Florida Grapefruit League Ballparks
OFFER MODERN AMENITIES WHILE LOOKING BACK AT TEAM HISTORY BY NICK GANDY
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Major League Baseball Spring Training was the State of Florida’s first venture into sports tourism. Beginning in 1923, Florida Spring Training stadiums were constructed in Bradenton, Clearwater, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Fort Myers and West Palm Beach. Four of those communities are hosting Florida Spring Training in the 20s of the 21st century. By 1928, the State of Florida was prospering with a booming population, arriving by automobiles, to live in newly built homes. Baseball was America’s pastime and 10 of the 16 Major League teams held their spring training in Florida. It was a prosperous time for the growth of Florida Spring Training Baseball, even during the Great Depression years, only to be interrupted by the World War II years of 1942-45. Since 2010, nine of the 12 Florida communities have made significant investments in a spring training facility, giving fans topnotch amenities found in the much larger stadiums and arenas around the country. When the Philadelphia Phillies opened their new spring training home, in Clearwater, in 2004, the now BayCare Ballpark featured the first 360 degree walkway around the park. Fans could
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