Remembering the Rays and Gameworks Events
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Over the past couple of Tampa Bay Rays seasons that Rays Season Ticket holders have seen some of their past ” advantages” going by the wayside. We used to get one of every promotional item, plus had an end-of-the-season Team Photo Day with the Rays players to get memorable photos to put on our face book pages or computer screensavers. We were a bit spoiled at times and got used to getting the “star” treatment from the Season Ticket Sales Department at every turn.
But in the last several years the goodies have gotten pushed into bag “A” or Bag “B”, with limited promotional items, plus the omission of most of the kid’s items tend to make a few of my nephews and distant cousins sad that they could not get special Rays toys for their Christmas stockings. But with the recent closure of a Centro Ybor institution, another Rays budding tradition is left by the wayside…never to happen again.
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When the Gameworks family-friendly arcade closed their doors after spending 10 years upon the landscape of the small cultural center of Ybor City. So I want to take today’s blog posting to remember some of the events and times I remember at the Centro Ybor landmark that I will miss more for the faint echoes of young Rays fans and their familes taking a night out with Rays teammates and celebrating as a true Rays Republic.
I can still remember attending a long ago Rays Christmas party for local youth from the Boys and Girls Club at Gameworks where ex-Rays Toby Hall and Seth McClung spent most of the afternoon playing carnival type games and race simulation events with the kids laughing, smiling and giggling at the big players trying to keep up with them both on the screen and running around the arcade area. With presents and food and games galore, I do not think anyone, including the Rays players went home without an ear-to-ear smile on their faces.
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But the scene that still stays deep within my mind is not the photo of me helping myself to the yellow chocolate sauce fountain, but of Rays outfielder Jonny Gomes holding court at the end of the bar just to the left as you entered the arcade. Gomes was in hid element that night, shaking hands and hugging friends, plus raising a toast or two to the Rays success. And hidden just a few feet behind Gomes was Maddon who was sitting there with several fans discussing all kinds of things besides baseball and seeming to really enjoy himself. But the best part was seeing Rays players like Scott Kazmir playing an NBA video game with a younger Rays fans and getting his booty kicked, but loving every minute of it.
And the 2009 event was a standing room only affair with almost double the crowd, and double the fun as most of the Rays players from that day came out including every member of the Rays rotation. From Matt Garza trying to be slick and getting beaten time after time on the Dance, Dance Revolution machine, to Grant Balfour’s fiancee’ kicking all comers’ brains-in on the Dance, Dance Revolution machine, including reliever Randy Choate. It was a great time where fans and players got to mingle and bring some of that special chemistry that Rays have with their fans.
And maybe it is true that all good things come to an end sometimes, and that you got to truly treasure your moments within the game of baseball for the future telling of great tales and adventures. And you can bet Gomes, Kazmir and Jackson have taken these memories of Gameworks with them as they left for other Major League Baseball venues, and hoped that their new teams would also embark on these same types of great inter-mingling player/fan activities.
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It is a time I that is near and dear to my heart, because as an ex-football player, I always cherished these special times with the team’s fans to not only take photos and talk about other things outside of baseball, but to show the “human” side of ourselves to those same fans.
But this Rays team is certainly one of the most open and fan-friendly teams I have ever seen around baseball. They respect the way the fans support and try and use noise either by cowbells or their voices to show audible support for the team. And the many home-made or professionally-made signs by Rays fans show they have their players back.
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Congratulations on your 750th post. I can always count great stuff about the Rays when I come by here.
I’ve seen Arcade, after Arcade close down in my hometown. A shame because I sometimes have the urge to share my great video game ability with others. Awesome chocolate fountain, btw!
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Homer,
Thanks for that.
Been a long time writing on here, and glad someone actually reads to the end of the post (lol).
Video arcades like we had when I was a kid are a dying breed. They are replaced now by the home unit anyone can purchase, with a set of game for around $ 300.
No more hunting for quarters, saving up for a movie and an hour in the aracde on a Saturday afternoon.
I will miss Gameworks because it is a part of my youth that is disappearing fast.
Now I understand my grandfather’s woes when the soda fountain was replaced at the Rexall Drug store near out house.
Rays Renegade
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Wow! Your 750th post! Pretty impressive. Just wanted to let you know I put the pic of us on my blog for a contest I’m running!
- http://janeheller.mlblogs.com
Jane,
I am not sure if it is impressive or just a lot of writing about nothing, Seinfeld-style.
Seriously it has been an eye-opening experience at times, but has never been dull or routine to me.
I try and write what I might like to see or know about, and try and do an angle the rest of the world either doesn’t have the time to write, or do not think their editors will approve for print.
Rays Renegade
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congrats on 750! if there was ever a MLBlogs HOF, you will be in the first induction class!
i’m so pumped for tonight. even though the Bucs arent in action i will be following the O’s-Rays. my two best buds at WVU are die hards of either squad. im excited to be the moderater
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Matt,
I might have a place in some list, but the Hall of Fame would not be the place for my name.
It is not like a blogger could ever win a Ford Frick Award, unless they are a major media player like Peter Gammons.
It should be a great game, and some of the pre-game stuff is just as exciting as the game action some nights.
I am sorry that West Virginia did not pull it out in the NCAA Tourney. I had them in the Finals in 5 of my 10 entries, and really thought Duke and WVU might be in the fight to the Final Four.
Guess one out of two isn’t bad, but thre wrong one is the Champs.
Rays Renegade
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