Ed Smith Stadium named Field of the Year

Ed Smith Stadium, the Spring Training home of the Baltimore Orioles, was recently named the Field of the Year for professional baseball by the Sports Turf Managers Association. 

The Field of the Year award is considered the industry’s most prestigious honor and is awarded annually to various sporting grounds members at the professional, collegiate, schools and parks and recreation levels. A panel of 15 judges rated sporting grounds based on playability, appearance of surfaces, utilization of innovative solutions and effective use of budget and implementation of a comprehensive agronomic program. 

Head groundskeeper of Florida Operations Dan Thomas will accept the award at the 27th annual STMA Conference and Exhibition this week, in San Diego. 

Ed Smith Stadium was built in 1989 and underwent an extensive renovation prior to the 2011 season. Over the past six years, 640,000 fans have enjoyed Orioles baseball at Ed Smith Stadium, helping to establish numerous club and Sarasota attendance records. 

“This award is a source of great pride for the Orioles and the entire Sarasota community as it recognizes Ed Smith Stadium among the best sports facilities in the country,” David Rovine, Vice President, Orioles-Sarasota, said in a press release. “We commend Dan and his staff for their tireless efforts to make our ballpark the crown jewel of Spring Training in Florida. The carefully-maintained grounds are integral to fueling the sports tourism economy year-round as part of our Sarasota 365 commitment through tournaments and other baseball-related events, as well as community initiatives.”