Sports

Main article: Sports in Tampa Bay

See also: Baseball in Tampa Bay

Professional Sports Clubs in the Tampa Bay Area

Club	Sport	League	Venue
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Football	National Football League	Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
Tampa Bay Lightning	Ice hockey	National Hockey League	Amalie Arena, Tampa
Tampa Bay Rays	Baseball	Major League Baseball	Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg
Tampa Bay Rowdies	Soccer	United Soccer League	Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg
Tampa Bay Storm	Arena football	Arena Football League	Amalie Arena, Tampa
Bay Area Pelicans	Rugby	USA Rugby Union	Sawgrass Park, St. Petersburg
Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg	Auto racing	IndyCar	Downtown Waterfront
Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg	Auto racing	American Le Mans Series	Downtown Waterfront

The Tampa-St. Petersburg area is represented by teams in four major professional sports (soccer, football, baseball, and hockey). Two teams, the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball and Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League play in St. Petersburg proper, while the other two teams play across the bay in Tampa.^{[citation needed]} All of the teams represent the entire Tampa Bay metropolitan area.
The Rays began play in 1998, finishing last in the American League's East Division in nine of the first ten seasons they played,^[165] including their last year known as the "Devil Rays": 2007.^[166] However, in 2008, their 11th season, they held off the Boston Red Sox and won the AL East Division Championship for the first time.^[167] In the playoffs, they again faced the Red Sox in the ALCS.^[168][169] They defeated Boston and won the American League Pennant.^[170] However, they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 World Series.^[171][172]

Tropicana Field shown from the upper deck during the first game of the 2010 Tampa Bay Rays season

From their inception until 2008, the Rays played their regular season games at Tropicana Field and their spring training games at historic Al Lang Stadium, formerly Progress Energy Park, giving them the unique distinction of being the only team in Major League Baseball that played its spring training games in their home city in more than 70 years.^{[citation needed]} However, starting in 2009, the Rays have held spring training at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, ending a 94-year streak of springtime baseball in the city.^[173][174] Tropicana Field, the home venue of the Rays, played host to the 1999 Final Four.^[175]
St. Petersburg is also home to the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the inaugural race was held in April 2005.^[176] The circuit itself is made of downtown streets passing Al Lang Stadium, the marina, and a runway in Albert Whitted Airport,^[177] and streets are temporarily blocked off for the annual Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series race.^[178] The race has been confirmed to return every year until at least 2017.^[179] In 2012, the road intersecting Turn 10 was renamed Dan Wheldon Way in memory of Dan Wheldon, who won the 2005 race thanks to a move made on that turn.^[180] Wheldon was killed in an accident at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the 2011 season finale.^[181]

The newly renovated Al Lang Stadium for the Tampa Bay Rowdies

The Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League began to play at Al Lang Stadium in April 2011, moving from George M. Steinbrenner Field after the 2010 season. They initially were going to play at Al Lang Stadium for 2 years however,^[182] on September 12, 2012, the Rowdies announced that they would be play at Al Lang stadium for a further 4 years.^[182]
Al Lang Stadium was named in honor of Al Lang, a former mayor of St. Petersburg who was responsible for bringing baseball spring training to the city in 1914.^[183]
St. Petersburg is the home of many past and present sports icons. WBC and IBF Light Middleweight Champion Ronald "Winky" Wright,^[184] and IBF, IBO, and WBO Champion Jeff Lacy hail from the area.^[185] Ernest Givins, Stacey Simmons, William Floyd, and Pat Terrell are some of the famous retired National Football League players from the city. Shaun King, Marquel Blackwell, Aveion Cason, Darren Howard, Tim Carter, Kenny Heatly, and DeAndrew Rubin are some players currently in the NFL from the city. Major League Baseball pitcher Doug Waechter is also from St. Petersburg, as well as Minnesota Twins pitcher Boof Bonser. Indy Racing League driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon (2005 and 2011) resided in St. Petersburg prior to his death in October 2011.^[186]
The Bay Area Pelicans Rugby Football Club has made their home in St. Petersburg since 1977. The Pelicans play in USA Rugby's Division II competing against teams throughout Florida and the United States.^[187] Throughout its history, the teams have won honors as Florida Cup Champions as well as berths in National Championship Tournaments.^{[citation needed]}
Despite not having a team in the city since 2000 (with the St. Petersburg Devil Rays), St. Petersburg is home to Minor League Baseball's main headquarters.^[188]
The International Shuffleboard Association was founded in St. Petersburg in 1979.^[189]