Root for the home team

The business of baseball can be brutal, as municipalities fight to win or keep a team for their town.

When the Boston Red Sox baseball team abandoned City of Palms Park in Fort Myers in 2012 for a brand new spring training stadium near Interstate 75, city and county officials were confident they'd attract another major league franchise to the inner-city stadium.

But negotiations with the Washington Nationals and other teams looking for a new home and more money haven't been successful. At a meeting of real estate executives recently, Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson suggested Edison State College could use the stadium for its athletic program instead.

Indeed, the county maintained facility has announced a 10-year deal with Fort Myers-based Edison State College to use City of Palms for 60 games, including 30 baseball games and 30 softball games starting next year.

Edison State College, which will be renamed Florida SouthWestern State College on July 1, is reviving its collegiate sports program after a 17-year hiatus. The Buccaneers competed from 1963 to 1997 in several sports, including baseball and softball.

City of Palms is ready, county officials says. The stadium has hosted amateur baseball tournaments, including the Roy Hobbs World Series.