The Wandering Disciple

Sarasota, Florida: The dry weather forced officials to cancel the post game fireworks show but that didn’t stop the Sarasota Reds from producing a few on field fireworks as they shut-out the Jupiter Hammerheads 7-0 at Ed Smith Stadium. The Reds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. They then added four more runs to their total in the third inning to lead them to the 7-0 victory. Richie Gardner picked up the win for the Reds, combining with Ruben Medina and Josh Roenicke for the shut-out. Click on the photo above to see the Reds/Hammerheads game gallery.

Sarasota, Florida: The Sarasota Reds were the Florida State League affiliate for the Cincinnati Reds from 2005 through 2009. A few notable Sarasota Reds have made their way to the big league roster including Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Drew Stubbs and Adam Rosales. In 2005, the Reds purchased the minor league club in Sarasota from the Boston Red Sox and moved their Advanced-A minor league franchise into Sarasota. The club plays their 70 home schedule from April to September inside Ed Smith Stadium, the spring training home to their parent club. The Reds made their only playoff appearance in 2007 when Joe Ayrault skippered the club to the postseason. They lost to Clearwater in the final game of the Divisional Series to cut short their playoff run. After the negotiations between the organization and local government failed to reach a new agreement, the Reds played their last game in the Florida State League at the end of the 2009 season. The Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates made a deal to swa...

Sarasota, Florida: For over twenty years, Ed Smith Stadium has played host to every level of baseball from high school to professional as well as hosted concerts, circuses and even political rallies. The tradition of baseball nearly came to an end, but a last minute vote by local government saved the tradition and brought with it a multi-million dollar renovation to the ballpark. Today the facility is the spring training home of the Baltimore Orioles. Built in 1989, Ed Smith Stadium features seating for 7,500 people. The stadium has been the spring training home to the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds and most recently the Baltimore Orioles. During the summer and fall, the stadium has hosted a minor league baseball team as well as high school and amateur tournaments. When baseball is not in season, the stadium offers its grounds for the Sarasota Blue Festival, Circus Sarasota and during the 2009 elections was the site of Barack Obama’s Sarasota rally. 1989-1997: Chicago White Sox (m...