The St. Lucie Mets (High Class A; Florida State League) unveiled a new look for 2013, complete with new logos and uniforms. The new look is a mix of logos borrowed from parent New York Mets and images native to Florida. For instance, the Mets logo is augmented with a palm tree, and Mr. Met […]
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Kissimmee pitching two-team complex for spring training
With the Houston Astros likely leaving Osceola County Stadium when the team’s lease ends in 2015, Kissimmee officials are working on a new spring-training complex that could house the ‘Stros and possibly the Washington Nationals. It’s all speculative and far from final, but Kissimmee Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Executive Director Shelley Maccini reported this week […]
Pro baseball an endangered species in Viera?
Pro baseball has never been an overwhelming success in Viera, and now it looks like there’s a serious chance the Florida city may lose both spring training and Class A ball at Space Coast Stadium. Currently Space Coast Stadium hosts Washington Nationals spring training and the Brevard County Manatees (High Class A; Florida State League). It’s no secret the […]
Twins sign 30-year spring-training lease extension
The Minnesota Twins and Lee County agreed on a 30-year lease extension to keep the team in Fort Myers, but the rest of the agreement — covering improvements and funding — is not yet public. It’s an unusual situation, to be sure. And there are plenty of contingencies at play, so it’s not nearly important […]
College World Series field set
The field for the College World Series is set, with the SEC and Pac-10 dominating the lineup — along with a few scruffy underdogs, Stony Brook and Kent State, sure to capture the hearts of fans. For the most part, the eight teams in the College World Series — set to start Friday at 5 […]
Twins present spring-training wish list to Lee County
Player dorms, more seats at Hammond Stadium and infrastructure improvements are on the Minnesota Twins’ wish list for the team’s Lee County spring-training complex. Opening in 1991, Hammond Stadium and the Lee County Sports Complex are showing their age; once the complex was the state of the art for spring training but now come up […]
NCAA baseball tourney field announced
The 64-team field for the 2012 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tourney has been unveiled, with play scheduled to begin this Friday. The national top eight seeds are Florida (42-18), UCLA (42-14), Florida State (43-15), Baylor (44-14), Oregon (42-17), North Carolina (44-14), LSU (43-16) and South Carolina (40-17). All eight seeds will be hosting first-round […]
Lee County to seek state ballpark-improvement grant
Already aiming to fund improvements at Hammond Stadium, the spring home of the Minnesota Twins, Lee County is seeking state assistance as it also works to free up money for the Washington Nationals. in discussions of the future of spring training in Fort Myers, Lee County commissioners have steadfastly held that any additional tourism-tax revenues not […]
Coming soon to a Florida ballpark near you: the homeless
Buried deep inside the Florida statutes, there’s a provision telling cities they must use state-funded sports facilities as homeless shelters on non-game nights. Since they don’t, two lawmakers want that state money back. Truth is, we searched the Florida statutes and couldn’t find reference to the obscure 1998 law, so we can’t comment directly on […]
Clearwater mulling $2.9M upgrade to Phils’ spring complex
Clearwater (Fla.) officials will decide this week whether to spend $2.9 million on upgrades to the Carpenter Complex, where the Philadelphia Phillies train each spring. The upgrades and new construction are mostly behind the scenes and for the benefit of players and coaches, not fans attending workouts. (The team works out in the complex and […]
Will spring training return to City of Palms Park any time soon? Not likely
A Lee County Commissioner charged with exploring options for City of Palms Park, the former spring home of the Boston Red Sox, says there might be interest out there from MLB teams, but any move would be an extreme long-shot. Commissioner John Manning says he’s heard second-hand that two teams — one currently training in […]
Will Legion move to wood bats?
With three statewide American Legion baseball programs mandating wood bats and several others evaluating a switch, we could see a nationwide shift in the country’s major youth baseball program toward traditional baseball. Rhode Island, Connecticut and Florida Legion programs now mandate wood bats, and several other state programs are evaluating a switch. If enough states […]
Future of City of Palms Park still under debate
Though many in Fort Myers would like to see another MLB team train at City of Palms Park, that’s not happening any time soon, and Lee County is struggling to find a future use for the ballpark — with an outdoor pool again at the top of the list. It’s no secret Fort Myers and […]