HR 9073

1	House Resolution
2	A resolution recognizing the 75-year partnership between
3	the City of Lakeland and the Detroit Tigers.
4
5	WHEREAS, with the exception of a three-year interruption
6	during World War II, the Detroit Tigers have conducted their
7	spring training in the City of Lakeland since 1934, and
8	WHEREAS, as Spring 2011 marked the team's 75th season of
9	training in the city, the Detroit Tigers and the City of
10	Lakeland established the longest-lasting partnership between a
11	franchise and a host city in the history of Major League
12	Baseball, and
13	WHEREAS, during this time, Lakeland has hosted 14 members
14	of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame as they prepared for
15	their upcoming seasons, and
16	WHEREAS, built on the former site of the Lodwick School of
17	Aeronautics, a World War II flight school, Joker Marchant
18	Stadium and the Tiger Town training complex are known worldwide
19	as a first-class establishment that, through both preseason and
20	offseason training programs, prepares current team members for
21	upcoming competition and aids injured players in maintaining
22	their skills, and
23	WHEREAS, since 2000, over one million baseball fans have
24	visited Joker Marchant Stadium, ranking the Detroit Tigers and
25	the City of Lakeland among the Florida Grapefruit League's
26	leaders in annual attendance, NOW, THEREFORE,
27
28	Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
29	Florida:
30
31	That the City of Lakeland's longstanding partnership with
32	the Detroit Tigers Baseball Team and the world-renowned Tiger
33	Town baseball complex are proudly recognized for their
34	invaluable contributions to professional sports and to the State
35	of Florida.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.