FLORENCE – The Florence-Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau – Visit The Shoals and the
City of Florence – Parks &Recreation division, have calculated the estimated economic impact of the
recent Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken World Series tournaments which took place in late July and early August at
the Florence Sportsplex. Visitor expenditures were estimated at $2.19 million in combined direct visitor
spending surpassing last year’s World Series by over one million dollars.
Teams traveling from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, Aruba, Bonaire, and the Bahamas, stayed up to 2
weeks in The Shoals area as they competed through brackets of pool play and then double-elimination
format. This has been the third consecutive year Florence has hosted the tournaments.
Brody Gravitt, Sales Manager in Sport Tourism/Travel Trade with Visit The Shoals, said “This year the
Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken World Series brought 62 teams and families from across the globe to The
Shoals. This tournament allowed teams to showcase their talent and compete at the highest level, while
also giving them the opportunity to experience what our Quad Cities have to offer. Thank you to
everyone who worked countless hours to make this a success and help generate millions of dollars for
our local economy!”
In 2025, teams competed over 10 days, where in 2026, teams played over a 15-day period. Additionally,
more data was captured for this year’s tournaments to more accurately estimate visitor spend in the
community.
For Bill Jordan, Director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Florence, partnerships have always created
the greatest opportunities to accomplish more. “On behalf of the Florence Parks and Recreation
Department, congratulations to everyone who made this World Series celebration a success. What our
community does best is bring people together, build pride, and create memories that outlast the final
pitch. Thank you to all the workers whose hard work turned every detail into a great experience. And
special thanks to Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken, and Visit The Shoals for helping bring visitors to our community.
To everyone who took part: thank you for making this year unforgettable.”
Media Release/Rob Carnegie/President & CEO/Florence-Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau
