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Roger Dean Stadium - Buy St. Louis Cardinals tickets for Busch Stadium and Roger Dean Stadium at TickCo.com!
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Roger Dean Stadium
/ Jupiter Hammerheads & Palm Beach Cardinals
| Year Opened | 1998 |
| Capacity | 7,000 |
| Architect | HOK Sport+Venue+Event |
| Dimensions | 335L, 380LC, 400C, 375RC, 325R |
| Playing Surface | Grass |
| Last Visit | 2005 |
| Web Sites | www.rogerdeanstadium.com, www.palmbeachcardinals.com, www.jupiterhammerheads.com |
| Online Broadcasts | Yes |
| Online Ticket Sales | Yes |
| Phone | 561/775-1818 |
| Ticket Prices (2005) | $7 Adults/$6 for kids and seniors. |
| League | Florida State League |
| Parking | The main stadium parking is located in the grass parking lot on the northwest side of the stadium (located between Parkside and Stadium Drive). There is additional public parking available in the Abacoa parking garage west of the stadium as well as throughout the neighboring Abacoa community. |
| Address/Directions | 4751 Main Street, Jupiter. From I-95, exit at Donald Ross Road (exit 58) and travel east one mile to Central Boulevard. At the light, make a left and follow Central to Frederick Small. Make a left onto Frederick Small and the ballpark will be on your left. |
| Written by: | Dewayne Hankins |
| Rating |   |
(click on the image
for a larger photo)
It seems like no matter what promotions you run or how hard you try to sell tickets there's just no easy way to lure fans to a Florida State League ballpark in the sweltering summer months.
So it's a shame that Roger Dean Stadium is where it is, because folks in the area are missing one of the finest minor-league ballparks around. The park fills most of its dates with more than 140 Florida State League games annually, which qualify as small gatherings and a "good" night means attendance figures have reached four digits.
(click on the image
for a larger photo)
But let's face it, this park was built for spring training. The two looming office buildings that make up the outfield view ensure you of that. In left field stands the office building of the Marlins, complete with the team's logo. In right field, a carbon copy of the left field building dons the logo of the St. Louis Cardinals.
The architecture of Roger Dean Stadium matches the Abacoa Town Center area that it's been nestled into perfectly. In case the palm trees didn't tip you off, the stucco-style structure of the building and roof tiles let you know that you are, indeed, in a Florida ballpark.
The seating arrangement at Roger Dean Stadium is easy to figure out and the sight lines are fantastic. The seats are as close to the field as they can possibly be, which makes for a real treat when you get to watch big leaguers during the Spring. The field box seats offer only a slightly better view than the loge box (which the stadium crew takes notice offering the same price for either during the Florida State League season.)
The field sits just about at ground level, so the concourse is built beneath the stadium's bowl. The concourses are wide and accommodating, and only the far outreaches of it aren't covered (a must for Florida's hot sun and constant rain). The team store, located behind home plate on the concourse level is fairly large for a minor league shop.
The party deck in right field offers a great view because it sits far above the field level. It's also got a great view right down the line to home plate. Roger Dean is also equipped with six air-conditioned luxury suites that sit at the press box level. Each suite is 320 square feet, includes a wet bar and has an outdoor patio section.
The wonderful thing about Roger Dean Stadium is that it manages to hold its charm even after Spring Training is long gone. While it's a great feeling to be in this packed "mini-stadium" watching Major League players, it's equally as refreshing to sit back and watch the minor leaguers on a few of those more mild summer nights.
(click on the image
for a larger photo)
Concessions
They say you can't go to Roger Dean Stadium
without trying a "Dean Dog." Well, we did and made
it out alive, regrettably, however, we cannot
comment on the hot dogs. There is plenty of other
food to choose from though, although the selection
is your typical ballpark food.
The concession stands are well-located and there's more than enough of them to keep the lines down even during busy spring-training games.
For the Kids
Roger Dean does the typical things to keep
kids entertained at minor league ballparks. If you
do take the kids, we recommend the lawn seats to
let them run around, especially during the Florida
State League season when the park is mostly empty.
Ballpark History
The $28 million ballpark opened on February
28, 1998 and was originally the Spring Training
home of the Montreal Expos and St. Louis
Cardinals. When Jeffrey Loria sold the Expos and
bought the Marlins in February of 2002, he moved
the Fish to Roger Dean and the Expos went to
Brevard County. In 2003, Baseball America
recognized the stadium as baseball's fifth-best
spring training facility.
In September 2004, Roger Dean suffered $3.2 million worth of damage due to Hurricane Frances.
Before/After the
Game
Jupiter, and more specifically, the Abacoa
Town Center where the stadium is located, has
plenty of surrounding entertainment including a
movie theater and various and restaurants. All are
within walking distance of the stadium.
I recommend Rooney's Pub. It's a nice little Irish Pub setting and has the best food in the Town Center area. The Stadium Grill, right near Roger Dean isn't a bad stop either.
Abacoa's Town Center is an interesting area and there's really no easy way to explain why. You just have to see for yourself. Abacoa is a relatively new area and everything is very manufactured. It's not necessarily a bad thing but it's as if someone built your typical cookie-cutter downtown area and plopped it down in the middle of nowhere.
(click on the image
for a larger photo)
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