Since , the city of
Fort Myers in
Lee County, Florida,
United States has been the
Spring training home of the
Boston Red Sox when the club moved from
Winter Haven (now the spring-training home of the
Cleveland Indians). Boston trains at the
City of Palms Park since the ballpark opened, while the minor-league facility, featuring five full fields, is a short distance away. City of Palms Park is also used by the
Gulf Coast League Red Sox.
The park, built in a classic Florida style, with a main covered grandstand and
palm trees past the
outfield fence, was designed by
HOK Sport + Venue + Event, the same
architect responsible for
Coors Field,
Minute Maid Park, and
LandShark Stadium, amongst others.
The
Minnesota Twins play their spring training at
Hammond Stadium, which is also located in Fort Myers. Each spring the two teams will play five of their preseason games against each other in a series known as the Mayor's Cup.
New spring facility to open in 2012
The Red Sox's spring training lease with Fort Myers ran through 2019, however, the Red Sox began toying with exercising an early out in their contract that allowed them to leave following the spring season. Chief operating officer Mike Dee met with
Sarasota officials on April 25, to discuss the possibility of the Red Sox moving to Sarasota's
Ed Smith Stadium once its current spring inhabitants, the
Baltimore Orioles, move to their new spring home in
Sarasota.
On October 28, 2008, the Lee County...
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