PUBLISHER’S NOTE
4
HELENE HAESSLER
Mets slugger and first baseman Pete Alonso will report to spring training with the rest of the fielders. A former
Florida Gator, the Polar Bear entered the majors in the 2019 season, going on to hit a record 53 home runs as a
rookie. He was also the first Mets player to hit 50 or more homers in a season.
Finally, things seem headed back to normal as the New York Mets open camp
for spring training in Port St. Lucie. As of this writing, there’s no sign that
the pandemic or a Major League Baseball lockout will interfere with this
annual rite of spring.
Since the Mets began training here 36 years ago, their appearance has always
been the highlight of the year, occurring during the peak tourist season.
While the Mets generate more than $15 million in direct and indirect spending
in St. Lucie County, they do more. They bring the far-flung community of Port St.
Lucie together to root for a common cause: the residents who commute to Palm
Beach, Broward and points south; former New Yorkers who chose Port St. Lucie to
retire to because of the Mets; and young working families that chose Port St. Lucie
because of its quality of life.
They all come together at Clover Park to see the 16 home games in the Mets’
30-game schedule.
In Hope Springs Eternal beginning on Page 8, St. Lucie Mets General Manager
Traer Van Allen tells writer Joe DeSalvo that ticket sales are up as fans welcome
the concept of returning to a normal spring training. “I think the biggest thing,
especially for our regular fans, is that they’re going to be able to see this place at
100 percent, full-operational capacity.’’
Full operational capacity would be filling up the park’s 7,160 seats. See you at
the ballpark!
Publisher
Gregory Enns
772.940.9005
enns@portstluciemagazine.com
Associate Publisher
Allen Osteen
Assistant to the Publisher
Lauren Shott
Director of Sales
Lori Reader
lori@indianrivermedia.com
Associate Editor
Judith Collins
Copy Editors
Pattie Durham,
Gaettane A. Paul
Writers
Susan Burgess, Joe DeSalvo,
Wendy Dwyer, Ellen Gillette,
Rachel Inswasty, Danielle Rose,
Anthony Westbury
Cover Photo
Helene Haessler
Photographers
Anthony Inswasty, Rusty Durham
Design Editor
Michelle Burney
Digital and Social Media Editor
Deborah Maldonado
To Advertise
772.940.9005
advertise@portstluciemagazine.com
Advertising Representatives
Jim McCabe
917.912.0040
jim@indianrivermedia.com
Sunny Gates
772.204.5043
sunny@indianrivermedia.com
Shelby Shea
443.373.9174
shelby@@indianrivermedia.com
Distribution
Wes Holloway
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M A G A Z I N E
Port St. Lucie Magazine and
St. Lucie Magazine, published
each January, March, June and
September, are publications of
Indian River Magazine Inc., a
locally owned company based at
308 Ave. A, Fort Pierce, FL 34950.
All material contained herein
is copyrighted by Indian River
Magazine Inc. Member of the
St. Lucie County Chamber
of Commerce.
4
Mets fans have plenty to
cheer about this spring
Reach Publisher Gregory Enns at
772.940.9005 or enns@portstluciemagazine.com
PortStLucieMagazine.com
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