You don’t have to love major league baseball to love the spectacle of attending a game, especially when it is played under glorious blue skies with warm, balmy breezes rustling the palms and bright orange pennants flapping aloft at Ed Smith Stadium—or “Birdland South,” as the ball park is officially known when the Baltimore Orioles are back home in Sarasota for Spring Training.
You also don’t have to be a diehard baseball fan to appreciate the economic impact that the Orioles have had on the region since moving their Spring Training operations here in 2010.
During last year’s season, for example, the Orioles drew a record-breaking average of 7,484 attendees per game, virtually filling the stadium to capacity each time. In the six years since the Orioles moved to Sarasota more than 640,000 fans have enjoyed the team’s Spring Training baseball at Ed Smith Stadium. It goes without saying that these loyal fans also fanned-out into the region to enjoy its other warm weather amenities; using beaches, hotels, restaurants and retail outlets in addition to making their daily pilgrimages to the ball park.
Even more fans watch the Orioles on TV, as a minimum of six Spring Training games are broadcast each season to more than 7 million households in six Mid-Atlantic states. In addition to the game these viewers will presumably notice the gorgeous weather they could be enjoying if they too were in Sarasota for baseball’s annual springtime ritual.
According to a 2015 analysis by Sarasota County, the Orioles’ contribution to the local economy adds up to over $81 million annually. Moreover, a multi-platform marketing partnership between the Orioles and Visit Sarasota—the county’s official tourism agency—has upped the number of in-bound visitors from the Oriole’s Mid-Atlantic home region by 128% in just its first year, making it one of Sarasota County’s largest feeder markets for tourism.
Thanks to the Orioles’ commitment to the area, we can also be proud that Sarasota has received yet another new honor to add to its lengthy list of accolades. In late 2015, Ed Smith Stadium received the Field of the Year Award from the Sports Turf Managers Association, placing the ball park and its practice fields in the same league as the best professional sports facilities in the country.
Beyond Spring Training, the Orioles have been active in the Sarasota community for over two decades; operating, among other local enterprises, an athletic training center at Twin Lakes Park since 1991. They have also been exceptionally generous and caring neighbors, running youth baseball clinics; and donating to the Miracle League of Manasota to help build a ball field designed and equipped for disabled youth. Plus, since moving their year-round operations to Sarasota in 2010, the Orioles have donated more than $2.25 million in cash and in-kind contributions to various charitable organizations throughout the region.
As the final minutes tick down to the first pitch of the new Spring Training season, Michael Saunders & Company is proud to announce its new multi-year partnership with the Orioles. As the Official Sarasota Real Estate Partner of the Orioles we look forward to linking the growing number of visiting Orioles fans with the region’s most trusted team of locally-focused real estate sales and rental professionals.
We especially look forward to a partnership that unites two organizations steeped in values, tradition and a love of the game. With that said, the only thing left to say is “Play Ball!”
What do you love most about the Orioles? Tell us in the comments below.