Being a resident of the Port St. Lucie community, chances are you know The Mets by now. Maybe you haven’t been to a game yet, but you know they are a staple to this town. But the question might be, how? Or, why? Let me tell you a little bit about this amazing stadium and all they have brought to our community.
The New York Mets moved here in 1988 for spring training, we’re talking Port St. Lucie before exit 121 even existed! St. Lucie West was nonexistent and bringing this stadium here was the start of creating the vision our county had, which was to morph our town into what it is now.
Fast forward to today, and the St. Lucie Mets have put Port St. Lucie on the map for people all around the country. St Lucie West, the once vacant acreage nestled between the Florida Turnpike and i95, is now thriving with shopping centers, delicious restaurants, beautiful neighborhoods, and great schools. Now, Clover Park, with the St. Lucie Mets, has become the most sought-after destination of this beautiful suburban community.
So, let’s talk baseball! The St. Lucie Mets are the New York Mets’ Single-A minor league team. St. Lucie Mets players are in the range of 18-22 years old. Some are directly out of high school, others right out of college, making this the potential start of their major league career. For some of the players, Port St. Lucie is the first experience of the United States. They land in Miami Airport and head to our town; being brought here to play baseball. When speaking with General Manager, Traer Van Allen, about the upcoming Season, he stated, “Fans can expect to see a young, exciting version of baseball being played this Season”. After winning the Florida State League Championship last year, the goal for Traer and his team was to see the players progress through levels and advance, which is exactly what happened. “There’s a good chance a lot of those guys won’t be here, so it will be a whole new team of young guys looking to make their mark and accomplish this same goal” says Traer.
In addition to watching the talent on the field, Clover Park itself holds multiple different things to do and keep you entertained. Not only is it a safe, family friendly environment, but it’s a great place to walk around, support local charities, grab a hot dog and a cold beer or soda and socialize with friends (without breaking the bank)! They host a wide range of events, both small and large, from concerts to food bank distributions, car shows to various walks/runs.
Regarding supporting local charities, did you know how much the Mets Stadium gives back to our community? For example, in the Summer, every Saturday home game features a different local nonprofit group. The players wear special themed jerseys supporting the chosen nonprofit group, in which they then autograph and auction off, and 100% of the proceeds go to that foundation. This program has been happening for nearly 8 years, which means they have represented hundreds of different nonprofit groups, anywhere from Autism to Breast Cancer to Military Appreciation. One of my personal favorite themes is Christmas in July, where the team wears a themed Christmas jersey, such as ugly sweater jerseys, and proceeds go to Christmas for kids.
If this wasn’t enough to grab your tickets for the next game, they also feature firework nights on Saturdays, Thursday dollar beers, teacher appreciation events, and more. It’s always nice to find something different to do, especially when you can be outside appreciating the Florida weather, in a safe environment for all ages. We suggest getting your tickets to the next game so you can check out the talent and watch some players transform into professionals, right out of our own town!
Fans can find all the information they need about the team, including tickets and promotions, on www.stluciemets.com or their social media channels @stluciemets.
First Pull Quote on Page 2: "The Mets moved here in 1988, we’re talking Port St. Lucie before exit 121 even existed!"
Second Pull Quote on Page 3: Grab a hot dog and a cold beer or soda and socialize with friends (without breaking the bank)!
