Randy Land rocks as Arozarena, Rays keep rolling at Tropicana Field

st. PETERSBURG — The married 50-year-olds escaped the shadow of Disney World to check out central Florida’s latest attraction.

For 2½ hours Friday night, Randy Land was mostly a magic kingdom to itself. Especially after that first-inning home run by the dude who inspired it.

“I would normally work (Friday), but I traded with someone so I could come to this,” said nurse Karen Ramsey, who traveled from her St. Cloud home with husband Daniel (also a nurse) just for the sake of sitting in Section 141 at Tropicana Field, just above Rays leftfielder Randy Arozarena. “(Daniel) worked last night, slept for two hours, woke up and drove here.”

For the Ramseys and hundreds of other zealots of the Rays’ most charismatic player, Friday’s pilgrimage led to a mecca brimming with free T-shirts and, ultimately, free beer. Randy Land — the first-level section in the left corner of leftfield — formally opened Friday, and will operate every Friday home game for the remainder of the regular season.

Susan Bashant, a 77-year-old retired teacher living in Dunedin, wasn’t about to miss the official debut. These days, when Bashant wins at her bridge club, she brashly folds her arms to her chest, replicating the gesture that has become her favorite player’s trademark after a big hit or victory.

“He’s dynamic in the field, with his jumps and skill,” said Bashant, who attended Friday’s series opener against the Yankees with her 75-year-old sister, Barbara Sommer; and 53-year-old daughter, Kelly Webb.

“I mean, he can catch anything. He’s a dynamic hitter, right? Home runs, home runs. … And plus, we’ve got this.”

With that, Bashant did the Randy gesture again. Roughly a half-hour later, its creator was doing it in front of his devotees.

Arozarena acknowledged his custom-designed audience as he trotted to his position prior to first pitch. They chanted his name (“RAN-DEE, RAN-DEE”) and held up cardboard letters spelling it out. Some wore sombreros (Webb bought hers at a local Party City); Karen Ramsey wore yellow gloves as an homage to the 28-year-old Cuban-born sensation.

And they worked themselves into a collective froth when Arozarena sent a Jhony Brito curveball over the centerfield wall for a 422-foot home run in his first at-bat. As part of the promotion, Randy Land occupants get a free 12-ounce beer, soda or water if Arozarena homers at the Trop on Friday night. (Only one per night, regardless of how many times he’s home.)

As Arozarena jogged to leftfield for the top of the second, he lifted his head, raised his right hand and tilted his thumb toward his mouth — as if guzzling a drink. Randy Land roared.

“Very happy,” Arozarena said after the game through interpreter Manny Navarro. “I’m excited, and I know the fans are pretty excited too, because they were able to drink for free because of me.”

Many were bedecked in the blue T-shirts given to those who doled out the $49 for the right to sit in the section. The front featured an image of Arozarena wearing the wrestler’s mask he sported while starring for Mexico (he became a Mexican citizen in 2022) during the World Baseball Classic.

Rays chief business officer Bill Walsh said the promotion’s evolution was organic, really springing to life when his charisma and skills converged at the World Baseball Classic, where he hit .450 with six doubles for Mexico.

“And when he came back to Tropicana Field and the regular season started, he just had that energy about him that we’ve seen flashes of in the past,” Walsh said.

“It was there to start the season, and the fans were enjoying it. And there was a new recognition of him, I think, with the fan base as well. And so some of this interaction was actually just starting to happen out there. So it was kind of a no-brainer.”

Friday night, that promotion — and the accompanying passion — manifested itself in free love, free swinging and free spirits.

On Cinco de Mayo, of all days.

“He plays hard, leaves it all out on the field, and he just represents his country right,” said 35-year-old Sarasota resident Eduardo Medellin, a Mexican native who wore a wrestler’s mask and rattled a matraca Friday night. “His country’s Mexico now.”

Their hero seemed humbled.

“It was incredible,” Arozarena said. “Not just (Friday), but every time I go out there on any other day, they’re out there supporting me, yelling for me, screaming and giving me a lot of love and excitement, and I really appreciate it.”

Times staff writer John Romano contributed to this report.

Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls

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