A look back at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium, the former home of the Philadelphia Phillies and Clearwater Phillies. FAST FACTS Year Opened: 1955 Former Capacity: 6,942 Dimensions: 340L, 400C, 340R Surface: Grass Address/Directions: 800 Phillies Drive, Clearwater. Take Hwy. 19 north of St. Petersburg to Drew Street, where you’ll head west approximately four miles until you […]
Tag Archives | florida state league
Charlotte County Sports Park / Tampa Bay Rays / Charlotte Stone Crabs
Longtime spring-training aficionados may be able to recognize Charlotte County Sports Park as the former spring home of the Texas Rangers, remodeled to serve as the spring home of the Tampa Bay Rays and the regular-season home of the Charlotte Stone Crabs. Maybe. FAST FACTS Opened: 1988; renovated in 2009 Cost: $5 million original construction; […]
Hammond Stadium / Fort Myers Miracle / Minnesota Twins
Hammond Stadium may be best known as the spring home of the Minnesota Twins, but it’s also home to the Fort Myers Miracle of the Florida State League. Located on the southern edge of Fort Myers, the ballpark is clearly geared to the Twins and spring training, but the Miracle team draws well (at least […]
Dunedin Stadium / Dunedin Blue Jays / Toronto Blue Jays
Tucked away in the corner of a Tampa/St. Pete suburb, Dunedin Stadium (formerly known as Knology Park) is a facility designed for spring-training needs, not to serve the audience of a Class A Florida State League team. As a result, there’s not a lot of excitement surrounding a Dunedin Blue Jays game: the team is […]
Jackie Robinson Ballpark / Daytona Cubs
You don’t get any more Floridian than Jackie Robinson Ballpark, home of the Daytona Cubs of the Florida State League. Much of Florida’s baseball history intersects on this small island outside of downtown Daytona Beach, while one of the most important events in baseball history took place there as well. FAST FACTS Year Built: […]
Bright House Field / Philadelphia Phillies / Clearwater Threshers
When you replace a classic Florida State League ballpark, your new home had better be damned impressive. Ballparks fans shed a tear when the Phillies decided to replace Jack Russell Stadium with a new ballpark, but the replacement — Bright House Networks Field — is such a great facility, you’ll find yourself rarely yearning for […]
Florida State League
The Florida State League began play in 1919 with six teams in the greater Orlando-Tampa corridor and, despite some hard times, is now one of the oldest minor leagues still in existence. Its existence predated the emergence of spring training in Florida, but spring training has been a factor in keeping this league alive. Class […]