The Phillies have called Clearwater home for Spring Training since 1947, longer than most franchises have stayed rooted in any one place. Now, nearly eight decades into that relationship, the club is aiming to push it to a full century — with a sweeping renovation plan that would keep them on Florida’s Gulf Coast through at least 2047.
At the center of those discussions is BayCare Ballpark, the Phillies’ spring home since 2004, which is due for a significant facelift.
According to a reports in both Tampa Bay Business and Wealth and The Tampa Bay Business Journal, club officials, along with representatives from Pinellas County, laid out a proposal this week that would pour roughly $205 million into modernizing the facility, upgrading both the fan experience and player development infrastructure.
This funding would be tied to extending the Phillies lease through 2047, which would ensure them having called Clearwater their Spring Training home for 100 years…