Progress Energy Park - History

History

See also: Baseball in the Tampa Bay area

The "St. Petersburg Athletic Park" at the current site of Progress Energy Park was the spring home for the Boston Braves and New York Yankees from 1923 until after World War II, hosting such baseball greats such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial, and others during that time. The first incarnation of the current field was built for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1947. The Cardinals beat the New York Yankees in the dedication game on March 13, 1947. There was a major rebuild in 1976 brought the ballpark to its current configuration. A succession of teams used the facility until the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays started play in 1998 and moved into the stadium for their spring games. The Rays were the first major league team to train in the same city in which they played regular season games in almost 90 years - their summer home of Tropicana Field is just over a mile to the west across downtown St. Petersburg.

When the Rays began play in Al Lang Stadium in 1998, the naming rights to the park were purchased by local utility Florida Power for $150,000 per year, rechristening the site as "Florida Power Park at Al Lang Field." When Florida Power's name was changed to Progress Energy in 2003, the stadium's official name was also changed.

Progress Energy Park was home to many minor league baseball teams over the years, most recently the Class-A Florida State League affiliates for the St. Louis Cardinals and then the Tampa Bay Rays. The last minor league tenant was the St. Petersburg Devil Rays, who last played at the stadium in 2000.

The 1997 and 2002 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournaments were played at the venue. Florida State won both tournaments. The 2000 Conference USA Baseball Tournament, won by Houston, was also held at the park.

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