Bright House Field, baseball stadium in Clearwater, Florida, United States
Bright House Field, now called BayCare Ballpark, is a baseball stadium in Clearwater with about 7,000 fixed seats and grassy areas for additional spectators. The venue features multiple viewing spots including a tiki pavilion with group seating in left field and elevated beach chairs along the third base line near the dugouts.
The stadium opened in 2004 and replaced the older Jack Russell Memorial Stadium located four miles away. The Phillies relocated their spring training operations here to be closer to the Carpenter Complex, their training facility that has operated since 1947.
The ballpark's name has followed its sponsors: Bright House Networks Field from 2004, shortened to Bright House Field in 2013, Spectrum Field in 2017, and BayCare Ballpark from February 2021. Bright House paid the Phillies $1.7 million over ten years, with the City of Clearwater receiving one-third. The Clearwater Threshers, the Phillies' Class A affiliate, play Florida State League games here.
The stadium sits easily accessible near U.S. Route 19, reachable by car or local transit, with parking available in two main lots at affordable rates. Visitors find food and drink options at several points throughout the venue, including a tiki bar in left field and standard ballpark concessions.
The Phillies played their first game here on March 4, 2004, beating the New York Yankees 5–1 before 8,205 fans; Vicente Padilla started, Marlon Byrd got the park's first hit and Jimmy Rollins hit its first home run. The all-time spring training attendance record came on March 17, 2019, when 11,340 watched the Yankees win 7–3.
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