Charlotte Sports Park
(also known as Charlotte County Stadium
and Ranger Stadium
) is a baseball park and training facility in Port Charlotte, Florida. Originally built in 1988, the main stadium is currently being rebuilt, and will be the spring training home to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2009. Beginning in the 2009 season, the ballpark will also be the home of the relocated Vero Beach Devil Rays of the Florida State League.
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CHARLOTTE SPORTS PARK (FORMERLY COUNTY STADIUM) TICKETS
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Tenants
The stadium is the former home of the
Texas Rangers' minor league affiliate Charlotte Rangers, and has played host to amateur baseball tournaments, including the Port Charlotte Invitational.
Historical Events
After signing an unpresedented 10 year deal worth $252 million with the
Texas Rangers, in 2000, slugger Alex Rodriguez held a press conference with the sports media at the stadium. The stadium, which was being vacated by the club at the end of the 2001 Spring Training, was unable to accommodate the significant number of news reporters. In an effort to allow enough room for reporters to speak to Rodriguez, the press conference was held on the roof of the Rangers' dugout -- a clear sign that the Rangers had outgrown the facility.
During the 1994 Spring Training, the Rangers played host to the
Chicago White Sox who featured basketball star
Michael Jordan. The game drew a record crowd and was one of only a few sites in Florida to host Jordan.
In the Spring of 1993
[when?],
Texas Rangers pitcher
Nolan Ryan announced his retirement from the clubhouse at the stadium.
Other Uses
The stadium is also used by the local community for events like concerts, festivals, and expos. It has hosted such musicians as
Kenny Rogers,
The Beach Boys, and
Simple Plan.