by Ray Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
July 15, 2024
The All-Star Game is this week, so it’s a natural time to hit on some baseball news. Last Thursday, Ripken Baseball and Walt Disney World announced that the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex would host four week-long tournaments each year during the summers of 2025 and 2026.
In a statement, Ripken Baseball noted, “The Ripken Experience at Walt Disney World Resort will be a unique opportunity for teams from around the country to compete in world-class tournaments for ages 10U to 16U. The games will take place across 11 ballfields – six youth-sized baseball fields equipped with lights for night games and five professional-sized fields, including The Stadium at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a venue that has hosted Major League Baseball spring training games and regular-season games for over two decades.”
Cal Ripken, Jr. said, “We are excited to collaborate with the iconic and globally recognized Walt Disney World to deliver unforgettable experiences for teams and their families.”
It also was noted: “Teams will enjoy a spectacular opening ceremony and have leisure time to explore Disney parks, where they can experience classic attractions as well as exciting new ones.”
The dates for 2025 have been announced:
Week 1: June 8-13.
Week 2: June 15-20.
Week 3: June 22-27.
Week 4: July 6-11.
For more information about Ripken Baseball, go to www.ripkenbaseball.com. Ripken Baseball has worked with Disney World in the past.
The Stadium at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex has a rich baseball history, including hosting Spring Training for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023; serving as the Spring Training home of the Atlanta Braves for 22 seasons, most recently in 2019; and the Rays played six regular-season games there during 2007 and 2008.
Count me among those who would like to see the ESPN Complex, once again, serve as a Spring Training home to a Major League club. But I’ll take whatever baseball I can, and this Ripken-Disney World partnership looks like a great experience for young players and their families.
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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.
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