After Hurricane Milton rolled through Florida, the Orioles’ spring training complex in Sarasota is serving as a staging area for first responders as Florida Power and Light works to restore power to the community.
The Ed Smith Stadium complex, which the Orioles have used for spring training since 2010, is not believed to have suffered much damage from either Hurricane Helene or Hurricane Milton.
“We are evaluating the Sarasota complex at this time,” Jennifer Grondahl, the Orioles’ director of communications, said in a statement, “but initial assessments have not yet uncovered significant damage. FP&L is activating from our facility to help restore power to our community. We will share additional ways in which we intend to support the response efforts as plans are finalized.”
According to Florida Power and Light, there are more than 200,000 customers in Sarasota County without power.
The stadium complex was closed Monday at 2 p.m. as the storm neared, and it has served as a launching point for the power company. Additionally, Sarasota County has used the complex as a sandbag distribution center, and Baltimore’s minor league facility at nearby Twin Lakes has also been utilized for hurricane relief efforts, the club announced this week.
The Orioles moved from Fort Lauderdale in 2010 and since then have brought 1.3 million fans to Sarasota, according to statistics provided by the club. With the move to Ed Smith Stadium, the Orioles sealed a 30-year lease and the major league and minor league facilities received $31.2 million in renovations from the county.
In the offseason, the stadium complex still hosts players. There are development camps and rehab assignments from injury. The full cohort of Orioles aren’t scheduled to report until the middle of February, however.
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