Roy Hobbs World Series lands in Lee
Lee County is hosting the 26th Roy Hobbs Baseball World Series now through Nov. 15.
The three-week tournament started with 230 teams in eight divisions. Over the course of the event, an estimated 4,000 adult amateur baseball players will take to the fields in five county sports complexes, including Terry Park, City of Palms Park, JetBlue Park, the Lee County Player Development Complex and the CenturyLink Sports Complex (formerly Lee County Sports Complex).
Last year’s tournament had a total economic impact of $13.1 million for Lee County, including $7.9 million in direct visitor expenditures, according to Jeff Mielke, executive director of Lee County Sports Development.
“Hosting one of the largest amateur sporting events in the country is a home run for tourism in Lee County,” Mielke said. “The county will welcome 230 teams and 4,000 players, along with their families. In addition to traveling and staying in local hotels, these visitors will spend money at shops, restaurants and local attractions during their time in Lee County. We’re thrilled to welcome them back for their 26th year.”
In addition, Lee County Sports Development and Roy Hobbs Baseball have agreed to extend their current partnership through 2019, ensuring that future Roy Hobbs Baseball World Series tournaments will have a major impact on the economy of Lee County for years to come.
“We are very happy to be back in Lee County for the 22nd time,” said Tom Giffen, president of Roy Hobbs Baseball. “We appreciate the hospitality from the community as a whole and the opportunity afforded us to be good citizens here. We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Lee County.”
Operated by Lee County Parks & Recreation, the five county-owned baseball complexes play host to more than 200 days of amateur baseball tournaments a year when they aren’t being used for spring training games. The estimated economic impact of these events is $50 million annually.
The Roy Hobbs Baseball’s annual World Series in Fort Myers has grown from 54 teams in 1993 to an expected 230 this fall. The tournament has expanded to include amateur player divisions for men and women ages 18 and up, with divisions up to ages 75 and older.