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Game On!March 2015

In this Issue• MLL Launches Its Second

Season In Palm Beach County• Palm Beach County Hosts

Annual Governor’s Baseball Dinner

• MLB Spring Training Features Perennial Playoff Contenders

Board of DirectorsPamela Linden - PresidentStephanie Lanza - Vice PresidentEric Call - Treasurer

Eric CallJack DanielsNick DavidsonWilliam DavisJohn DeMottPatty DentMichelle JaminetMalachi KnowlesAnthony LafasoSteve PolitzinerGuy QuattlebaumMargie WaldenMichael ZeffJeff Zipper

Ex-Officio Directors

Mike BauerRalph JimenezKen Kennerly Michelle McGannJason RittenberryHoward SchnellenbergerJohn SmithCarolyn StoneJoe Ceravolo - Emeritus

Dr. Ed Eissey - Emeritus Jim Watt - Emeritus

Major League Lacrosse Launches its Second Season in Palm Beach County

Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premier outdoor lacrosse league, will embark on its second season in Palm Beach County. Major League Lacrosse’s Palm Beach County based franchise, the Florida Launch, will play all of its seven home games at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton.

Major League Lacrosse announced its 2015 season schedule. The Florida Launch sits out the first week of MLL play but begins its 2015 season in Week 2 with a home-and-home series against the Chesapeake Bayhawks. Florida takes its offensive unit with the 2014 MLL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, Casey Powell, as well as the 2014 Rookie of the Year Kieran McArdle, to Annapolis on Sunday, April 19 before returning to Boca Raton for the 2015 Launch home opener on April 26 at 1 p.m.

After its home opener, the Launch heads to Rochester on Sunday, May 3, to face-off against a defensive line that boasts the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year Mike Manley and 2014 Goalie of the Year John Galloway. Florida continues the season back home at FAU Stadium where the team first takes on the Ohio Machine on Saturday, May 9 at 7 p.m. followed by the Denver Outlaws, the 2014 MLL Champions, on Saturday, May 16, at 7 p.m.

The Launch hits the road again, this time for three consecutive away games against Ohio, Boston and New York before it hosts a three-game home stand at FAU Stadium. The Launch

kicks off its three-game home stand against the Boston Cannons on Saturday, June 20 followed by the New York Lizards on Friday, June 26. The Launch closes out its home stand against the Charlotte Hounds on Friday, July 3 at 7:30 p.m.

The Launch will face Charlotte and Denver on the road on July 11 and 19, respectively, before the team closes out its 2015 season at home against Rochester on Saturday, July 25 at 7 p.m.

The Palm Beach County Sports Commission has been instrumental in bringing Major

League Lacrosse and the Florida Launch to Palm Beach County and FAU Stadium. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission convinced the MLL to bring its All-Star Game to FAU Stadium in 2012 and the overwhelming success of the event prompted the league to return in 2013 with a regular season match

between Hamilton and Rochester. Both events were designed to explore the viability of an MLL club in south Florida, which led to the birth of the Florida Launch in 2014.

Florida Launch season tickets for the 2015 season are available to the public now by calling (561) 923-9067 or emailing tickets@floridalaunchlacrosse.com.

For more information about the Florida Launch visit www.floridalaunchlacrosse.com.

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Palm Beach County Hosts Annual Governor’s Baseball Dinner

(Continued on Page 3)

Palm Beach County was home to an extraordinary celebration of baseball on Friday, February 13. The Florida Sports Foundation partnered with the Palm Beach County Sports Commission to host the Annual Governor’s Baseball Dinner at the downtown West Palm Beach Waterfront Pavilion. The Florida Sports Foundation utilizes the event to build excitement for the launch of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Spring Training season. Over 430 attendees joined Governor Rick Scott, including Palm Beach County elected officials, state legislatures, and representatives from all 15 teams that compete in the Grapefruit League, which is the collection of MLB franchises that conduct their spring training in Florida. Major League Baseball Commissioner, Ron Manfred, also traveled to Palm Beach County to join this momentous occasion.

The venue was built from the ground up to showcase West Palm Beach’s beautiful waterfront. A large clear tent, which covered 2,800 square feet, was erected to provide a venue for dinner on the water. The West

Palm Beach Waterfront Pavilion was used to host a reception with the Governor and members of the baseball community. The event represented the first time the Governor’s Baseball Dinner took place in Palm Beach County.

The Florida Sports Foundation selected West Palm Beach as the site for the 2015 Governor’s Baseball Dinner on the verge of MLB spring training expansion into Palm Beach

County. The City of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County have come together on a plan that would create a home for the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals. Palm Beach County would fund a

two-team baseball complex on a 160 acre parcel of land located in West Palm Beach, just south of 45th Street. The plan would bring the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals to join the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals in Palm Beach County for spring training. This would make Palm Beach County home to four MLB baseball teams, creating an unsurpassed hub for big league baseball activity.

