Terry Park celebration set to begin

Naples Daily News staff

Lee County will put on its hitting shoes tonight and through the weekend with the Terry Park centennial celebration.

Area baseball fans will be celebrating the 100-year anniversary of Terry Park, a local landmark located on Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers.

The festivities begin at 7 p.m. tonight with opening ceremonies, a parade featuring former players and people with ties to the park's history, comments from county officials and a fireworks display at 10 p.m.

Over the course of its history, the ballpark has hosted spring training for four major-league clubs, most recently the Kansas City Royals, who left in 1987 after 18 years.

Terry Park set the stage for both Hammond Stadium, the Minnesota Twins spring home, and City of Palms Park, which houses the Boston Red Sox spring camp.

"It's a great ballpark and a friendly ballpark," said Bill Hammond, a Lee County administrator. "To me, it was a typical southern ballpark — low profile, only about 5,000 seats. I just always felt comfortable in that ballpark."

And it has been a comfortable home in the past to big-league teams including the Royals, Philadelphia A's, Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates.

That all began in the 1920s, when Connie Mack moved the Athletics' spring training to Fort Myers from Jacksonville.

From that time until the Royals left for Baseball City (they now train in Surprise, Ariz.), some of the biggest of the legendary names in baseball history have passed through Terry Park, including Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Roberto Clemente, George Brett and a host of others.

"When you first walk into the stadium, there's a banner listing the Hall of Famers that have played at Terry Park," said Fort Myers Miracle general manager Steve Gliner. "When you walk in, you instantly get a feel for the kinds of players that have come through there."

But Terry Park has been home to much more than baseball.

Over its 100-year history, the facility has housed a marina, which Hammond said closed in 1914 because "it was just too far out of town to drive there," a golf course, an armory (which still stands) and a race track for quarterhorses.

In addition, the Fort Myers High football team called Terry Park home in the 1930s, as did the Lee County Fair. Terry Park was also host to any number of youth baseball games.

One youth was Hammond, whose team was scheduled to play an American Legion game at Terry Park, only to have the field innundated with rain. The game was moved to Sarasota and eventually played in Dade City.

And it seems nearly every Lee County native has a Terry Park story to tell, including John Yarborough, the Lee County director of parks and recreation.

"I can remember seeing the Pirates in the '50s and '60s," Yarborough said. "Back then, Terry Park was pretty much the place to be as athletics were concerned."

Saturday's activities include exhibits about baseball and Lee County history, a Twins clinic and a pinewood derby contest, among other events. The exhibitions run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The celebrations culminates at 1 p.m. Sunday, when the Fort Myers Miracle of the high Single-A Florida State League play a regular-season game at Terry Park against the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Admission is free throughout the weekend, including the Miracle game.

Terry Park celebration

Tonight: 7 p.m. — Softball game, 100-year history parade, dignitary remarks by county government and family members significant in Terry Park history. Fireworks follow at 10.

Saturday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Performances, demonstrations, booths, displays and food in a festival atmosphere, including displays on Thomas Edison, memories of the Negro Leagues, baseball memorobilia, Terry Park history and ongoing musical performances and student art by Lee County School District students.

Sunday: 1:05 p.m. Fort Myers Miracle vs. Dunedin Blue Jays, Florida State League game.

Admission is free throughout the weekend, including the Fort Myers Miracle game.

Parking note: There will be no parking available at the park tonight and Saturday. Visitors should park at adjacent Shady Oaks Park. Parking available at Terry Park for Sunday's Miracle game.

How to get there: Take I-75 north to Palm Beach Boulevard (SR 82) exit. Go west on Palm Beach Boulevard. Ballpark is on south side of the road at 3410 Palm Beach Blvd.