2023 Governor’s Baseball Dinner to be held at Dunedin’s TD Ballpark
After a two-year hiatus, the Governor’s Baseball Dinner returns to throw out the first pitch of the 2023 Florida Grapefruit League season.
The 2023 Governor’s Baseball Dinner will be held, Thursday, February 16, at TD Ballpark, in Dunedin, the hometown of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The newly-renovated TD Ballpark is also the site where DeSantis played for Dunedin High School.
To purchase individual tickets or a table for eight visit, . Sponsorship opportunities are also available at the website.
Serving as the emcee of the evening’s festivities is Buck Martinez, a 17-year Major League veteran, who spent his final six seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays (1981-86). He was the Blue Jays Manager for the 2001 season and part of the 2002 season and currently provides color commentary on the Jays television broadcasts.
The 2023 Festivities will begin at 7:00 p.m. on The Pavilion, located on the third base side of TD Ballpark. Gates to the Ballpark will open at 5:30 p.m., on Thursday, February 16, and valet parking is available.
The Governor’s Baseball Dinner has a long history of being a precursor of the annual Major League Baseball Spring Training season in Florida, dating back to 1946. The Dinner was an annual event until the 1990s and was resumed in 2008.
Since 2008, the annual Dinner has been held in St. Petersburg, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach, Lakeland and Sarasota County, all long-time Florida Spring Training sites.
The Toronto Blue Jays have made Dunedin their Florida Spring Training home since their inception in 1977. The Blue Jays are the only Major League Baseball team to have been in one Spring Training community for their entire existence.
For more information about the 2023 Florida Grapefruit League season, which begins on Saturday, February 25, visit .