Photos by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57
Clover Park 525 NW Peacock Blvd Port St. Lucie, FL 34986
Year Opened: 1988 Capacity: 7,347
Mets Territory - Port St. Lucie
The Single-A St Lucie Mets play their baseball games at the newly renovated Clover Park in Port St Lucie, FL. Clover Park is better known as the spring training facility of the New York Mets. As soon as you see the ballpark (even before entering the parking lot), you know you are in Mets territory. The vibrant shades of Mets orange and blue decorate the exterior of the building, Mets signage and championship years are displayed, and former Mets greats have billboard-sized posters on the outer walls. A palm tree-lined plaza contains plaques with a brief bio for many famous Mets players.
And the Mets prominence continues in the interior of the ballpark. Pictures, photos, and murals line the corridors, and the organization painted the cement walls with the likes of David Wright, Jose Reyes, and others. New York Mets retired numbers and championship banners line the façade of the press box.
Clover Park Press Box, Photo by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey
Clover Park opened in 1988 and has gone by various names based on sponsorship, but it has always been the Mets home. The stadium holds 7,160 for spring training, but that number is greatly reduced for the Single-A St Lucie Mets games as portions of the seating area are closed off in the summer.
The St Lucie Mets originated in 1988 and are members of the Florida State League (FSL). They have won the FSL championship six times, most recently in 2022. Notable alumni include Pedro Martinez, Jacob deGrom, and Mike Piazza.
Visitors and fans have a fun time catching a Mets minor league game at Clover Park.
Food & Beverage 3
One concession stand is open for the St Lucie Mets games, and that’s enough. An additional cocktail cart is open if you all want is an adult beverage. Another cart selling lemonade and frozen Italian ice is also on hand.
The Home Plate Grill concession stand offers the basics: chicken tenders & fries, grilled chicken sandwiches, burgers, Nathans hot dogs, and Italian sausages ranging from $4.75 - $8.50. Gluten-free buns are available on request. For healthier food, fans can purchase cauliflower pizza or a garden salad.
Snacks include popcorn buckets, peanuts, pretzels, Cracker Jack, ice cream, and chips ($3 - $5).
Beverages include Coca-Cola brand sodas, bottled water, and traditional domestic beer brands like Michelob Ultra and Budweiser.
Atmosphere 3
Palm trees, a few benches, and plaques of many retired Mets greats line the main entrance plaza. The plaza has an impressive 9/11 memorial created from a piece of steel from the World Trade Center.
Clover Park 9/11 Memorial, Photo by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey
Seating is two levels of traditional blue fold-down stadium seats. Most have cup holders. The rows do not have a lot of legroom between them. The third baseline has tables and chairs. Some seats are covered and not used during the FSL season, and the paths to the outfield concourses are blocked off. A medium-thick net extends down both baselines; there’s no place to sit net-free for the Single-A games.
For the most part, they don’t play music over the announcer. The game day staff mostly play music between batters and innings (not pitches), except towards the end of the game when they annoyingly play it between almost every pitch. The music volume is louder on the second level. If you like jamming with the tunes, that’s the area in which to sit. Sit in the first level if you want to enjoy the sounds of the game.
The scoreboard shows the name of the player at bat and his stats, the team line-up, and the line score.
The game day staff provides the traditional minor league between-inning activities like trivia contests and a smile cam. Trees adorn the area behind the outfield fence, providing a pleasant view.
The St Lucie Mets dugout is on the third base side. Both bullpens are behind the left field fence.
Neighborhood 3
Several chain hotels, restaurants, and shopping are a mile+ from Clover Park. Places to stay include a Hampton Inn, SpringHill Suites, Holiday Inn Express, and more. Shop around as prices differ.
A shopping mall is a mile away and has plenty of choices for eating before or after a game. Thirteen or more restaurants are in the area, including Duffy’s Sports Grill, Chili’s, and Pueblo Viejo. The area has a myriad of fast food places. For breakfast or lunch, I recommend Berry Fresh Café. Hopheads can enjoy a local brew at Hop Life Brewing. A food truck with yummy meals is at this brewery.
The Port St Lucie Botanical Gardens is worth a visit on the cooler mornings or afternoons.
Other sports in the area include the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals about a 45-minute drive south.
Fans 3
Lots of Silver Sluggers are in attendance (even on a non-Tuesday), as well as plenty of retired fans. The St Lucie Mets have a decent season ticket holder base. A good number of families with kids attend the games as well. The fans are vocal, and you will hear an abundance of New York accents from the crowd, as it should be.
So far, the 2023 attendance numbers have ranged from approximately 700 to 2,300 per game, with the higher attendance on Saturdays.
Admirably, most fans throw their own trash away.
Access 4
Getting to and in and around Clover Park is easy.
The ballpark is less than a mile off Interstate 95. Parking costs $5 (credit card only) and is mostly on paved lots for FSL games. Grass lots extend past the pavement.
Several small regional and private airports are nearby. The closest commercial airport is Melbourne (MLB), an hour's drive north. Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) is one and a half hour’s drive south.
The county offers local ART bus service to the ballpark. However, service ends at 7 pm and is not operational on weekends, so it is not conducive for 95% of the St Lucie Mets ball games.
The ballpark gates open only 40 minutes before the first pitch. For stadium journeyers and those visiting for the first time, that’s too little time to check out the venue and all it has to offer.
Getting through the security check-in is slow, though certainly not intrusive. Standard clear sports bags and small clutches are allowed. After going through security, fans climb a large staircase to get to the concourse. The venue has an elevator to the right of the staircase.
Several sets of wheelchair-accessible restrooms are open for a St Lucie Mets game and a separate family restroom is along the concourse.
Return on Investment 5
The St Lucie Mets offer a good value for your sports entertainment dollar.
Refreshment prices are comparable to other FSL venues. Tickets are $12 on game day, and seating is general admission. It’s unfortunate the team charges for parking.
Those over 55 years old can spend $35 and get a variety of perks as a Silver Slugger:
A t-shirt, lower ticket prices, free admission on Tuesday games, and a free hot dog and soda on Tuesdays. That’s a great deal. I wish I lived in St Lucie.
Fans can purchase a ten-game flex pack ($80). The team offers all kinds of promotions throughout the season: kids crew night, fireworks, dollar nights, family 4-pack nights, military appreciation nights, and the list goes on.
Extras 3
The stadium has a sizable team shop to the right of the ticket booth – go to this one. The one inside the stadium doesn’t have as much merchandise.
Something I haven’t seen before is chalked lines by second base. I suspect these are visual reminders to the infielders on where they can (or cannot) stand based on MLB’s new rules.
Clover Park Chalked Lines by Second Base, Photo by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey
The Florida State League recently incorporated a balls and strikes ‘challenge system.’ The pitcher, catcher, and batter can appeal the umpire’s call. Each team gets three challenges per game, with successful challenges retained for future use in the game.
It’s fantastic the Mets organization holds both its spring training and Single-A games in the same facility.
Final Thoughts
Clover Park is a well-branded NY Mets facility. The Single-A version is an enjoyable, cost-effective way to spend a few hours experiencing our national pastime. Visit it if in the area.
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