Throughout the event, Palm Beach County’s position as a premier baseball destination was highlighted. The Governor’s Baseball dinner opened with warm welcomes from Palm Beach County Mayor, Shelley Vana, Palm Beach County Commissioner Priscilla Taylor, and the City of West Palm Beach, Mayor, Jeri Muoio. The voice of the Miami Marlins, Tommy Hutton, was the emcee. Rick Nafe, an executive for the Tampa Bay Rays and chairman of the board for Florida Sports Foundation, State Senator Jack Latvala, and Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Jeff Atwater, expressed

enthusiasm for Palm Beach County’s role in supporting Major League Baseball and spring training in Florida.

Governor Rick Scott emphasized the enormous impact that MLB Spring

Training brings to Florida’s economy. “I want to make sure every team that’s in Arizona is eventually back here where they belong, where spring training belongs, in the great state of Florida,’’ Governor Scott said to the roars of excitement from the audience.

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Palm Beach County Hosts Annual Governor’s Baseball Dinner (Continued)

Major League Baseball Commissioner, Ron Manfred, applauded Palm Beach County and its Sports Commission along with the City of West Palm Beach for their efforts to cultivate MLB Spring Training. “We have always loved the

fact that Florida has two hubs of baseball, one on the east coast and one on the west. The foresight of this new agreement helps us maintain those two hubs,’’ said Manfred.

It was a great day for baseball in Florida. Manfred arrived in Palm Beach County after announcing earlier in the day in Miami that Marlins Park will host the 2017 All Star game.

The evening concluded with three baseball speakers that electrified the audience. Reid Ryan, President of the Houston Astros and son of Hall of Fame pitcher, Nolan Ryan, addressed the attendees with great enthusiasm. Ryan’s zest was followed with a similar passion from Matt

Williams, Manager of the Washington Nationals and former powerhouse slugger for the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks. Jim Kaat, 16 time gold glove award winning pitcher, closed the evening with a dynamic, captivating, and humorous address to the room full of baseball enthusiasts.

Prior to the Governor’s Baseball Dinner, the City of West Palm Beach built a little league baseball diamond and invited teams from the Phipps Park baseball program to play in two little league baseball games. The little leaguers were dressed in baseball uniforms that represented the Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, and the Washington Nationals. The Phipps Park Youth Baseball program made history by being the first players at any level to use baseballs with the

signature of new MLB commissioner Ron Manfred. These baseballs made it to West Palm Beach via special delivery – in a suitcase from New York with Manfred’s staff. To add to the excitement, the children played in front of a special audience, which

included a dozen major league players and executives, including Astros star pitcher Dallas Keuchel.

The dinner is a symbolic celebration of the mark that baseball has made in Palm Beach County. The event

also created a great kickoff to spring training in the Grapefruit League, which will take place across Florida during the month of March, including 30 games in Palm Beach County!

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Major League Baseball (MLB) Spring Training returns as the St. Louis Cardinals, Champions of the National League Central Division, and Miami Marlins play a total of 30 games in the Grapefruit League at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter beginning March 5. The season will witness the Marlins and Cardinals competing against some of the most

talented teams in Major League Baseball. Other perennial playoff contenders, such as the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, and New York Mets will roll into Palm Beach County.

MLB Spring Training is a giant contributor to the local economy. Last year, the Cardinals and Marlins attracted 157,051 spectators during their home games at Roger Dean Stadium. The two teams generate more than $50 million of economic impact and over 22,000 hotel room nights for the county. Major League Baseball Spring Training has become one of the largest economic and tourism generators for Florida. The Grapefruit League, which is comprised of 15 MLB franchises, drew more than 1.4 million fans in 2014. The Florida Sports Foundation reported that Major League Baseball Spring Training generated over $753 million of economic

impact and more than 9,200 jobs in the state. This coming season represents the 127th consecutive year of MLB Spring Training in the State of Florida.

The annual tradition of Spring Training began in 1888 when the Washington Statesmen traveled to Jacksonville to work out in the “off season.” Since that time, the “off season” workouts evolved into one of the greatest traditions and spectacles for sports in the United States.

Roger Dean Stadium is a state-of-the-art baseball complex specifically designed to house two Major League Baseball teams. Roger Dean Stadium is the only stadium in Florida to host two MLB teams. The 7,000 seat stadium features luxury skybox seating, permanent seating, parking and concession. In addition to the stadium, the complex consists of 12 ancillary diamonds that is utilized to host some of the nation’s largest baseball tournaments.

Tickets can be purchased at the Roger Dean Stadium ticket office, via Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, or visit rogerdeanstadium.com. Purchase your tickets now to make sure you don’t miss any of the action!

Major League Baseball Spring Training At Roger Dean StadiumFeatures Perennial Playoff Contenders