Owner City of Dunedin Broke ground 1977 | Surface grass Opened 1978 | |
Location 1700 Solon Avenue,
Dunedin, FL 34698 Operator City of Dunedin Parks & Recreation Department Address 43698, 1700 Solon Ave, Dunedin, FL 34698, United States Team Gulf Coast League Blue Jays Similar Florida Auto Exchang, Exhibition Stadium, Jack Russell Memorial, Caladesi Island State Park, Westland Mall | ||
The Bobby Mattick Training Center at Englebert Complex, is a sports facility owned by the City of Dunedin, Florida. It is used primarily by the Toronto Blue Jays as a practice facility, and is home to their Rookie league affiliate, the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays.
The facility opened in 1978 and named after City Commissioner and one time mayor Cecil P. Englebert, who lured the Toronto Blue Jays to the area.
The facility was renovated in 2002 for $14 million, expanding it from 17 to 23 acres. The Blue Jays renamed the training facility the Bobby Mattick Training Center at Englebert Complex in 2003 after Bobby Mattick, who managed the Blue Jays from 1980 to 1981, and was employed by the team from 1976 until his death in 2004. The City of Dunedin objected to the new name, arguing that Mattick had no ties to the City.
The site features:
Three other baseball diamonds on the north side belong to the Louis A. Vanech Recreation Complex, another city owned facility at 3051 Garrison Road, public parking is available along with access to the Englebert Complex.
As of 2016, the Jays are negotiating an $81 million renovation to the Florida Auto Exchange Stadium and Englebert Complex,to which they would contribute $15.7 million with the rest coming from the state, county and city governments.It is hoped that all approvals will be obtained by summer of 2017.