Payne Park is a former baseball field from 1924 to 1990 in

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sou ...

. The stadium and field were built on a portion of of land donated by Calvin Payne and his wife, Martha in 1923. Payne Park today is a public park used for recreational events.

History

Ballpark

The ballpark was erected in 1924 and was a long time spring training and minor league site for baseball clubs such as the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

and the New York Giants. The Los Angeles Dodgers played their home spring training games at Payne Park in 1959. The park ceased its association with professional baseball in 1989 with the construction of

Ed Smith Stadium Ed Smith Stadium is a baseball field located in Sarasota, Florida. Since 2010, it has been the spring training home of the Baltimore Orioles. History Ed Smith Stadium was built in 1989 to replace Payne Park as a Spring Training and Minor Leagu ...

and the ballpark was demolished. Until 1963, the ballpark's dimensions were down the foul-lines and to center-field. The ballpark was refurbished on multiple occasions. Prior to Spring Training 1951, the City of Sarasota added 600 permanent bleachers, increasing capacity to just over 4,000. The size of the press-box was doubled as well.

Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...

's 1957 painting '' The Rookie'' is set in the Red Sox' spring training locker room, which at the time was located at Payne Park. The White Sox moved their spring training games from Tampa to Sarasota in 1960. Prior to spring training 1963, The City of Sarasota changed the ballpark's dimensions to down the foul-lines and to center field to match the White Sox' Comiskey Park dimensions. The Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers played the last major league spring training game at Payne Park on March 30, 1988. The Sarasota White Sox began play in 1989 at Payne Park until its demolition in November 1990.

Public park

The City of Sarasota reopened the former ballpark-site as Payne Park on October 6, 2007 as a public park space. The public park was built at a cost of $8.8 million, funded by a county-wide penny surtax. It features a public skateboard park, Frisbee golf course, tracks for walking and riding bikes, lakes, and a cafe serving lunches and refreshments. In 2012, the city opened expansion to the park including a circus playground featuring a small waterpark on site.

References

External links

Historic Article

{{Sarasota, Florida Minor league baseball venues Boston Red Sox spring training venues Chicago White Sox spring training venues New York Giants (NL) spring training venues Sarasota, Florida Spring training ballparks Parks in Sarasota County, Florida 1924 establishments in Florida Sports venues completed in 1924 1990 disestablishments in Florida Sports venues demolished in 1990 Demolished sports venues in Florida