Dodgertown

The swing through Florida continues south, with a quick stop at Vero Beach.  Vero was forever known as the baseball spring training site for the Los Angeles (and Brooklyn before that) Dodgers.  That all ended five years ago when the team uprooted and moved its spring training to a new facility in Glendale, Arizona.  As noted by NPR and the New York Times, this was a sad event for the Vero Beach baseball faithful and the business community.  Most understood, however, that the Dodgers were the last remaining west coast team to train in Florida (the Vero tradition started in 1948 when they were in Brooklyn) and that a move to Arizona was imminent, for them to be closer to their fans and home city. 

The well-known Holman Field sits mostly idle these days, waiting for a suitor.  Baseball spring training is big business these days.  Last year, Ft. Myers, FL built a $78 million dollar spring training stadium for the Boston Red Sox in exchange for an agreement for the team to stay there thirty years.  

There's a movie coming out in three days (April 12, 2013) about Jackie Robinson.  He played at this stadium leading me to wonder if Vero Beach and Holman Field will get a mention in the movie.

The field is still maintained for hosting junior tournaments:

Some of the internal roads in the complex are named after famous Dodgers.  There was supposed to be a Jackie Robinson Lane but the sign wasn't there.

They're gone but not forgotten in Vero Beach.