Under partly cloudy skies with a nice breeze blowing out to left field, county officials joined executives and players with the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros on February 28 to officially open the new Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

​The new spring training and recreation complex on Haverhill Road south of 45th Street in West Palm Beach was built in just 16 months. A dozen practice fields surround the new stadium, which seats 6,500. Spectators will enjoy being close to the action. A concourse wraps around the playing field offering clear views of the action while checking out a wide array of concessions and refreshments.
 
Before the opening game got underway, two youngsters from the nearby Crossroads Baptist Church took turns throwing out ceremonial first pitches. Soprano Jessica Fishenfled delivered a stirring rendition of the national anthem, followed by a U.S. Coast Guard flyover.
 
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred led a large contingent of special guests who helped cut the ribbon, which stretched across the infield from third base to first base.
 
County Mayor Paulette Burdick and West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio delivered the team lineup cards to the umpiring crew at home plate. Then the Nationals’ Jeremy Guthrie took the mound and fired the first pitch to the Astros’ Marwin Gonzalez, and a new era of Palm Beach County baseball was underway.