Terry Park Ballfield facts for kids
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| Former names | Park T. Pigott Memorial Stadium |
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| Location | 3410 Palm Beach Boulevard Fort Myers, Florida, United States |
| Coordinates | 26°39′26″N 81°50′31″W / 26.65709°N 81.84199°W |
| Operator | Lee County |
| Capacity | 600 (1925–1955) 3,000 (1955–2004) 900 (2004–present) |
| Field size | Center Field – 425 ft (130 m) |
| Surface | Grass Turf During the Royals Tenure |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1921 |
| Opened | 1925 |
| Renovated | 1955 (Rebuilt) |
| Demolished | 1943 by Fire 2004 by Hurricane |
| Construction cost | US$ 2,100,000 (2010 Renovation Cost) |
| Main contractors | Chris-Tel Construction (2010 Renovation) |
| Tenants | |
| MLB spring training: Kansas City Royals (AL) (1969-87) Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) (1955–1968) Cleveland Indians (AL) (1940-1942) Philadelphia Athletics (AL) (1925-36) Minor League: Fort Myers Sun Sox (SPBA) (1989-90) Fort Myers Royals (FSL) (1978-87) Fort Myers Palms (FSL) (1926) NCAA Florida Gulf Coast University (2003) |
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Terry Park Ballfield
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| MPS | Lee County Multiple Property Submission |
| NRHP reference No. | 95000730 |
The Terry Park Ballfield is a famous baseball field in Fort Myers, Florida. It is also known as the Park T. Pigott Memorial Stadium. The park got its name from the Terry family, who gave the land in the 1920s.
For many years, this stadium was a popular spot for Major League Baseball teams to practice in the spring. This is called spring training. Teams like the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Kansas City Royals all trained here. Terry Park was also home to some early minor league baseball teams. These included the Fort Myers Palms and Fort Myers Royals. Many famous baseball players, known as Hall of Famers, played at Terry Park. Some of these legends are Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Roberto Clemente, Jimmy Foxx, Bob Feller, Tris Speaker, and George Brett.
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History of Terry Park
In 1921, the Terry family in Fort Myers gave about 25 acres (100,000 m²) of land to Lee County. This land was mostly cow pasture! A small wooden grandstand was built on the site. It could hold about 600 fans.
The stadium opened in 1925. It became the spring training home for Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics. They trained there from 1925 until 1936. The Cleveland Indians also used the park for spring training from 1940 to 1942. In 1926, the minor league team Fort Myers Palms played there too. The original stadium was destroyed by a fire in 1943. But in 1955, the park was rebuilt. This time, it was made from strong steel and concrete instead of wood.
The Pittsburgh Pirates at Terry Park
When Terry Park was rebuilt in 1955, it became the new home for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Before this, the Pirates had moved around a lot for spring training. They had been to seven different places in 12 years! These places included Muncie, Indiana, Flamingo Field in Miami Beach, and Havana, Cuba.
Terry Park became their steady spring training home for the next 14 years. This was a long time for the Pirates to stay in one place! They finally moved to Bradenton's McKechnie Field in 1969.
The Kansas City Royals at Terry Park
In 1968, the Kansas City Athletics baseball team moved to Oakland, California. This allowed Kansas City to get a new Major League team. This new team was called the Kansas City Royals. Terry Park became their new spring training home.
The Royals played their first ever exhibition game at Terry Park. They stayed in Fort Myers until 1987. During the time the Royals played there, the field had artificial turf. This was like the turf at their main stadium, Royals Stadium. After the Royals left, the artificial turf was removed.
In 1988, the Royals moved their spring training to Haines City. They were offered a new stadium there. This stadium was part of a theme park called Boardwalk and Baseball. The park was all about baseball! However, the deal did not work out well. By 2002, the park was empty and later torn down.
The Fort Myers Royals
In 1978, the Kansas City Royals brought a minor league team to Fort Myers. This team was called the Fort Myers Royals. They were a Single A team in the Florida State League. The Fort Myers Royals played at Terry Park from 1978 to 1987. In 1985, the Royals won the Florida League Championship! Some famous players started their careers at Terry Park. These included Kevin Seitzer and Bret Saberhagen.
End of Professional Baseball at Terry Park
After the Kansas City Royals left, no new Major League spring training team came to Terry Park. Two new stadiums were built in Fort Myers for other teams. Hammond Stadium was built for the Minnesota Twins. City of Palms Park was built for the Boston Red Sox.
The last professional baseball team to play at Terry Park was the Fort Myers Sun Sox. This team was part of a short-lived league called the Senior Professional Baseball Association. They played in 1989 and 1990. This league featured former MLB stars. They played games during the winter months. The league stopped in 1990. All of the league's playoff games were held at Terry Park.
A Historic Landmark
Terry Park still looked much like it did in 1955 for many years. On May 11, 1995, the ball field was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a special historic site in the United States. The stadium was named after Park T. Pigott (1914–1972). He was honored for helping young people through sports in the community.
In 2003, the Eagles from Florida Gulf Coast University used Terry Park. They played there while their new baseball field was being built.
Famous Players at Terry Park
Many amazing baseball players who later became Hall of Famers played at Terry Park. Here are some of them:
1925
- Al Simmons
- Lefty Grove
- Jimmie Foxx
- Mickey Cochrane
- Babe Ruth
- Frankie Frish
- Hack Wilson
- Travis Jackson
- Freddie Lindstrom
1926
- George Kelly
1927
- Ty Cobb
- Eddie Collins
- Zach Wheat
- Rodgers Hornsby
- Jim Botomley
- Dave Bancroft
1928
- Tris Speaker
- Edd Roush
- Rabbit Maranville
- Mell Ott
1929
- Grover Cleveland Alexander
- Cheuck Klein
1930
- George Sisler
- Leo Dorocher
1931
- Ernie Lombardi
1932
- Dizzy Dean
- Joe Medwick
1934
- Hank Greenberg
- Charlie Gehringer
- Goose Goslin
- Chuck Hafey
Hurricane Damage and Rebuilding
In 2004, Hurricane Charley hit the stadium. The storm badly damaged the grandstand. It was marked as "unsafe." Later that year, the Lee County Commissioners decided to tear down the old grandstand. They approved money to build a new one.
Instead of rebuilding the large, historic 5,000-seat grandstand, a smaller one was built. The new structure seats about 700 people. This was a big change, even though the park was a historic site. When a grandstand is torn down, a ballpark can lose its historic meaning. Only some of the old parts were kept to outline the new grandstand. It opened in 2005.
So, the stadium at Terry Park today looks very different from its past. The new grandstand is smaller and made of metal. Many people felt it was sad that the county did not save the classic grandstand. The new stadium now seats about 900 people. There are ideas to create a spring training museum at the park.
Terry Park Today
Today, Terry Park is still very busy! More than 160 college baseball teams use the park in March. They come from all over the country to start their college season. The park has several baseball fields. It is used all year round for amateur baseball games. This means non-professional teams play there.
Terry Park is part of the Lee County Multiple Property Submission. This is a group of historic places in Lee County. The park hosts baseball leagues, tournaments, and special events. It has four fields with lights for night games. The main field has a covered grandstand for fans. There are also batting cages near each field. Terry Park is currently being updated with new restrooms, food areas, and seating.
In 2020, the Kia Tigers baseball team from South Korea trained at Terry Park. Their manager was former Major Leaguer Matt Williams. The team stayed in Fort Myers longer because of pandemic rules.
