Chicago Cubs to play Boston Red Sox on March 26-27 at JetBlue Park in late schedule add

The Chicago Cubs will make two historic appearances at JetBlue Park, twice facing the Boston Red Sox at the end of spring training in March.

The Red Sox announced the addition of the Cubs to their spring training schedule today.

The teams will play at 6:05 p.m. Monday, March 26, and 1:05 p.m. Tuesday, March 27.

The Red Sox re-released their spring training schedule with the additions. Single-game tickets go on sale Saturday, Dec. 2.

The Cubs open the regular season at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 29, at the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park.

“It’s great for the fans in Southwest Florida, to be able to see what we hope will be the traveling roster,” said Katie Haas, Red Sox director of Florida operations. “They’ll be on their way to start the season in Miami.”

The Cubs, who have had spring training in Mesa, Arizona since 1979, haven’t claimed a Florida home for spring training since being based in Tampa in 1913-16 and have never played the Red Sox in Fort Myers.

But this will not be the organization's first trip to Fort Myers. On March 30, 1997, the Cubs played the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium as a final tuneup before opening that season at the Florida Marlins.

The Cubs and Red Sox have a number of parallels as they meet in Fort Myers.

Chicago Cubs general manager Theo Epstein helped build the 2016 World Series team, which ended an 108-year title drought. Epstein also helped build the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox World Series teams, the first of which broke an 86-year title drought.

Ace pitcher Jon Lester won the World Series with the Cubs in 2016 and also with the Red Sox in 2007 and 2013.

The games also will mark a spring training return to Florida of Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who managed the Tampa Bay Rays in 2006-2014.

The Red Sox and Cubs play their regular season games at Major League Baseball’s two oldest active ballparks. The Red Sox play at Fenway Park, which opened in 1912. The Cubs play at Wrigley Field, which opened in 1914.

The Red Sox have trained at JetBlue Park since it opened in 2012. The Cubs, once rumored to be courting a spring training home in Naples, have been at Sloan Park in Mesa since it opened in 2014.

“I think it’s going to be incredible,” Haas said. “I think there’s going to be a lot of demand and a lot of buzz for those games. Not just because there’s a Cactus League team playing in Florida. But the Cubs have been in such high demand since they won the World Series. Individually, each team has large and devoted fan bases. Coming together in this format at JetBlue Park will be something really special.”

Connect with this reporter: David Dorsey (Facebook), @DavidADorsey (Twitter).

Red Sox spring training schedule

Beginning Saturday, Dec.  2, fans can purchase tickets for all home games at JetBlue Park starting at 10 a.m. at the Fenway South Complex and on redsox.com. Fans needing ADA accessible seating or those who may not have a computer may call 877-REDSOX9. Hearing impaired fans may call the Red Sox TTY line at (617) 226-6644.
Thursday, Feb. 22 -- Northeastern/Boston College, 1:05 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 23 -- Minnesota, 1:05 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 24 -- Tampa Bay, 1:05 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 25 -- Baltimore, 1:05 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 26 -- at Pittsburgh, Bradenton
Tuesday, Feb. 27 -- St. Louis, 1:05 p.m.; at Minnesota, Fort Myers, 1:05 p.m. 
Wednesday, Feb. 28 -- Pittsburgh, 1:05 p.m.
Thursday, March 1 -- at Houston, West Palm Beach
Friday, March 2 -- at St. Louis, Jupiter
Saturday, March 3 -- N.Y. Yankees, 1:05 p.m.
Sunday, March 4 -- at Baltimore, Sarasota
Monday, March 5 -- Off
Tuesday, March 6 -- at Tampa Bay, Port Charlotte
Wednesday, March 7 -- Minnesota, 1:05 p.m.; at Philadelphia, Clearwater
Thursday, March 8 -- Tampa Bay, 1:05 p.m.
Friday, March 9 -- at Miami, Viera
Saturday, March 10 -- at Minnesota
Sunday, March 11 -- Baltimore (ss), 1:05 p.m.
Monday, March 12 -- at Toronto, Dunedin
Tuesday, March 13 -- Off
Wednesday, March 14 -- at Minnesota
Thursday, March 15 -- Toronto, 1:05 p.m.
Friday, March 16 -- Minnesota (ss), 6:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 17 -- Tampa Bay, 1:05 p.m.
Sunday, March 18 -- at Pittsburgh (ss), Bradenton
Monday, March 19 -- Philadelphia, 1:05 p.m.
Tuesday, March 20 -- Pittsburgh, 1:05 p.m.
Wednesday, March 21 -- at Tampa Bay, Port Charlotte
Thursday, March 22 -- at Baltimore, Sarasota
Friday, March 23 -- at N.Y. Yankees, Tampa
Saturday, March 24 -- Houston, 1:05 p.m.
Sunday, March 25 -- at Minnesota
Monday, March 26 -- Chicago Cubs, 6:05 p.m.
Tuesday, March 27 -- Chicago Cubs, 1:05 p.m.