Ticket To The Trop: Game 162 Landing

It has been a week since the Rays’ 2012 season ended, where Evan Longoria had another memorable game 162. As he belted three solo home runs in the final night to lead the Rays to a 4-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles, everyone was reminiscing about his heroic walk-off home run exactly one year before. In the twelfth inning, with the score tied at 7-7 against the New York Yankees, Longoria smacked the ball over the left field wall to win the game and send the Rays to the playoffs in 2011 with a walk-off home run.

Game 162 Landing in left field at Tropicana Field commemorates the infamous final game of the 2011 regular season. Credit: Jenna West

The Rays commemorated Longoria’s infamous walk-off home run with the Game 162 Landing in the left field party section of Tropicana Field. Complete with a collage of pictures from that night in 2011, Game 162 Landing allows fans to relive the incredible moments from the final night of the season. The highlights of the landing include a plaque on the party section’s floor, marking the exact spot where Longoria’s home run shot landed.

A timeline at Game 162 Landing lets fans remember the action throughout the game. Credit: Jenna West

Fan’s can also take in a pictorial highlight reel of the games between Tampa Bay/ New York and Boston/ Baltimore on the final night of the 2011 season with a timeline of the night’s big plays at Game 162 Landing. As both the Rays and Red Sox were tied for first place in the AL Wild Card slot prior to September 28, 2011’s games, the night was tense while both were seeking a win to advance to a one-game playoff game to clinch the AL Wild Card. Only minutes before Longoria’s walk-off home run, Baltimore beat the Red Sox, giving the Rays the perfect opportunity to clinch the AL Wild Card.

Prior to the start of that night’s game, the Red Sox were expected to win and clinch the AL Wild Card over Tampa Bay. This assumption appeared that it would come true as the Rays were losing to the Yankees 7-0 prior to the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Rays’ offense suddenly came alive. However, the Rays were able to tie the game at 7-7 in the ninth inning as Dan Johnson hit a home run, with the Rays winning the game three innings later thanks to Longoria. A graph featured at Game 162 Landing charts the probability of a Rays’ victory throughout the night, allowing fans to remember how much of a miracle game 162 really was.

Game 162 Landing is located in the left field party section near the visiting team’s bullpen and can seat up to 136 people.

However, the Rays have also commemorated that special night by placing a white seat in right field where Dan Johnson’s game-tying home run ball landed. The seat can be found in the front row of Section 140.

As Tropicana Field is filled with plenty of sights and activities for fans to take in while at a game, Game 162 Landing is a great way to remember the remarkable feat accomplished by the Rays in 2011 and get fans excited for the action they will see in games to come. Check back for more fan-friendly features at Tropicana Field during our stadium series, Ticket To The Trop.