Vero's Holman Stadium delivers old-time charm

Despite the flowering of new ballparks around the Minors, the Dodgers -- of Vero Beach and Los Angeles -- wouldn't change a thing about their old park.

Since 1953, Holman Stadium has been the Spring Training site of what began as the Brooklyn and is now the L.A. Dodgers. After the Major League Dodgers head back to the West Coast, the Class A Vero Beach Dodgers move into Holman Stadium.

As one of the oldest Spring Training facilities in baseball, Holman Stadium's history is just as fascinating as its parent club. Named after Bud Holman, a Vero Beach businessman and philanthropist, the park is the focal point of the legendary Dodgertown complex.

In 1952, having leased the land from the city after World War II, when the area was used as a Naval air station, Holman suggested the Brooklyn Dodgers use it to build their new Spring Training stadium.

One year and $100,000 later, on March 11, 1953, Holman Stadium hosted its first-ever Dodgers game. Some of baseball's legends took the field for that first game, including Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, Carl Erskine and Jackie Robinson.

With a current capacity of 6,500, Holman Stadium has come a long way since 1,500 steel chairs were shipped from Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. It wasn't until the mid-'70s that players did not have to stay in the old Naval station's barracks and could opt for a newly built hotel.

"There's so much history here, with the ballpark, with the Dodgers," said Betty Rollins of Dodgers advertising. "Players take the same field as did Jackie Robinson, fans sit in the same seats that were in Ebbets Field."

When fans arrive at Holman Stadium, they will notice it's built on top of a berm with a lake that was dug out beside it. Spectators enter directly into the open concourse and make their way down to the main seating bowl. Instead of bleachers, Holman features about 25 rows of folding seats, giving even fans in the back a great view. A 3-foot fence separates the first row of seats from the players on the field.

Another of Holman's most unique features are the "dugouts." Unlike most professional dugouts, there are no roofs or steps to walk down. Instead, players sit on benches located along the first- and third-base line, which adds to the feeling of closeness to the players.

Another distinguishing feature is the lack of advertising on the outfield walls. In a day and age where ads are lining ballparks, the Dodgers held off until last season before posting their first signs. "We only had six signs up there," said Rollins. "The outfield fences are chain link so it goes with our theme of 'Not a lot of concrete and a lot more green.'"

Palm trees grace the hills behind the outfield fence. Potters with trees line the top rows of seats, providing the closest thing to natural shading for fans. "There's no question that with all these new stadiums popping up everywhere, we think this place is better and better. It's where you can come and watch a traditional baseball game. It's a ballpark, not a stadium," said Rollins.

In 1952, Walter O'Malley, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, took a chance and chose Vero Beach as the place to watch his organization grow. More than 50 years later, O'Malley's vision still stands strong and provides the backbone of one of professional baseball's most storied franchises.