Minnesota's "boys of summer" start as the boys of spring or almost winter in Ft Myers, Florida. Minnesota Twins Spring Training generally starts the middle of February when the Twins report to camp at Hammond Stadium in the beautiful "Sunshine State."
Hammond Stadium, part of the Lee County Complex, was renamed Bill Hammond Stadium late in the 1994 spring season to honor the County Commissioner who was instrumental in getting the state-of-the-art complex built for the Minnesota Twins. The Lee County Complex is home to the Minnesota Twins and their minor league affiliates. The complex features five full and two half-fields with the centerpiece being the 7,500 seat Hammond Stadium in which the major league Twins play their exhibition games and conduct some of their daily workouts.
The 14 million dollar sports complex is the home to two of Minnesota's minor league affiliates, housing both the Miracle of the Class A Florida State League and the Rookie level Gulf Coast League Twins. The major league Minnesota Twins generally host a total of 15 games at their Spring Training home and often draw many home state fans that trade in the cold and snow for the sun and sand of Florida.
The facility is designed for the entire Minnesota Twins organization. Complete home and visiting clubhouses are included in the stadium proper, and complete facilities for the minor league teams are contained in a building adjacent to their playing fields. The Major League club's administrative offices are located in the stadium, with the minor league department's offices in the building adjacent to their fields. The complex also features two soccer fields, a softball complex and other athletic facilities for use by Lee County organizations, plus an eight-acre water-management lake for public fishing.
The Lee County Sports Complex was completed in February 1991, but the Twins have trained in Florida since their days as the Washington Senators. Prior to the current location, The Twins trained in Orlando, Florida from 1936 to 1990 with the exception of the war years of 1943-45, when they conditioned in College Park, Maryland. The Twins have an official 20 year agreement for use of the current complex.
Many baseball fans flock to Florida during the spring to enjoy the fruits of major league baseball spring training. Fort Myers is in southwestern Florida, far away from the maddening crowds of Tampa or Orlando. It's a tropical area with relatively unspoiled beaches on the Gulf Coast. Ft Myers is also known as the former winter home of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Their estates are preserved and available for viewing by tourists. True baseball fanatics can also travel about 100 miles to Bradenton, spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates or Sarasota, spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox also have spring training near by.
The Minnesota Twins facility is on the outskirts of Fort Myers and there are no hotels within walking distance. There are, however, plenty of places to stay with the closest hotels two miles away, near the airport. The Twins stay at the Fort Myers Radisson Inn, located a couple of miles away from the complex.
The outside façade of Hammond Stadium is supposed to invoke the feeling of Churchill Downs and there are only two levels of seats for spring training, box and reserved bleachers. Minnesota Twins spring training is a great chance for fans to get close to their favorite players and there is just no other feeling than watching a baseball game outdoors in this fabulous stadium. Tickets go fast for big games and you won't want to miss the Minnesota Twins soaking up the sun for Spring Training!!!
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Don?t neglect to visit nearby Terry Park Stadium when in Fort. Myers, Florida. Terry Park Stadium is possibly the oldest surviving spring-training stadium in the state of Florida. The Parks and Recreation Director wants to turn the 77-year-old structure into a museum that would show the importance of spring training baseball in the area. Although the Terry Park Stadium hasn?t been used for major league spring training since 1987 when the Kansas City Royals used it, amateur teams still use it heavily.
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