The City of Palms Park in Fort Myers had a ten record crowd of 7,139 show up in 2000 to witness a relaxing spring training game between the Boston Red Sox and visiting Toronto Blue Jays. This, however, was not your normal spring training game played (3/14) in the middle of the Grapefruit League schedule.
The Red Sox started the game with Pedro Martinez – a name a few of you may recall – and Pedro pitched three spotless innings and was replaced by Fernando De La Cruz. In the bottom of the fourth, the Red Sox scored a run when Carl Everett – who had walked and stole second – came home on a Nomar Garciaparra double.
In the last of the fifth, the Red Sox exploded for four runs with the big blow being a three-run blast by Garciaparra to put the Red Sox in firm control with a 5-0 lead after five full innings. Now was the time for the usual spring training shuffle as players on both sides got the opportunity to get in a few innings.
The Red Sox continued to bring in pitchers as Dan Smith, Rheal Cormier, Rich Garces, and Rod Beck all to get their required work in. What didn’t happen was a Blue Jay reaching first base. The Red Sox staff pitched a perfect game.