Grapefruit League Comes Alive as Spring Training MLB Baseball Games Start in Florida

It is that time of year where I feel truly blessed to live in Orlando, Florida and no I don't mean because my friends and family in other parts of the country are experiencing sub zero temperatures. I'm talking about Spring Training MLB baseball games.  A time characterized by the 'thwack of the bat and thump of the glove.'  

For some of us who live in the land of the Grapefruit League and for those thousands of loyal fans who only come to visit, this is the time that we, the baseball faithful make our pilgrimages to see our teams rehearsing for the regular season and the quest for the title of World Series Champions. Being an avid baseball fan when I moved to Orlando some 5+ years ago, I decided to make it my personal quest to visit every spring training stadium and see every Grapefruit League team play. At that time there were 17 stadiums that peppered the Florida landscape from Dunedin in the western central part of the state to West Palm in the south eastern part of the state.                                       
Today the Grapefruit League is comprised of 15 teams playing in 14
different venues, (the St. Louis Cardinals and the Florida Marlins share the use of 9.Roger Dean Stadium located in Jupiter, Florida.)

Since that time, the Dodgers departed for Arizona, leaving the famed Dodgertown in Vero Beach a focal point for minor league baseball.  The Cleveland Indians headed to Arizona, leaving Winter Haven without any baseball at all and the Cincinnati Reds also moved west, leaving Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota vacant and what would become the perfect location for the Baltimore Orioles to move into for the 2011 season.  It is always sad to see a team leave for another state but it is especially sad knowing that they are gone and I never made it to the venue, as was the case with Dodgertown.  

On the upside, I was lucky enough to see the Indians play in Winter Haven, a facility that was originally built for the famed Boston Red Sox.  It was one of the last games the Indians played there and while they were warming up before the game I stood against the berm wall watching the famed Grady Sizemore field hits. Grady, ball in glove turned around and looked at me. I took my hat off and held it out and Grady tossed the ball into my hat. I thanked him and had to sit down as my knees went wobbly beneath me. It was the first time I had ever touched a major league baseball.  Today it is probably one of my most valuable possessions and it still has grass stains in the stitching.  Did I mention that I love baseball?

                                                                                                      

The other 13 teams and their venues are as follows: 1.Toronto Blue Jays/Florida Auto Exchange Stadium/Dunedin: 2.Philadelphia Phillies/Bright House Networks Field/Clearwater: 3.New York Yankees/Steinbrenner Field/Tampa: 4.Pittsburgh Pirates/Mckechnie Field/Bradenton: 5.Baltimore Orioles/Ed Smith Stadium/Sarasota:  6.Tampa Bay Rays/Charlotte County Sports Park/Port Charlotte: 7. Boston Red Sox/City of Palms Park/ Ft. Myers: 8.Minnesota Twins/Hammond Stadium/Ft. Myers: 10. New York Mets/Digital Domain Park/Port St. Lucie: 11. Washington Nationals/Space Coast  Stadium/Melbourne: 12.Houston Astros/Osceola County Stadium/Kissimmee: 13.Atlanta Braves/Champion Stadium/Walt Disney World: 14.Detroit Tigers/Joker Marchant Stadium/Lakeland.

Spring training generally starts around February 27th and goes through March 29th. Tickets are available through many of the teams websites on http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp and also through the links above. Pricing ranges anywhere from $10 to $40 a ticket, depending upon the team and venue.  The advantages of seeing baseball at these venues are many.  Most stadiums have seating capacities of 5000 to 10,000 which is a fraction of the size of professional ball parks, meaning that there is a small intimate feel to the games.  This affords fans the opportunity to stand a few feet away from not only the iconic players, but also managers and retired legends.  There are also plenty of opportunities to take great pictures and of course, get autographs.  There is nothing like the excitement of watching  non roster invitees go out and play with everything they have in hopes that they will be signed to a contract to play in the big leagues.  

Because of the amount of games and specific parks I want to visit, a  website I frequently use is www.springtrainingonline.com.  In November I start checking the site to see if the Phillies schedule or Red Sox schedule or any other teams have listed their spring training schedules and when and where tickets will go on sale.  The site has a calendar you can print with all the available teams and games listed, which is a great tool to use.  They also have a newsletter you can sign up for and a baseball digest you can order for a nominal fee. 

With pitchers and catchers reporting this week and position players reporting next week, spring training is around the corner!  Get your tickets, leave winter behind and embrace America's pastime in the glow of the warm Florida sun.  Maybe I'll see you at one of the MLB baseball games this year!