Four Flatten Florida
Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne did millions in damage to professional ballparks in Florida. With projections of more summers like this, can baseball survive in the Sunshine State?

Chris Kelly
MLNSportsZone.com

12.08.04 - Boca Raton, FL. - The Hurricanes may be the hottest ticket in the Florida football season, but for teams from Pensacola to Ft. Meyers, the winds of change have not blown kindly this year, as four back-to-back hurricanes caused extensive damage to facilities from coast to coast, North to South, that will total in excess of $7.3 million dollars.

Boiling point temperatures, suffocating humidity, and unpredictable rainstorms are just some of the usual natural phenomenon that teams, players, and fans cope with over the season.  

From June 1 to November 30, Florida goes on hurricane watch during the height of the Florida State League’s season.  Normally it’s business as usual in the Sunshine State. This year’s warnings proved to be more prophecy than oft-ignored advisory.

Hurricane Charley hit the West coast of Florida

with 145 mph winds on August 13 and dragged a path of destruction across the state. By September 5, Hurricane Frances had weakened from a Category 4 to a Category 2 (on the Saffir-Simpson scale) and attacked Central Florida. Hurricane Ivan meandered through the Gulf of Mexico and eventually cast serious weather over portions of Florida in late September. Just 20 days after dealing with the aftermath of Frances, Hurricane Jeanne, a Category 3, took almost the same path over the state. Jeanne hit the Florida Panhandle and the Pensacola region, while Ivan largely spared Florida's battered ballparks.

The Real Miracle in Ft. Meyers

Hurricane Charley visited the Ft. Myers Miracle at the Lee County Sports Complex destroying roof tiles, twisting lights on the towers, and causing minor structural damage around the stadium. The Twins’ affiliate lost a few games before embarking on a 10-game road trip, during which the stadium was repaired.

“We were very fortunate compared to what happened on the East coast with the other hurricanes, because they got thoroughly trashed,” noted Sean Aronson, media relations director for the Miracle.

Hammerheads’ Home Hammered

Roger Dean Stadium, home to both the Jupiter Hammerheads and the Palm Beach Cardinals, was one of the stadiums hit the hardest by the hurricanes. Rob Rabenecker, General Manager of the stadium, estimated the damage to be in excess of $3 million.

“We had 7 of our 8 light poles blow down during Hurricane Frances,” Rabenecker related.

Several of the massive light masts were bent over from the severe winds, crashing into the facilities and causing further damage. Falling light poles penetrated the roofs above the press box and the Cardinals’ 31,000 square foot clubhouse.

Frances caused significant structural damage, but Hurricane Jeanne complicated the situation, taking its toll on the fields and causing the clay to leach into the grass.

The Hammerheads and Cardinals lost 3 games at the end of the season.  Many players left town, but several of the Hammerheads, including manager Luis Dorante, stayed in the clubhouse and rode out the storm.

HOK Construction Services, a branch of the firm that built the stadium, are overseeing the rebuild and have been involved since the first sign of damage.

A year removed from $10 million renovations, Tradition Field, home of the St. Lucie Mets, sustained a devastating $4 million worth of damage. An hour north of Jupiter, the field was near the eye of hurricane Frances.

Water intrusion, wind damage to fences, screens, luxury suites, seats, landscaping, and the scoreboard caused the staggering loss.

“Frances compromised a lot of things, did a lot of damage,” said Paul Taglieri, the Mets Director of Florida Operations, while Jeanne “finished it off.” 

The Mets organization will complete the restoration process in time for spring training, but will lose some minor events this off-season.

Dodgertown  Dinged

At Holman Stadium, the Vero Beach Dodgers lost their scoreboard, backstop, and light towers in the harsh winds of Frances and Jeanne. The GM of the Dodgers, Trevor Gooby, said repairs were scheduled to be completed by mid-February, at worst pushing some spring training night games to the day.

The Destructive Duo Does More

County-owned and operated facilities were not spared. The home of the Brevard County Manatees, Melbourne’s Space Coast Stadium, suffered roof damage and lost half of the scoreboard, and the chain link fence around the stadium fell. Luckily, 90% of the players were moved out before the storm.

The destructive duo of Frances and Jeanne also attacked Jackie Robinson Ballpark, the historic home of the Daytona Cubs. The winds ripped off the roof of the batting cage and most of the outfield wall signage; the storms also caused the collapse of the light towers.

“We’re right now working on renovations to the ballpark. It includes new light towers and some other things,” said Bill Papierniak, GM of the Cubs. Renovations should be in place by the beginning of April.

God Spares The Boss (Go Figure.)

A few clubs on the West coast were lucky enough to not be significantly affected by the storms.

The Tampa Yankees’ Legend Field had minimal sign damage and fared the best of the Florida State League facilities.

The Clearwater Threshers estimated more than $10,000 worth of damage to an awning, palm trees, a scoreboard panel, and some ceiling fans.

The Sarasota Red Sox were left with $10,000 worth of damage to the batter’s eye, the main stadium sign, and about a dozen trees. 

Pat Calhoon, the Facilities Manager at Ed Smith Stadium, joked that the stadium was now with a true foul pole, as the pole bent and is no longer in fair territory.

Joker Marchant Stadium and the Tiger Town complex of the Lakeland Tigers served a dual purpose as the hurricanes made landfall.

“Our complex is used by the City of Lakeland as an emergency staffing area,” said Todd Pund, GM of the Tigers. “We house the emergency operation people. We cooked meals and shared meals,” with 500-700 emergency workers during the crisis. Fresh off of $11 million renovations in 2002, the complex had minor roof and suite damage from the wind and rain, requiring only touch-up repairs.

The Dunedin Blue Jays are also in the West coast bay area but were not as fortunate. Losses at Knology Park included 80% of the outfield fence, the center field batter’s eye, and fifteen 500 pound banners.  Over two inches of water intruded into the facility and ruined much of the carpet. At the minor league complex, all 5 batter’s eyes were destroyed.  The instructional league was taking place during the storms, and players lost power for 3 days. Ken Carson, Director of Florida Operations for the Blue Jays, placed the damage cost “between $200,000 and $300,000. We’re working on that right now, to get a final estimate.”

The storms will not leave a lasting mark on baseball in Florida, this year. NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atomspheric Administration, speculates that there may be a generational climatic shift in the weather patterns around hurricane season similar to one during the 1880s.  The millions lost this year in areas that have not been touched by a major hurricane in four or more decades may seem small if more waves of hurricanes descend on the state for the next five years, as some experts predict.