Payne Park facts for kids
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Payne Park in 1936
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| Address | 2050 Adams Lane |
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| Location | Sarasota, Florida |
| Coordinates | 27°20′03″N 82°31′45″W / 27.3340696°N 82.5290683°W |
| Public transit | Sarasota County Area Transit |
| Owner | City of Sarasota |
| Type | Stadium |
| Genre(s) | Baseball |
| Field size |
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| Acreage | 29 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Scoreboard | Yes |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 18, 1923 |
| Opened | February 1, 1924 |
| Renovated | 1950, 1962 |
| Expanded | 1962 |
| Closed | April 1988 |
| Demolished | November 1990 |
| Construction cost | $18,000 ($226 thousand in 2021 dollars) |
| Tenants | |
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Payne Park was once a famous baseball field in Sarasota, Florida. It was used for baseball games from 1924 until 1990. The land for the park, about 60 acres (0.24 km2), was given by Calvin and Martha Payne in 1923. Today, Payne Park is a 29-acre (0.12 km2) public park where people can enjoy many fun activities.
History of Payne Park
Baseball at the Park
The baseball field at Payne Park was built in 1924. It became a popular spot for professional baseball teams to train in the spring. Teams like the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and New York Giants all played there. Even the Los Angeles Dodgers used Payne Park for their spring training in 1959.
The park was used for professional baseball until 1989. That's when a new stadium, Ed Smith Stadium, was built. The old baseball field at Payne Park was taken down in 1990.
Field Changes Over Time
When it first opened, the baseball field was very large. The distance to the foul-lines was 375 feet (114 m), and to center-field, it was 500 feet (150 m).
The park was updated several times. In 1951, 600 new seats were added, making room for over 4,000 fans. The press-box, where reporters worked, was also made twice as big.
In 1957, a famous artist named Norman Rockwell painted a picture called The Rookie. This painting shows the Red Sox' locker room, which was at Payne Park at the time.
In 1960, the Chicago White Sox started using Payne Park for their spring training. To make the field similar to their home stadium, Comiskey Park, the dimensions were changed in 1963. The foul-lines became 352 feet (107 m), and center field was 415 feet (126 m).
The very last major league spring training game at Payne Park was on March 30, 1988. It was played between the Chicago White Sox and the Texas Rangers. After that, a minor league team, the Sarasota White Sox, played there until the field was demolished in November 1990.
Payne Park Today
The City of Sarasota reopened the area where the baseball field used to be as a public park. This happened on October 6, 2007. The new park covers 29 acres (0.12 km2) and cost $8.8 million to build.
Today, Payne Park is a fun place for everyone. It has a public skateboard park and a Frisbee golf course. There are also tracks for walking and riding bikes, along with pretty lakes. You can even find a cafe that serves lunch and snacks. In 2012, the park added a special circus-themed playground with a small waterpark, which is great for younger kids.
