz, who struck out seven against a solid Reds team. The game went into extra innings, and the player who inherited Kevin Kiermaier’s number gave up the winning run to the Reds in the tenth inning.
Since the Rays joined the MLB in 1998, they have had a total of 6 players play at least 8 seasons with the franchise (min. 1 GP in reg season or playoffs).
That is tied for the second fewest such players over that span in MLB (Athletics, Marlins) just behind the Pirates (5). pic.twitter.com/OUg3BffFJk
— Greg Harvey (@BetweenTheNums) July 27, 2024
Kiermaier, another key player for the franchise, announced this would be his final season. He is one of only six players to have appeared in eight seasons with Tampa Bay, a notable achievement.
The others on that list include Carl Crawford, BJ Upton, Ben Zobrist, Evan Longoria, and Chris Archer.
It seems Randy Arozarena will not be joining that list.
