Hammond Stadium

Hammond Stadium is a baseball field located in the Lee County Sports Complex in South Fort Myers, Florida, United States. The stadium was built in 1991 and holds 7,500 people. It is the Spring Training home of the Minnesota Twins, and houses their Class A Advanced affiliate, the Fort Myers Miracle, in the Florida State League. The Twins' Rookie League affiliate, the Gulf Coast League Twins also play in the Lee County Sports Complex, however, not usually at Hammond Stadium, but, rather at the fields within the surrounding complex.

The stadium is named in honor of retired Lee County Deputy Administrator, William H. Hammond, Jr., who was instrumental in getting the Lee County Sports complex built to draw the Twins from their previous Spring home, Orlando, Florida. Hammond Stadium's outer facade was designed with Churchill Downs in mind. The parking rows all feature streets signs named to honor former Twins greats-- including Bert Blyleven, Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek. There is also a waterfall fountain near the stadium's entrance.

The Twins won the World Series following their first Spring Training in Hammond Stadium. Their agreement with Lee County for use of the complex runs through 2012. The Florida State League held the 48th annual Florida State League All-Star Game at Hammond Stadium in June 2009. The previous time the league held the mid-season classic in Fort Myers was 2003.

Hammond Stadium is one of four Spring training facilities in Fort Myers. The Boston Red Sox train at JetBlue Park which is only six miles away from Hammond Stadium. City of Palms Park and Terry Park Ballfield (also known as the Park T. Pigott Memorial Stadium) in East Fort Myers are currently not in use. City of Palms Park is the former Spring Training home of the Boston Red Sox, and Terry Park Ballfield is the former home of the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals.

Read more about Hammond Stadium:  Field Dimensions

Famous quotes containing the word stadium:

    In their eyes I have seen
    the pin men of madness in marathon trim
    race round the track of the stadium pupil.
    Patricia K. Page (b. 1916)