In 1923, Calvin and Martha Payne donated the property on which Sarasota’s first major-league baseball field was built, and Payne Park was named in their honor. Had the Paynes not been so generous, it might have been named John Ringling Field: He secured the New York Giants as our first spring training team in 1924.
John and Ida Chidsey gave Sarasota the money necessary to build a first-class library and, in another no-brainer, it was christened the Chidsey Library rather than the Sarasota Public Library.
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When the Municipal Golf Course was opened, many thought it should have been named to honor John Hamilton Gillespie, Sarasota’s first mayor and the Scot who brought golf to Sarasota and Florida in 1886.
Instead, Bobby Jones, one of the greatest golfers of all time, got the nod and a Pierce Arrow to go along with the honor.
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Name recognition trumped sentiment.
Which brings us to Ed Smith Stadium, named to recognize that gentleman for his dedication and hard work on the Sarasota Sports Committee, which he headed for almost 30 years.
After the Boston Red Sox bolted unexpectedly in 1958, the difficult quest to find a replacement team was on. And, thanks to the Sarasota Sports Committee, with John Schaub in charge, the Chicago White Sox agreed to come here from Tampa in 1960.
They played in Payne Park until the new stadium was completed in 1989 and dedicated to Mr. Smith in what was billed, “Another chapter in Sarasota Baseball History …” Twenty-five hundred people were on hand and a proud, 74-year-old Smith said of the stadium, “It sure is beautiful. Look at it!”
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Enter the Baltimore Orioles, who now have the naming rights at Ed Smith Stadium as part of the deal to move to Sarasota.
With a refreshing nod toward sentiment, Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton does not like the idea. Usually, I’d agree with him. But in this case, I think the memory of Ed Smith, who died at age 91 in 2006, and the work he and others did on behalf of baseball in Sarasota could be honorably remembered with a suitably placed plaque. And perhaps have each opening spring training day called “Ed Smith Day.”
Given Smith’s love for baseball and what he felt it meant to Sarasota, I don’t believe he would want his name to be the deal-breaker.
Jeff LaHurd is a historian with the Sarasota County History Center and the author of “Spring Training in Sarasota, 1924-1960.”
Source: https://t-tees.com
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