FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches

The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches complex, North Port, FL, hosts Houston Astros and Washington Nationals spring training and rookie-Florida Complex League baseball. Although never the regular home of a full-season minor league club, it has occasionally hosted the level as a back-up to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, FL - which is also in Palm Beach County.

Its official inauguration took place on February 28, 2017, for a Grapefruit League game between the Astros and Nationals in the presence of Commissioner Rob Manfred and the owners of both parent clubs, Ted Lerner for the Nationals and Jim Crane for the Astros.Florida's second shared facility - Arizona, where the concept originated, has four - landed a 12-year naming deal with the FITTEAM fitness firm in February 2018. However, the name was quietly dropped after the 2020 season without explanation.

In June 2019, the Palm Beach Cardinals and Jupiter Hammerheads played five games at FITTEAM while their shared home readied for the Florida State League All-Star Game. Again in 2023 - this time because of a thorough renovation of "The Dean" - the same two FSL teams will play the remainder of their home schedules at The Palm Beaches' main stadium starting July 25th.

It and Clover Park in Port St. Lucie co-hosted the 2020 Olympics (delayed to 2021) qualifier the Coronavirus pandemic dislodged from Arizona in March, with eventual silver medal winner Team USA going unbeaten to qualify for the Tokyo games.

The Astros and Nats met in the 2019 World Series, becoming the first teams sharing a spring facility to do so. The complex includes two infield-only and 12 other full diamonds.

Further Reading

• Alyson Footer: "New Nats, Astros park opens to much fanfare: Commissioner praises state-of-the-art facility", mlb.com, February 28, 2017. [1]
• Brian McTaggart: "Dazzling spring facility set to welcome Astros: Pitchers and catchers to report for duty Tuesday", February 13, 2017. [2]