Soon after Hurricane Milton made landfall in Tampa, Florida, viral videos circulated of the damage to the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. The damage to other professional baseball facilities around the state does not appear as severe, however, based on early reports from officials at several of the MLB spring training facilities scattered across Florida.
In Tampa, the Yankees’ George M. Steinbrenner Field saw foul poles and fencing around the stadium fall down amid considerable debris but there was no structural damage, no water damage and no flooding, according to a Yankees spokesperson. A total of 75 people, including Yankees employees and their family members, took shelter at Steinbrenner Field. The nearby player development complex also made it through without any major issues, save a shredded-up batter’s eye along with some uprooted fencing and debris.
Jennifer Grondahl, the senior vice president of communications for the Orioles, said the organization has “not yet uncovered significant damage” at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, where the Orioles have played spring training games since 2010.
JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, the spring home of the Boston Red Sox, experienced “minimal wind and water damage” and “did not lose power at the ballpark throughout the storm,” the Red Sox said in a statement, which added that “Lee County will stage 2,000 rescue workers at JetBlue Park over the next two weeks to aid in clean-up efforts in and around the Fort Myers area.”
Brian Warecki, the Pirates senior vice president of communications and broadcasting, said the structures that endured among the “most noteworthy damage” at LECOM Park included the outfield wall, the fencing at Pirates City and a batter’s eye. “While we appreciate the curiosity, this pales in comparison to what others are facing in the wake of both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton,” Warecki added. “We continue to work alongside Bradenton area first responders and (are) willing to help in any way we can.”
The Tigers secured outdoor furniture and either removed or trimmed trees that could’ve been potentially problematic, though Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium ended up relatively unscathed with no notable damage.
The newly renovated Charlotte Sports Park, the spring training home of the Rays, is said to be in good shape, according to a media report.
Haha, Charlotte High came through with flying (blue) colors. Englewood flooding had to be pretty bad, but it had really cleared out by the time I got there. Lots of dead fish far from where they should have been swimming. PGI got good and battered. Sports Park was in great shape.…
— Patrick Obley 🦥 (@PMOWriter) October 11, 2024
After Hurricane Ian caused more than $112 billion in damage across the state of Florida in September 2022, the Rays’ spring training facility since 2009 proved inoperable. The team was forced to move north to hold preliminary workouts and play its spring training opener at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex before hosting the remainder of its spring games at Tropicana Field in 2023. Much of the Charlotte Sports Park complex was impacted, from torn metal roofing to displaced signage to significant water damage.
It took 16 months for the Rays to complete $17 million worth of repairs on the facility, which was restored as their spring home this year. It’s as yet unclear how long it will take to repair the damage to Tropicana Field, and whether the Rays will be displaced for any portion of the 2025 season.
Before Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on Wednesday, several feet of storm surge flooding had already been observed by Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore in Port Charlotte.
(Top photo of St. Petersburg and Tropicana Field after the hurricane: AP Photo / Gerald Herbert)
