Sarasota County celebrating 100th anniversary of Spring Training in the community

Milestone to be marked at two games in March

Fans watch the Baltimore Orioles play the New York Mets on March 25, 2019, the final game of that Spring Training season at Ed Smith Stadium. File photo

With Major League Baseball games having taken place last weekend, Sarasota County leaders are marking the 100th anniversary of Spring Training in the county.

“Spring Training began in Sarasota County in 1924 when Sarasota joined the Florida Grapefruit League,” a county news release points out. The first team to play a Spring Training game in Sarasota was the New York Giants, who conducted their games at Payne Park in the city of Sarasota, the release adds.

Six additional Major League teams have called Sarasota County home for Spring Training since 1924, the release notes: the Boston Red Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago White Sox, the Cincinnati Reds, the Baltimore Orioles and, most recently, the Atlanta Braves.

The Orioles and the Braves, who continue to hold Spring Training in the county, were the champions of their respective divisions in 2023, the release points out. The Orioles play at Ed Smith Stadium in the city of Sarasota, while the Braves call CoolToday Park in North Port their spring home.

Sarasota County leaders will be recognizing the milestone 100th anniversary at two upcoming Spring Training games, the release says:

  • Saturday, March 9, at CoolToday Park, with a 1:05 p.m. start.
  • Wednesday, March 13, at Ed Smith Stadium, with a 6:05 p.m. start.

To learn more about the history of Spring Training in Sarasota County, call 311 or visit www.sarasotacountyparks.com.