ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — White Sox fans of a certain age must cringe every time their team visits Tropicana Field. They know the ballpark, which opened in 1990 as the Florida Suncoast Dome, was built to lure the Sox, who were trying to cut a deal for a new stadium in the late 80s.
But on June 30, 1988 — or July 1, depending on whether you believe the late Gov. Jim Thompson could suspend time — chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and the Sox got the financing for New Comiskey Park. And the rest is history.
But in 2026, the Sox no longer want to play where the Rays play. They want to play how the Rays play.
That’s not a bad idea, considering the Rays have two more postseason appearances than the Sox (11-9) in about, oh, 100 fewer years of existence. But let’s not nitpick. The Rays have the best record in the American League and a payroll in the bottom third. That sounds like a business model the perennially frugal Sox can get behind.
And they have. General manager Chris Getz has been looking at how teams such as the Rays and Brewers, both largely frugal themselves, succeed. That effort included poaching former Rays executive Carlos Rodriguez, who spent more than 15 seasons in the organization, and naming him an assistant general manager.
It also has included bringing in former Rays players, such as Tanner Murray, Everson Pereira and Tristan Peters. Their connection to the Rays isn’t the only reason Getz wanted them, but it certainly didn’t hurt.
Peters has been the most productive of the bunch, flashing enough leather and power to earn an All-Star bid in his rookie season. He isn’t sure whether the Sox are being influenced by the Rays’ way, but definitely sees similarities in the teams.
“Kind of the same play style. I think we have more slug,” Peters told the Sun-Times. “They’re bunting; we bunt, or we’ve got that small ball. Just that grit factor; they’ve got that, too. I know some of the guys on the team. They’re ballers; they’re good people, too. Similar team.”
Peters learned with the Rays what the Sox want for themselves, some of which they already have developed with this group.
“How to play as a team,” Peters said. “How to really mesh with your teammates and really play for them and win, too. I think that’s the culture here. We’re playing for each other. And I think I’ve learned that coming from there. It’s a very similar culture.”
The Rays even speak a similar language. The Sox break down hitting into three elements: decisions, contact and damage. Peters said the Rays have what they call “pillars,” which happen to be decisions, contact and damage.
“That’s how you’re evaluated in the minor leagues,” he said. “So, yeah, it’s very similar the way that their player development is, too, from what I’ve experienced anyway.”
To be sure, Peters played in only four games for the Rays, in 2025. But after being drafted by the Brewers in 2021 — out of Southern Illinois — he joined the Rays’ Double-A team in 2023 and played for their Triple-A team the next two years. He was indoctrinated in the Rays’ way.
Getz would like to instill many of those lessons in the Sox. Under manager Will Venable, some already have. But it actually will be Getz’s responsibility to bring in the type of talents the Rays do and develop them into the players the Rays have.
Maybe Rodriguez can help. When the Rays lost baseball chief Andrew Friedman after the 2014 season, many thought the organization — which had made the playoffs four times in a six-season stretch under Friedman, including a World Series appearance — would flounder.
Then the Rays went to the playoffs in five consecutive seasons from 2019 to 2023, including another World Series appearance.
So, yeah, the Sox would like to take that from the Rays, too.
“I think that there is something there with that,” Peters said of the Rays’ influence. “There’s a lot of similarities.”