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2012 Red Sox Spring Training
Boston's winter home is in Fort Myers, where the new JetBlue Park will be unveiled in 2012. The ballpark will be the centerpiece of the $77.9 million Fenway South complex, which displaced the team from City of Palms Park, the 7,800-person capacity stadium that opened in 1993. It lured the Red Sox away from Winter Haven, where they had trained from 1966-1992.
The planned capacity for JetBlue Park is 11,000, which includes lawn seating and standing room only admission. By comparison, the largest crowd to ever attend a game at City of Palms Park was the 8,278 turnout on March 23, 2009. So 2012 will be a record-breaking year at the turnstiles for the Red Sox during spring training.
Reporting DatesPitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers on February 19, with their first practice scheduled for February 21. Position players arrive on the 23rd and the first full team workout is two days later. Until exhibition games begin, practices are held on the fields adjacent to JetBlue Park each morning from approximately 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Fans can watch practice sessions for free and parking is available on site.
Just like in Boston, the Red Sox are a hot ticket in Fort Myers, where they sold out 109 straight Grapefruit League games during a span that covered the team's final eight seasons at City of Palms Park. So fans need to buy tickets shortly after they go on sale, as most games quickly sell out. Even when they do, fans can still purchase reserved standing room only tickets for just $10 or $15 by calling 888-733-7696 or 239-334-4700. Standing room tickets are also sold on the morning of the game on a first-come, first-served basis. But you need to arrive very early to buy them. Unlike Fenway Park, standing room in Ft. Myers is not a bad option, as both the former and future ballpark were designed to be roomy within the stands. Of course, the earlier you enter the ballpark the better your view will be, as the best places to stand are the first to be taken. If you want actual seats to the sold out games in advance, the only real option is to choose a ticket reselling company like TicketsNow, where Red Sox spring training tickets are sold for $35 and up.
Note: Tickets are half-price for the annual exhibition games against Boston College and Northeastern.
Ballpark AddressJetBlue Park 11581 Daniels Parkway Fort Myers, FL 33913
DirectionsFrom I-75, take Exit 131 and go east on Daniels Parkway for a little over 2 miles. The ballpark will then be on your left. It's quite visible from the highway. The one notable thing near it is the airport, which you pass by shortly after exiting I-75.
ParkingGrass fields throughout the Fenway South complex will accommodate all comers. The cost to park is $9, a $2 increase from what was charged in the official grass lots adjacent to City of Palms Park.
JetBlue Park NotesEssentially, the ballpark is a scaled-down replica of Fenway Park. Its signature features are identical to the big league version in Boston: a 37-foot Green Monster wall in left field, which is embedded with a manual scoreboard, the same playing field dimensions and the Williamsburg location of the bullpens. Designed by Populous, the same archiectural firm that drew up plans for City of Palms Park (they were known as HOK Sport then), with assistance from locally-based Parker/Mudgett/Smith and the Boston-area firm of D'Agostino Izzo Quirk. Funded entirely by Lee County, of which Fort Myers is the county seat. The Red Sox's lease with the county is for an ironclad 30 years. The agreement between the team and county was announced on November 1, 2008. Official groundbreaking for the facility took place on March 4, 2011. The Player Development Complex on the 106-acre site will include six practice fields. In the past, the Red Sox made do with a five field complex that was located 2½ miles from their stadium. Is a little over 10 miles from Boston's former spring training home, City of Palms Park. On the same day the Red Sox played their final game at City of Palms Park (March 29, 2011), JetBlue Airways acquired the naming rights to its replacement. The New York-based airline signed on to be the ballpark's title sponsor for eight years. A complete guide to JetBlue Park can be found at Spring Training Connection.
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Face value ticket prices are:
