Tropicana Field has a new roof, and the Milwaukee Brewers are already dealing with a tricky view of fly balls. Milwaukee heads to Florida with a 2-0 World Series lead against the Tampa Bay Rays, but the stadium has a few quirks that could affect how the games play out.
Brewers closer Trevor Megill was not thrilled with the roof's color. He felt the bright white surface made it hard to track a white baseball in the air, and he had some harsh words for whoever picked it.
During a team workout, Milwaukee spent time testing how fly balls bounce off the roof. Manager Pat Murphy viewed the drills as part of getting used to an odd venue. His players had to learn the layout and deal with it.
Hurricane Milton had torn apart the old covering in 2024. It had been in place since Tropicana Field opened in 1990, and the replacement is far brighter. That change has given fielders another thing to deal with when they look up.
Then there are the four catwalk rings. The stadium's fixed dome slopes from its high point near second base toward the outfield, with platforms sitting from 59 to 194 feet up. Cables help hold the structure in place, which explains why those walkways are there.
Most other MLB parks with roofs can open them. Rogers Centre, Chase Field, T-Mobile Park, Daikin Park, American Family Field, loanDepot Park, and Globe Life Field all have that option. Tampa Bay's fixed dome is a different setup.
And the rules get quite specific when a baseball strikes one of those overhead rings. The A ring sits in fair ground, and any ball that hits it stays live. A fielder can catch the rebound for an out, while a ball that drops onto the turf counts as a hit.
The B ring stretches over both fair and foul areas. When a hit strikes its fair section, it follows the A ring rule. But the C and D rings work another way. Contact with either in fair ground gives the batter an automatic homer.
Retired MLB umpire Dale Scott used to remind his crew to watch each high fly from several angles. With all that gear hanging overhead, the official closest to a play may not have the best view. Replay can help sort out contact and which ring the ball struck.
Milwaukee has faced a roof ruling before. In the National League Division Series, San Diego's Ty France hit a drive with the chance to put the Padres ahead by two runs. Instead, Jackson Chourio caught it after the ball struck the stadium roof, making it an out.
Tampa Bay has quite a history of odd plays as well. Jose Canseco hit a drive into the B ring in 1999, but the ball got stuck. He felt it had plenty of distance for a homer, yet the umpires gave him a double.
Carlos Peña faced much the same fate in 2008. His apparent home run ended up as a two-base hit after getting trapped overhead. Tough break for a batter who had sent the ball that high.
César Puello had a strange result in 2017. His hit struck a ring and fell onto fair turf, earning him a single despite the ball's path through foul ground. Baltimore manager Buck Showalter disputed the call.
Heliot Ramos had his turn with the catwalks while playing for San Francisco. His deep drive looked set for a homer, but Rays outfielder Cedric Mullins made the catch. Officials lacked enough proof to reverse the out, and two Giants got ejected during the dispute.
The bullpens add one more odd detail. Rather than sit past the outfield fence, they run along the foul lines and remain part of live play. Players have to account for those areas as well.
Other parks have their quirks, of course. In the 2025 World Series, Dodgers outfielder Justin Dean used the rules at Toronto's Rogers Centre to stop play when a ball became trapped beneath the outfield wall.
For Milwaukee and Tampa Bay, keeping track of the ball overhead and knowing which surfaces count could matter just as much as a clean catch.
Brewers closer Trevor Megill was not thrilled with the roof's color. He felt the bright white surface made it hard to track a white baseball in the air, and he had some harsh words for whoever picked it.
During a team workout, Milwaukee spent time testing how fly balls bounce off the roof. Manager Pat Murphy viewed the drills as part of getting used to an odd venue. His players had to learn the layout and deal with it.
Hurricane Milton had torn apart the old covering in 2024. It had been in place since Tropicana Field opened in 1990, and the replacement is far brighter. That change has given fielders another thing to deal with when they look up.
Then there are the four catwalk rings. The stadium's fixed dome slopes from its high point near second base toward the outfield, with platforms sitting from 59 to 194 feet up. Cables help hold the structure in place, which explains why those walkways are there.
Most other MLB parks with roofs can open them. Rogers Centre, Chase Field, T-Mobile Park, Daikin Park, American Family Field, loanDepot Park, and Globe Life Field all have that option. Tampa Bay's fixed dome is a different setup.
And the rules get quite specific when a baseball strikes one of those overhead rings. The A ring sits in fair ground, and any ball that hits it stays live. A fielder can catch the rebound for an out, while a ball that drops onto the turf counts as a hit.
The B ring stretches over both fair and foul areas. When a hit strikes its fair section, it follows the A ring rule. But the C and D rings work another way. Contact with either in fair ground gives the batter an automatic homer.
Retired MLB umpire Dale Scott used to remind his crew to watch each high fly from several angles. With all that gear hanging overhead, the official closest to a play may not have the best view. Replay can help sort out contact and which ring the ball struck.
Milwaukee has faced a roof ruling before. In the National League Division Series, San Diego's Ty France hit a drive with the chance to put the Padres ahead by two runs. Instead, Jackson Chourio caught it after the ball struck the stadium roof, making it an out.
Tampa Bay has quite a history of odd plays as well. Jose Canseco hit a drive into the B ring in 1999, but the ball got stuck. He felt it had plenty of distance for a homer, yet the umpires gave him a double.
Carlos Peña faced much the same fate in 2008. His apparent home run ended up as a two-base hit after getting trapped overhead. Tough break for a batter who had sent the ball that high.
César Puello had a strange result in 2017. His hit struck a ring and fell onto fair turf, earning him a single despite the ball's path through foul ground. Baltimore manager Buck Showalter disputed the call.
Heliot Ramos had his turn with the catwalks while playing for San Francisco. His deep drive looked set for a homer, but Rays outfielder Cedric Mullins made the catch. Officials lacked enough proof to reverse the out, and two Giants got ejected during the dispute.
The bullpens add one more odd detail. Rather than sit past the outfield fence, they run along the foul lines and remain part of live play. Players have to account for those areas as well.
Other parks have their quirks, of course. In the 2025 World Series, Dodgers outfielder Justin Dean used the rules at Toronto's Rogers Centre to stop play when a ball became trapped beneath the outfield wall.
For Milwaukee and Tampa Bay, keeping track of the ball overhead and knowing which surfaces count could matter just as much as a clean catch.
