Team stores are something we are used to at the stadium and sometimes NFL/MLB/NBA teams even have local stores at malls, Not many minor league teams have a team store off-stadium property and even fewer have done what the Jacksonville Armada have done, open a team store at the highest trafficked (and presumably highest rent) location in northeast Florida.
The Armada's new team store.at the St. Johns Town Center has been open for business since Black Friday. However, the team is hosed official "grand opening" for the store on Friday morning. The Armada's store is located between T-Mobile and Tervis near the Cheesecake Factory.
The store opening happened just one day after the team's first 2018 preseason match against Monteverde Academy on Thursday, a 1-0 loss. The team first plays locally in an exhibition at Flagler College in St. Augustine on Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. They will begin regular season play in the lower division NPSL in April while the fate of their regular league, the NASL, remains in limbo due to a federal court lawsuit. The NASL announced plans to begin their next season in August 2018.
Big Marlins trades mean plenty of new faces for Jumbo Shrimp
Pitchers and catchers reported to spring training sites across Major League Baseball this week and soon, the crack of the bat will be heard at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
While many fans of the Miami Marlins (including yours truly) are upset about the team's offseason trades of superstars like Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, and Marcell Ozuna (all of whom played in Jacksonville), the trade should be a boom for our Jumbo Shrimp.
For example, we could see a pitcher, Jorge Guzman, who has topped 103 MPH on radar guns in single-A competition. Guzman is one of the players the Marlins received in the trade for Stanton.
Outfield Monte Harrison, acquired from the Brewers in the Yelich deal, is the team's #2 prospect. He's an outfielder that hit 21 home runs last year in Single-A with a .271 average. MLB's own prospect watch says he has the potential of "an All-Star-caliber outfielder who also offers considerable value with his defense."
Another top-100 prospect the Marlins received for Yelich is second baseman/shortstop Isan Diaz, who ranks #86 on MLB's top 100 prospects.
All three, along with several others, could see time in Jacksonville this year.
The Jumbo Shrimp's home opener is April 11 and tickets are available at jaxshirmp.com.
