Bringing Major League Baseball to Fort Myers

For the past 25 years, the Boston Red Sox have called Fort Myers, Florida, home of their annual spring training. They’ve played at the City of Palms Park from 1993 to 2011 and at JetBlue Park since 2012. But that almost didn’t happen.

Leaving Winter Haven

In 1990, the Boston Red Sox were looking for a home. They were looking to move away from their spring training home in Winter Haven, Florida, after 25 years.

The relationship between the Winter Haven city commissioners and the Boston Red Sox had become frail. At the time, the city of Winter Haven was having trouble maintaining the facility to the Red Sox’s standards, the stadium lease was coming to an end and the commissioners were seeking more commission because of the ever-growing income the team was making. Winter Haven was asking for about 15 percent of the team’s revenue, 25 percent of its stadium advertising, concession money and all parking fees, wrote Jim Greenhill, staff writer at the News Press.

Jim Healy, who worked in the Red Sox’s font office, served as the Red Sox’s “point man” in the selection of a new spring training location. “We realized that it was time to find a new spring training location,” Healy said. “We actually looked at 15 different alternatives in Florida. We came fairly close to working something out with [the city of] Naples, Florida. When that didn’t work out, they suggested that I talk to Mayor Wilbur Smith in Fort Myers.”

The move to Fort Myers

There were many roadblocks in the earlier stages of the deal to move to Fort Myers. City officials were reluctant to commit until a deal was reached on a lease, until they came to a compromise on a stadium site to break ground and until the two sides came to an agreement on split cost and revenue.

Ed Weiss, the current Red Sox executive of cooperate strategies and general counsel, was on the committee that oversaw the negotiation process in 1991.

“It was a long negotiation process that the city and the Red Sox went through,” he said in an on-the-phone interview. “It took several months to get a deal done. We had to come to a compromise on a location, split revenue, schedule and marketing.”

In October of 1991, the Red Sox and Fort Myers city officials decided to postpone and possible abandon a lease for a spring training stadium near downtown, leaving the city free to negotiate with other ball parks, wrote Tamara Kerrill, staff writer at the News Press.

The city and the Red Sox failed to reach an agreement after hours of intense and extended phone conversation, but decided to adopt a November 18th deadline (News Press).

“I remember those months vividly,” Weiss said. “It was long, intense and really it was just two sides not seeing eye-to-eye, but really wanting to get a deal done that would benefit both parties.”

On November 18, 1991, the city and the team reached an agreement and decided to break ground in March of 1992.

“The city was anxious to revitalize its downtown, and they saw our ballparks as a catalyst,” said Jim Healy. “The city voted six to one in favor of the bond issue for the facility and we broke ground in March of 1992.”

The Minnesota Twins also moved to Fort Myers in 1991 and it has created a great rivalry in the city. They play at the CenturyLink Sports Complex, located in North Fort Myers.

The Red Sox today

Many people think that spring training baseball does not matter.

Spring training baseball matters to new players trying out for a roster spot, established players trying to get live, competitive action before the grind of a 162-game regular season and the fans that do not get a chance to see their favorite team play because of proximity.

The Boston Red Sox concluded a very successful season, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game 5, winning 4 games, of a best-of-7, winner-take-all series to win the 2018 World Series.

A lot of that can be contributed to the success they had in spring training. “Spring training is great for everyone, said Alex Bleuel, an employee for ESPN3’s South West Florida Region. “Spring training helps teams prepare for the season, help players work on their craft and fix continuity issues. For the city, it helps bring revenue and drive. For the fans, it brings baseball and passion.”

No doubt the city will be buzzing with euphoria when the Red Sox start spring training in late February with a three-game, weekend home stretch against Northeastern college, the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins, respectively.

This year, for the first time in 15 years, they will be entering the new season as defending World Series champions.

Champions are made in March as much as they are made in October.

References

Crehan, Herb. (22 February, 2014). Boston Red Sox Spring Training History. Retrieved from http://bostonbaseballhistory.com/boston-red-sox-spring-training-history/

Greehill, Jim. (1991, June 10). Battle for the Red Sox heats up. The News Press. PP1

Kerrill, Tamara. (1991, October 29). Red Sox deal in doubt. The News Press. PP1.