FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: John Yarbrough, Lee Parks & Recreation, (239) 461-7410

              Todd Stephenson, Boston Red Sox, (617) 875-8470

LEE COUNTY TERRA FIRMA SMALL PART OF RED SOX CHAMPIONSHIP

FORT MYERS, Fla. (October 28, 2004) - Some dirt from Lee County mixed in at Fenway Park in Boston may have been a small part of the Red Sox Championship sweep.

At least that's what Lee County is hoping.

The idea of Lee County, Fla. Commission Chairman John Albion, an avid and enthusiastic Red Sox fan, the dirt was collected from each base in the infield at City of Palms Park during Spring Training.

Albion presented the bags to Mike Dee, Red Sox Executive Vice President for Business Affairs, when Dee was in town September 30 to present a $20,000 check to the American Red Cross of Lee County for local hurricane relief efforts (see attached photos).

Dee took the dirt back to Boston and had it spread on the infield at Fenway Park.

Lee County has a rich tradition of World Series Champions coming from Spring Training facilities it operates.

The Minnesota Twins won the World Series in 1991, the first year the club held its Spring Training at the newly completed Lee County Sports Complex. The Red Sox have held their Spring Training in Fort Myers at City of Palms Park since 1993. But in 2003, the county took over operations of the stadium and signed a 15-year lease renewal with the Major League Baseball team. The county began operating the park for the 2004 Spring Training.

The Kansas City Royals won the World Series in 1985 during a time when they did their Spring Training at Terry Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates (1960) and Philadelphia Athletics (1920) also won World Series during years they did their Spring Training at Terry Park.


            Click photos to enlarge

(First picture, Mike Dee and John Albion, Chairman, Board of Lee County, Fla. Commissioners; last picture L to R: Todd Stephenson, Red Sox Coordinator of Florida Operations; Mike Dee; John Albion; John Yarbrough, Director, Lee County Parks & Recreation; Pablo Adorno, Lee County Parks & Recreation)