"The Jack" | |
 | |
 Interactive map of Jackie Robinson Ballpark | |
| Full name | Jackie Robinson Ballpark |
|---|---|
| Former names | Daytona City Island Ballpark (1914–1988) |
| Address | 105 East Orange Avenue |
| Location | Daytona Beach, Florida |
| Coordinates | 29°12′34″N81°1′0″W / 29.20944°N 81.01667°W /29.20944; -81.01667 |
| Owner | City of Daytona Beach |
| Operator | Checkerboard Baseball, LLC |
| Capacity | 4,200[1] |
| Field size | Left Field: 317 ft Center Field: 400 ft Right Field: 325 ft |
| Surface | FieldTurf |
| Construction | |
| Opened | June 4, 1914 |
| Renovated | 1930, 1951, 1962, 1973, 1999 |
| Architect | Fuquay & Gheen, Inc. |
| Tenants | |
| Daytona Beach Islanders/Dodgers/Astros/Admirals (1920–1924, 1928, 1936–1941, 1946–1973, 1977–1987) St. Louis Cardinals (spring training) (1925–1937) Minneapolis Millers (spring training) (1940) Brooklyn Dodgers (spring training) (1947) Baltimore Orioles (spring training) (1955) Montreal Expos (spring training) (1973–1980) Bethune–Cookman Wildcats baseball (1993–present) Daytona Cubs (1993–2014) Daytona Tortugas (2015–present) | |
City Island Ball Park | |
    | |
| Built | 1914 (ball field) 1929 (grandstand) |
| MPS | Daytona Beach Multiple Property Submission |
| NRHP reference No. | 98001253[2] |
| Added to NRHP | October 22, 1998 |
TheJackie Robinson Ballpark (also known asJackie Robinson Stadium orCity Island Ball Park) is a historicbaseball field inDaytona Beach, Florida, United States. It is located at 105 East Orange Avenue onCity Island, in theHalifax River.
The ballpark, originally known as City Island Ball Park, opened in 1914. It consisted of a baseball field and a set of wooden bleachers. The present day grandstand and press box were built in 1962.[3] It is the home of theDaytona Tortugas and theBethune–Cookman Wildcats. The Daytona Tortugas were founded in 1993. They have won sixFlorida State League championships, 1994, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2011, and 2013.
The Bethune–Cookman Wildcats have also achieved recent success, including six consecutiveMid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) baseball championships from 1999 to 2004, and seven more in 2006–2012.
Daytona Beach and the stadium were the first Florida city to allowJackie Robinson to play during the 1946 season'sspring training. Robinson had been signed to play for theTriple-AMontreal Royals who held spring training in Florida withBrooklyn Dodgers. BothJacksonville andSanford locked their stadiums to the Royals and forced the cancellation of scheduled exhibition games due to local ordinances which prohibited "mixed" athletics.[4]
Daytona Beach permitted the game, which was played on March 17, 1946. This contributed to Robinson breakingMajor League Baseball'scolor barrier the following year when he joined the Dodgers. The refusal by Jacksonville, previously the Dodgers' spring training home, led the team to host spring training in Daytona in 1947 and buildDodgertown inVero Beach for the 1948 season. A statue of Robinson is now located at the south entrance to the ballpark.
The ballpark was previously the home field of theDaytona Beach Islanders (1920–1924, 1936–1941, 1946–1966, 1977, 1985–1986),Daytona Beach Dodgers (1968–1973), andDaytona Beach Astros (1978–1984). The major leagueMontreal Expos conducted theirspring training at the park from 1973 to 1980.
As of the 2021 season, Jackie Robinson Ballpark is the oldest active ballpark inMinor League Baseball.[5]
The stadium sustained heavy damage duringHurricane Donna in 1960. A $2 million historic renovation project was accelerated afterHurricane Floyd ripped off the metal roofs over the seating in 1999. In 2004, the ballpark suffered moderate damage duringHurricane Charley, causing several home games to be moved toMelching Field at Conrad Park in nearbyDeLand.
On October 22, 1998, the stadium was added to the United StatesNational Register of Historic Places. This property is part of theDaytona Beach Multiple Property Submission, a Multiple Property Submission to the National Register.
On May 12, 2018, the stadium hosted a concert by rapperNelly withBone Thugs-n-Harmony andJuvenile as the opening acts.[6]
In 2025, the park was named a National Commemorative Site and added to the African American Civil Rights Network.[7]
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Franchise | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ballparks |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Culture | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rivalries | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Key personnel |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Series championships (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| American League pennants (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AL East division titles (10) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AL Wild Card (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minor league affiliates |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Broadcasting |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
