First Data Field

First Data Field
Former names Thomas J. White Stadium (1988–2004)
Digital Domain Park (2010–2012)
Tradition Field (2004–2009; 2012–2016)
Location 525 NW Peacock Boulevard
Port St. Lucie, FL 34986
Coordinates 27°19′31.01″N 80°24′16.18″W / 27.3252806°N 80.4044944°W / 27.3252806; -80.4044944Coordinates: 27°19′31.01″N 80°24′16.18″W / 27.3252806°N 80.4044944°W / 27.3252806; -80.4044944
Owner St. Lucie County[1]
Operator St. Lucie Parks & Recreation Department[1]
Capacity 7,160
Field size Left field: 338 feet (103 m)
Left-Center field: 371 feet (113 m)
Center field: 410 feet (120 m)
Right-Center field: 371 feet (113 m)
Right field: 338 feet (103 m)
Surface Grass
Construction
Broke ground December 19, 1986[1]
Opened March 5, 1988[1]
Construction cost $11 million
($22.8 million in 2017 dollars[2] )
Architect Hoon & White[3]
Structural engineer Lantz Jones Nebraska, Inc.[3]
General contractor Hunzinger Construction[3]
Tenants
New York Mets (MLB) (spring training)
St. Lucie Mets (FSL) (1988–present)
GCL Mets (GCL) (1992–1999; 2004–2011; 2013–present)

First Data Field is a baseball stadium located in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The stadium was built in time for the 1988 season and holds 7,160 people. It is the Spring training home of the New York Mets (who moved from St. Petersburg's Al Lang Stadium), as well as the home to the St. Lucie Mets Class A team and the Gulf Coast Mets Rookie League team. The team also sometimes holds college games at the Stadium.

Naming rights

Thomas J. White, the person for whom the stadium was originally named, was a real estate developer from St. Louis, Missouri who worked with sportswriter Jack Champion on the successful campaign to bring the Mets to Port St. Lucie. He was the master developer who gave birth to the town of St. Lucie West. In 2004 the Mets changed the name of the venue to Tradition Field.

On March 23, 2010, during a Mets spring training game against the Atlanta Braves, it was announced that effective immediately the stadium would be renamed Digital Domain Park, as a result of a multi-year partnership between the Mets and Digital Domain.

At the end of the 2012 season, the Mets announced that Digital Domain would no longer own the naming rights to the ballpark, and that the stadium would temporarily be renamed Mets Stadium. On February 7, 2013, the Mets struck a new deal with Tradition, Florida, and the ballpark was once again called Tradition Field, the park's name from 2004 to 2009.[4]

On February 23, 2017, the Mets announced a 10-year strategic partnership with First Data to rename the ballpark First Data Field.[5]

Tradition Field in 2009

Improvements

The Stadium featured several new amenities in 2012. The right field bleacher was replaced with 500 field-level seats, highlighted by an outdoor bar and grill similar to the third base-side Tiki Bar. The right field section was also connected to the outfield grass berm area for easy access throughout the facility. The scoreboard was upgraded to include a larger screen featuring replay highlights in HD.[6]

Florida State League All-Star Games

Since opening, Tradition Field has hosted the Florida State League All-Star Game a total of three times. The most recent time was in 2015, following the 1994 and 2004 editions of the exhibition game.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Knight, Graham (May 6, 2010). "Digital Domain Park". Baseball Pilgrimages. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  2. ↑ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "St. Lucie County Sports Complex" (PDF). PCI Journal. September 1989. p. 123. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Mets Strike Deal with Tradition Florida". Minor League Baseball. February 7, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  5. ↑ http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170223005253/en/Data-York-Mets-Announce-Long-Term-Naming-Rights
  6. ↑ "Tradition Field Bio" (PDF). Minor League Baseball. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  7. ↑ "St. Lucie Mets set to host 2015 FSL All Star Game". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved June 21, 2014.


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