Daytona Beach’s Jackie Robinson Ballpark was named the fourth best minor league baseball venue in the United States by USA Today. The stadium, which is presently the home of the Daytona Tortugas, is the only minor league baseball venue in the Volusia/Flagler area.
In addition to being rated fourth out of all minor league parks in the country, Jackie Robinson Ballpark was ranked highest of any Single-A venue on the list. In the overall ranking it was also named the premiere location in the American south.
“This recognition belongs to the fans of Daytona Beach,” said Tortugas co-owner & operating partner Bob Fregolle, Jr. “From Opening Day through the final pitch of the season, it is the energy in the stands, the families who choose to spend their time at the ballpark, and the passion for the game that make Jackie Robinson Ballpark what it is. The support of this community has sustained baseball here for more than a century, and it will continue to carry it forward for generations to come.”
The History of The Jack
Having first opened in 1914, ‘The Jack’ is the oldest minor league baseball venue in the United States that still operates. It was initially deemed Daytona City Island Ballpark, until it was renamed for civil rights hero and baseball legend Jackie Robinson in 1989. Robinson played at the park in 1946 for spring training, after other municipalities refused to allow the Brooklyn Dodgers to play with a Black man on the team.
From 1993 to 2014, Jackie Robinson Ballpark hosted the Daytona Cubs, a High-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They converted into the Daytona Tortugas in 2015, becoming a Single-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The Tortugas play in the Florida State League against nine other teams from around Florida. In addition to minor league baseball, Jackie Robinson Ballpark also hosts college games for the Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats.
Major league teams played a major role in The Jack’s history, beyond just Jackie Robinson’s historic breaking of the color barrier. The St. Louis Cardinals held their spring training there from 1925 to 1937, as did the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 and Montreal Expos from 1973 to 1980.
“The Daytona Tortugas remain committed to that future, to preserving the legacy of Jackie Robinson, to continuing to invest in the ballpark, and to ensuring that baseball in Daytona Beach remains a vibrant part of the community for years to come,” said Tortugas President & GM Jim Jaworski.
USA Today’s Top 10 Minor League Baseball Parks in America
- Coca-Cola Park – Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Allentown, PA)
- Modern Woodmen Park – Quad Cities River Bandits (Davenport, IA)
- The Ballpark at America First Square – Salt Lake Bees (South Jordan, UT)
- Jackie Robinson Ballpark – Daytona Tortugas (Daytona Beach, FL)
- Covenant Health Park – Knoxville Smokies (Knoxville, TN)
- Polar Park – Worcester Red Sox (Worcester, MA)
- FirstEnergy Stadium – Reading Fightin Phils (Reading, PA)
- Keesler Federal Park – Biloxi Shuckers (Biloxi, MS)
- Truist Field – Charlotte Knights (Charlotte, NC)
- Toyota Field – Rocket City Trash Pandas (Madison, AL)
