Located in Florida, USA, Vero Beach is a small city with a population of about 15,000. It is also a place where tourists flock thanks to the mild weather that corresponds to the level of early summer in Korea.
SSG Landers, the overall winner of the previous year, has been conducting spring camp in preparation for the 2023 season at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex (JRTC) located in Vero Beach since the 1st (local time).
Currently, SSG is the only KBO league team doing spring training in Florida. This is in contrast to the KT Wiz, Hanwha Eagles, NC Dinos, Kiwoom Heroes, KIA Tigers, and LG Twins training in western Arizona.
SSG has been doing spring camp here 11 times for 12 years, from the finish camp in November 2011, when it was the former SK Wyverns. The reason is by far the great facilities.
JRTC was built in 1948 under the leadership of Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers (predecessor of the LA Dodgers), and was called ‘Historic Dodger Town’.
In 2011, Park Chan-ho participated in the management with Nomo Hideo and drew an issue. In 2019, MLB took over the operating rights and changed the name to its current name.
JRTC has 5 formal baseball fields and 바카라사이트4 youth baseball fields, as well as a state-of-the-art indoor stadium (1100 pyeong) built in 2021.
In addition to this, there are plenty of training spaces such as pitching mounds (32), batting cages (12), and a large weight room. It also has 89 guest rooms, giving it the feel of a huge resort.
It’s old enough to be the 75th anniversary of its opening this year, but it didn’t look old at all. On the 9th, News 1 arrived here for coverage and as a result of looking around the facilities, it did not feel old at all.
Neatly arranged passageways, uncluttered facilities, and optimally maintained natural grass left a deep impression. The sunny weather of 22 degrees Celsius and the gentle breeze made this place even brighter.
An SSG official said, “In the case of Arizona, the distance between the training ground and accommodation is at least 15 minutes by car, so it is very tiring, but it is good that we can solve everything here in one place.” Being able to write is a big plus,” he explained.
“We have been using this place for a long time and have maintained a good relationship with the facility managers. Thanks to that, they take care of most of our requests for facility management, such as lawns,” he said. Although the flight time is long, I am choosing this place because I can train in the best conditions once I come.”
Athletes who directly use this facility were also satisfied.
Director Kim Won-hyung, who has visited JRTC more than 5 times, said, “Honestly, it’s a long way off.” I was satisfied. Min-jae Kim, third base running, operation and bench coach, also helped, saying, “This is my first visit, and the facility seems to be really good.”
The same is true of veteran players such as Kim Gwang-hyeon and Choi Jeong-seo, Choi Ji-hoon, and Oh Won-seok, who often come here.
They said, “The facility is really well managed, so it’s good to exercise.”