Former Red Sox director of Florida operations reflects on relocation, St. Patrick’s Day tradition

Today, City of Palms Park is empty as it awaits its fate. But for 19 years, it was the Spring Training home of the Boston Red Sox. The team even opened the ballpark in 1993. Bill MacKay, the director of Florida operations at the time, still remembers the first game against Boston College.

“I remember seeing smoke coming up,” MacKay recalled. “And you know my immediate thought was the stadium was on fire. Or there was a fire we had to address. It was the concession stand. The grill fire up for the first time.”

MacKay was part of the group that relocated the team from Winter Haven to Fort Myers. He scouted the state for Sarasota to Homestead, hoping to find the new Spring Training home for the team. Eventually, they landed on Fort Myers.

“It was just a new ballpark a new environment and a commitment to the facility the City of Fort Myers did at the time,” MacKay said.

That commitment was validated by the people of Fort Myers. They camped out for tickets year after year. Just like in “Field of Dreams,” if you build it, they will come.

“You see how many people come down here for Spring Training,” MacKay said. “They’ve a lot of them retired here because the Red Sox are here. And just the loyal following of the Red Sox and everybody from New England knows where Fort Myers is because the Red Sox are right here in Fort Myers.”

Those fans in Fort Myers have grown accustomed to the annual St. Patrick’s Day game. Players and fans show up to the ballpark wearing their best green attire.

“When we got the schedule, it’s the one you circle that you know you’re going to be busy,” MacKay said. “You know you’re going to sell out. It was always the marquee game of the spring training season.”

MacKay said those days were the biggest merchandise day. One of those in demand items was a green Red Sox hat.

MacKay said the hats started as a gift to the team and staff from All-Star pitcher Roger Clemens, who had a friend who worked at Twins Enterprises now ’47 Brand.

“It became very popular and a lot of the fans wanted them,” MacKay recalled. “Well, the second year I asked Roger do you want to do it again. He said yeah I’ll do it again. So I bought about 500 souvenir hats. And we sold them out the first night. Sold them out before the game started actually.”

The hats gained in popularity where now you can find them at stores all over, including the team shop at JetBlue Park.

I remember seeing smoke coming up. And you know my immediate thought was the stadium was on fire. Or there was a fire we had to address. It was the concession stand. The grill fire up for the first time.MACKAY WAS PART OF THE TEAM THAT RELOCATED THE TEAM FROM WINTER HAVE