The story of baseball is one of values and tradition. The Tigers’ commitment to the city of Lakeland is a profound reflection of these principles.

In fact, the Tigers’ attachment to Lakeland marks the longest relationship between a baseball club and a spring training host site in the history of major league baseball. I know I am not alone when I express my sincerest admiration and respect to this organization for their many years of loyalty and dedication to our community.

Much like the Tigers, Watson Clinic has also remained a community mainstay for the past seven decades. First established in 1941 by five physicians who wanted to bring world-class healthcare to a small town setting, Watson Clinic has since evolved into one of the largest multispecialty medical clinics in the southeast, offering a team of over 200 board-certified specialists practicing 40 medical and surgical specialties from 16 convenient locations across every corner of Polk County and beyond.

The Watson Clinic mission is defined by our strong connection to the people we serve. We honor this connection by remaining attuned to the patient’s needs, and delivering to them the most comprehensive, technologically advanced and compassionate healthcare experience possible. Over the years, we have worked to enhance the lives of generations of families throughout our region. In this respect, we have always shared a special kinship with the Tigers organization and appreciated the indelible impact they have made in the community.

Appropriately, Watson Clinic has functioned as the official medical provider for the Detroit Tigers Florida Operations and Lakeland Flying Tigers for many years. My initial collaboration with the Tigers took place in 1981 when I first joined Watson Clinic, and the relationship has continued to thrive over the years as I’ve proudly served the team as their lead physician during their time in Lakeland.

Every year just prior to pre-season, Watson Clinic provides a team of doctors, nurses and medical assistants from a variety of specialties to examine every potential major and minor league player. They provide the necessary clearance for playing ball. Once the season commences, Watson Clinic remains on-call to provide Tiger athletes with everything from cardiac stress treadmill testing to minimally invasive orthopaedic surgery to the treatment of sprains and broken bones.

As a lifelong baseball fan, I feel honored to serve the medical needs of the Tigers players. The players and additional team members that are part of the Tigers organization are a stellar group of people, and they bring so much joy to their fans. It’s a privilege to serve their healthcare needs, and to play a role in keeping their legacy strong and healthy season after season.