Charlotte Sports Park facts for kids
Charlotte Sports Park in January 2009, nearing completion of renovation
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| Location | 2300 El Jobean Road Port Charlotte, FL 33948 |
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| Coordinates | 26°59′57″N 82°10′54″W / 26.99917°N 82.18167°W |
| Owner | Charlotte County |
| Operator | Charlotte County |
| Capacity | 7,670 |
| Field size | Left Field: 343 ft Left-Center Field: 384 ft Center Field: 414 ft Right-Center Field: 384 ft Right Field: 343 ft |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 20, 1986 |
| Opened | March 6, 1987 |
| Renovated | 2008–09 |
| Construction cost | $5 million ($12.9 million in 2022 dollars ) $27.2 million (renovation) ($37.1 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Populous |
| Structural engineer | Bliss & Nyitray, Inc (renovation) |
| General contractor | Gilbane Building Co. |
| Tenants | |
| Tampa Bay Rays (MLB) (Spring Training) (2009–present) Charlotte Stone Crabs (FSL) (2009–2020) FCL Rays (FCL) (2009–present) Texas Rangers (MLB) (Spring Training) (1987–2002) Charlotte County Redfish (SCL) (2007) Charlotte Rangers (FSL) (1987–2002) |
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Charlotte Sports Park is a cool baseball stadium located in Port Charlotte, Florida. It's where the Tampa Bay Rays team gets ready for their season during spring training. It's also home to their younger, Rookie-class team, the Florida Complex League Rays.
This stadium was first built in 1987. It got a big makeover that finished in 2009, costing about $27 million. From 2009 to 2020, it also hosted the Charlotte Stone Crabs, another minor league team.
Before the Rays, the stadium was used by the Texas Rangers for their spring training games. Their minor league team, the Charlotte Rangers, also played here. The park has even hosted college baseball games and other local teams.
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Awesome Stadium Features
Charlotte Sports Park has lots of fun things to see and do! You can find a special playground area for kids. There's also a boardwalk that stretches from one end of the field to the other.
Seating and Views
The stadium has two grassy hills, called berms, where you can sit and watch the game. It also has four fancy, air-conditioned rooms on the second floor. You can even find a team store to buy souvenirs!
Media and Practice Areas
On the third floor, there's a special room for reporters, called a press box. There are also booths for TV and radio broadcasters. The stadium is part of a bigger complex with five full practice fields. There's even a half-field for special drills and indoor batting cages.
Top Spring Training Spot
In 2014, readers of USA Today and 10Best voted Charlotte Sports Park as the number one place for spring training! That's a pretty big deal!
Stadium History Highlights
Charlotte Sports Park has seen some exciting moments over the years. Many famous baseball players have visited this field.
Baseball Legends Visit
In 1993, a legendary pitcher named Nolan Ryan announced his retirement from baseball right here. A year later, in 1994, the Texas Rangers played against the Chicago White Sox. That White Sox team had basketball superstar Michael Jordan playing baseball! The game brought a huge crowd, setting a record for the stadium.
In 2000, another famous player, Alex Rodriguez, held a press conference at the stadium. He had just signed a huge contract with the Texas Rangers. So many reporters came that they had to hold the press conference on top of the dugout! This showed that the stadium was getting too small for the Rangers, and they moved two years later.
The Rays Arrive
The Tampa Bay Rays started their spring training at the newly renovated stadium on February 14, 2009. They played their first game there on February 25, but lost to the Cincinnati Reds. However, they won their first home spring training game on February 27, beating the Boston Red Sox!
Naming Rights Discussion
In 2010, the Rays talked about changing the stadium's name to "The Mosaic Company." But many local people and the county council didn't like the idea. So, the Rays decided not to go through with the name change.
Hurricane Ian Impact
In 2023, the Rays had to cancel their spring training at Charlotte Sports Park. This was because Hurricane Ian caused damage to the stadium. The team moved their practice games to Tropicana Field instead. Their minor league teams trained in Orlando that spring.
Beyond Baseball
The stadium isn't just for baseball! The local community uses it for other fun events too. It has hosted concerts, festivals, and expos. Famous musicians like Kenny Rogers and The Beach Boys have performed here.
Retired Number 405
You might see the number 405 "retired" at Charlotte Sports Park. This number belonged to Sgt. Michael Wilson, a police officer with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Department. He served for 21 years and sadly passed away in 2013 while helping people.
The community showed huge support for Sgt. Wilson's family. In 2014, the Charlotte Stone Crabs baseball team officially retired his number 405 in a special ceremony. The number now hangs proudly inside the Home Plate gate, honoring his memory.
