Vero Beach Sports Village introduced

After six decades in which it was known as "Dodgertown," one of Florida's most famous sports facilities now has a new name -- Vero Beach Sports Village.

The iconic 65-acre complex, originally a U.S. naval base, enjoyed a long run as the March home of its namesake franchise. The Dodgers relocated their Spring Training operations to Arizona following the 2008 Grapefruit League campaign, and Minor League Baseball took over day-to-day operations in April 2009.

Minor League Baseball, the governing body of affiliated baseball's 14 leagues and 160 teams, is now using the Vero Beach Sports Village as a multi-purpose facility. The complex -- which includes five fields, two half-fields, training rooms and a hotel-style villa -- is suitable for lacrosse, soccer, and football in addition to baseball. It recently served as a training site for the Washington Freedom professional women's soccer team and is currently hosting an evaluation course conducted by the Professional Baseball Umpires Corporation.

Minor League Baseball is currently negotiating with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Major League Baseball for the right to license the Dodgertown name. In the meantime, the facility can be marketed to prospective tenants under the Vero Beach Sports Village moniker.

"Right now, marketing is paramount," stated Minor League Baseball president Pat O'Conner. "Without a name, we couldn't get on the internet or create collateral materials such as sales brochures."

O'Conner stressed that Minor League Baseball is not giving up on the Dodgertown name, however.

"Moving forward, we hope to call it the 'Vero Beach Sports Village at Dodgertown,'" he said. "We'd like to honor the Dodgers' legacy, because there are 60 years of history here."