Through February and March, the baseball fields of Florida are a thing to behold. Sprinklers make hissing sounds, chalkers churn as they draw the foul lines, and lawnmowers hum. During practice, bats crack, gloves smack, and players whistle in awe of their batting practice home runs. Those are the sounds of baseball; the soundtrack of Grapefruit League Spring Training.Such sounds are enough to cause excitement in any baseball fan and I am no exception.
Since 2005, in anticipation of the regular season, I have exchanged the cold snow of the Northeast for the Florida sunshine and ditched my classes to tour the Grapefruit League. I intentionally neglect my school work, fake sick/make excuses to a few teachers/professors (I think I convinced one teacher of a death in the family), skip a few classes, and brag to my friends. I do it all to spend time with my lifetime baseball partner, my father, as well as my grandfather and my buddy, Aaron.
Sure, these carefree weekends have led to flight delays, little or no sleep for classes, a few bad grades on quizzes and tests (darn you, "The Catcher in the Rye"), and even some sunburn, but have created life long memories.
I have yet to visit every Grapefruit League facility. Regrettably, some teams have moved to Arizona. Here is a list of all the Spring Training venues I have been to and some personal anecdotes. Hopefully they will make you feel the warmth of spring.
Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater, FL (Phillies): My favorite current Grapefruit League stadium. Palm trees line the outfield, Phillies fans (honestly, my favorite sports fans) fill the stadium to its capacity, and the entrance is in Spanish Mission style. I attended my first game there in 2005 against the Pirates. I was almost 13 at the time; you do the math as to how old I am now. Behind my dad, my grandfather, and me were three or four 30-year-old guys. They were the typical Phillies fans; loud, enthusiastic, and a bit obnoxious. I loved it. Mid-way through the game one says, "Hey, that's not Kenny Lofton in center field. Who is this guy?" Wide-eyed and confident in my own baseball knowledge, I turn around and say, "That's Jason Michaels." Much to my delight, they responded, "You're right. Hey, man, we are just going ask the kid from now on." One year, my sister came with me and she got a great picture of Chris Coste. He voluntarily posed for her. That was the year before he broke into the majors. After he did break in, we found the picture and were understandably excited.
Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, FL (Indians): Sadly, the Indians have followed several other teams to the dry heat of the Cactus League, so I was disappointed to see this stadium vacated. I am too young to have witnessed Rick Vaughn bean bullpen buddies, Roger Dorn botch ground balls, and Willie Mays Hayes do push ups for popping up pitches. I remember this stadium being very old and small, but very charming. I went here twice: first to see the Astros and second to see the Yankees. I grew up a huge Andy Pettitte fan, so I wore my Yankees cap to the ballpark the day I saw the Astros visit the Indians. The year was 2005, his second season in Houston. An older man saw me and said sarcastically, "Ugh, a New Yorker." I forget who started for the Astros that game, but I remember reading in the Tampa Tribune the very next day that Pettitte was supposed to start the game, but was scratched due to an injury he sustained after falling down a flight of stairs. Boy, was I upset. My sister scored another picture of future Phillie Eric Bruntlett who was playing for the Astros at the time. Yes, he posed.
Florida Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin, FL (Blue Jays): This stadium is a bit on the shabby side. The scoreboard is as basic as it gets - no video or anything of that sort. The outfield wall looked broken down like my old high school's baseball field. Still, I had an awesome time. There was this hilarious beer vendor who kept on screaming, "Ice cold Canadian beer in an American can made in China!" I laughed hysterically every time.
Progress Energy Park in St. Petersburg, FL (Devil Rays): When they were the Devil Rays, the Rays called this small stadium just down the road from Tropicana Field their spring home. As beautiful as the stadium was, I don't have fond memories of it. The day I went there was extraordinarily hot - around 90 degrees. Worse, our seats were metal, so it was not a fun experience. I remember leaving early because my grandfather was suffering from some serious facial sunburn. The highpoint of the game was sitting along the third base line and cheering on the Indians third baseman at the time - Aaron Boone. I managed to get a few pictures.
McKechnie Field in Bradenton, FL (Pirates): Another stadium modeled after Spanish Mission style architecture. I sat several rows behind home plate and had a very commanding view of the field. Not to brag, but my family has a history at Princeton University, so I cheered on the Pirates starting pitcher that game: Princeton alumnus and former-Yankee Ross Ohlendorf.
Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, FL (Astros): Definitely one of my favorite Spring Training venues. My first game I sat down next to three scouts; I eavesdropped on their conversation about, what else? Baseball. Tom Glavine started the game for the visiting Braves and I literally had a front row seat behind home plate to watch the drop on the veteran's changeup. I also got a good view of Ty Wigginton's bulging biceps. He's a lot bigger in person. The second game I saw was against the Astros. I got some good shots of Pedro Feliz and Brett Myers.
Champion Stadium in Lake Buena Vista, FL (Braves): Because of Disney's presence, Orlando can be very difficult to navigate. Champion Stadium is in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which was a pain to get to, but the stadium did not disappoint. Unfortunately, the rain did and the game was canceled. I got refund for those tickets, so I was not too upset. I am still waiting to get back there and see a full game.
Holman Stadium in Vero Beach, FL (Dodgers): Yes, folks. I have been to the Hallmark of Spring Training stadiums. As storied as some regular season digs, this stadium saw the likes of Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, and Don Drysdale. It was so crowded that standing room was being sold! My dad grew up a Dodgers fan, so he was in awe and it was nice to see him so happy. I remember we enjoyed Dodger Dogs and lemonade together. It was in 2008, the last spring in Vero Beach for the Dodgers, so we just made it before it was gone for good. We saw veteran manager Joe Torre, the oft-used former-Yankee relievers Scott Proctor and Tanyon Sturze, and guys like Russell Martin. If there is one stadium I will never forget, this is it.
After these weekends are over, it is time to return to the cold, dead weather of the Northeast. I throw on my heavy jacket as I leave my dorm room for my 8 a.m. class, resuming life as a mild-mannered, hardworking college student.
I hope you enjoyed my diary of Spring Training. It's just a few anecdotes of my wacky and memorable experiences. Think spring!
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