ST. PETERSBURG -- Perhaps you've seen him in "Bull Durham." Maybe you caught his starring role in "Field of Dreams," or "For Love of the Game."

Next month, be sure not to miss him in downtown St. Petersburg.

The Rays have teamed forces with movie star Kevin Costner and his rock-and-roll band, Modern West, in a celebration to launch the organization's new uniforms, colors and logo. The two-day unveiling celebration kicks off at 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 8 at St. Petersburg's Straub Park, with activities for fans of all ages.

For Costner, it's a move come full-circle: His band's first paying gig was at The Outback golf tournament in Tampa. It was there that Rays director of marketing and promotions Brian Killingsworth approached Costner with the idea to revisit the area at a later date.

It didn't take the Oscar-winner long to buy into the plan.

"When I'm on a baseball field, I know where I'm at," said Costner, who's starred in three baseball movies. "And I think playing for the fans that love baseball and have maybe had a 20-plus year relationship with me going into movies, is kind of a perfect fit."

It isn't the first time Costner will encounter the Rays here: he watched the Rays "thrash" the Yankees this season in New York, and was informed enough to draw an interesting parallel between his movie career and his upcoming encounter with manager Joe Maddon and the Rays.

"[Maddon] didn't make it into the bigs as a player, and ... I kind of dig that," Costner said. "That's kind of who Crash Davis was."

Davis was Costner's character in the movie "Bull Durham" who, except for a brief period, was a career Minor Leaguer-turned-mentor to his younger teammates. Maddon spent his career in the Angels system before he joined the Rays prior to the 2006 season for his first full-time managing gig.

Costner also praised the Rays ownership for keeping up with promotions and giveaways to continually attract crowds to Tropicana Field despite Tampa Bay's less-than-stellar track record on the field.

"And obviously," he chuckled, "they had good taste when they asked me to come."

On Nov. 8, Rays players, coaches, Maddon and former players Wade Boggs and Fred McGriff will model their new digs during a 5:30 p.m. ET fashion show, to be immediately followed with a concert from Costner and Modern West. The evening will conclude with a fireworks display. Admission is free for everyone.

Although he admittedly grew up in Compton, Calif., following the Dodgers, Costner was impressed by the Rays and their potentional.

"They've got a pretty good nucleus of players, and their stats are getting better and better every year," he said. "Who's to say what happens out there? I like how the owner is going about things.

"I just think, 'What the heck? Is there a better place to baseball than where there's sunshine?'"

On Nov. 9, the festivities will continue up the road in Tampa. Assorted players will be stationed throughout the downtown community, and at noon will gather at Gaslight Park to visit with fans and hand out Rays merchandise.

In the evening, the Rays will be scattered throughout several Champs Sports locations around Tampa Bay for fans to interact with as they purchase their new Rays apparel. Champs Sports is the exclusive retail store for the new uniform launch.

Costner's baseball movies Bull Durham (1988) Costner, as veteran catcher Crash Davis, dispensed oft-quoted monologues and put the baseball movie genre back on the map in Ron Shelton's classic tale of minor-league life. Tim Robbins co-starred as the wacky pitcher with the million-dollar arm, Nuke LaLoosh, and Susan Sarandon was unforgettable as Annie Savoy, the woman in the center of a love triangle. Field of Dreams (1989) This magical movie, based on the W.P. Kinsella novel "Shoeless Joe," cast Costner in one of the most memorable roles of his career. Costner played Ray Kinsella, the Iowa farmer who plows under his corn to build a baseball field because he hears a strange voice. From the mystical elements of the story to the supporting performances of James Earl Jones (reclusive writer Terence Mann), Burt Lancaster (Archibald "Moonlight" Graham) and Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe Jackson himself, "Field of Dreams" is routinely considered one of the best baseball films ever made. It was recently chosen the fan's favorite baseball flick of all time in an MLB.com poll. For Love of the Game (1999) Through flashbacks during the pitching of a Major League game, Costner's character -- 40-year-old Detroit Tigers pitcher Billy Chapel -- ruminates on life, love and loss while setting down one New York Yankee after another in what could very well be the last start of his career. Kelly Preston co-starred as the love of Chapel's life and acclaimed director Sam Raimi was behind the camera. The Upside of Anger (2005) This isn't a baseball movie like the other three in the sense that it's really the tale of a suburban wife (Joan Allen) forced to wrestle with the disappearance of her husband while raising four daughters. But Costner shows up as family friend Denny, who happens to be a former baseball player now DJing for a local radio station. -- Doug Miller, MLB.com/Entertainment