Cal Ripken Jr.'s New Baseball Team
Hall of Famer Bringing Minor League Baseball to Port Charlotte, FLA
Aug 27, 2008
During a press conference today at the Charlotte Sports Park, Ripken was accompanied by Tampa Bay Rays management, three Charlotte County Commissioners and Joe Hart, General Manager of the to be named Ripken Baseball team, to make the announcement. The Class-A Florida State League team affiliate for the Rays will begin play in April 2009 in the newly renovated sports park in Port Charlotte. Season tickets (70 games) are on sale now and packages begin at $285. The season runs through mid-September.
Minor League Baseball in Charlotte County, Florida: When Ripken Minor League Baseball Operations Began
In 2002, Ripken Baseball and Cal Ripken, Jr. purchased the Class-A affiliate for the Baltimore Orioles, the Aberdeen IronBirds. Formerly the Utica Blue Sox, the team plays in the New York Penn League and Aberdeen, Md., happens to be Ripken's hometown.
Seeing success with the Aberdeen IronBirds, Ripken Baseball purchased the Augusta GreenJackets (Georgia), formerly the Augusta Tourists, in 2005. The GreenJackets compete in the South Atlantic League and are the affiliate team for the San Francisco Giants. Earlier this week, the Tampa Bay Rays and Ripken Baseball announced the joint purchase of the Vero Beach (Florida) Devil Rays, which is the to be named professional minor league baseball team moving to Port Charlotte.
"I enjoy being around baseball and this is my way of staying connected to the game," Cal Ripken, Jr. said when explaining his involvement in professional minor league baseball.
Minor League Baseball in Charlotte County, Florida: Tampa Bay Rays, Ripken Baseball and the Community
It was almost two years ago when the Tampa Bay Rays announced the spring training partnership with Charlotte County "...to build a facility the entire county could be proud of," said Michael Kalt, Senior Vice President of Development for the Rays. He continued saying the goal was to build a facility that would be utilized year-round and not just six weeks out of the year during baseball spring training.
It's a healthy and welcomed partnership being brought to Port Charlotte and surrounding area. Both the Rays and Ripken Baseball organizations plan on being active and visible within the community.
Charlotte County Commissioner Adam Cummings admitted to being an initial skeptic about bringing a professional sports team to Port Charlotte but his perception changed after seeing how both baseball clubs embraced the community. "These teams are still going to be owned by the respected organizations but they have come forward to pull their own weight helping to improve our community and give us something to rally around," Cummings said, "Now it's our job...we need to make these team ours. We need to respond to that partnership."
Joe Hart recognized and thanked the Fort Myers Miracle for their cooperation. The Southwest Florida professional minor league baseball team needed to approve the relocation of the new Ripken Baseball team to Southwest Florida.
Ripken suggested holding youth baseball camps in Port Charlotte, similar to the ones held in Aberdeen and Myrtle Beach, S.C. He emphasized the importance of developing the baseball skills of those kids 13-years-old and older since many camps focus on the younger players (12 and younger).
Summing up his commitment to youth and minor league baseball, Cal Ripken, Jr. said, "I'd love it in the end of the day, when it's all said and done, [to] see maybe my legacy become something [I] did a lot for youth baseball and oh, by the way, played a little bit, too."
Minor League Baseball in Charlotte County, Florida: How to Purchase Tickets
Season ticket packages can be purchased by calling (866) 272-9789. Additional information about the team can be found on its Web site. Home games will be played at the Charlotte Sports Park at 2300 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte, Fla. Port Charlotte is located on Florida's Southwest Gulf Coast, equidistant between Tampa and Naples.
Check out "Tampa Bay Rays Spring Training: Port Charlotte Travel Guide" when planning a visit to see the new Ripken Baseball team in Charlotte County.
 |
