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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Take me out to Spring Training
Where do you go to cure baseball fever before Opening Day?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I like baseball, really I do. I just can’t seem to watch it on television. My eyes glaze over, I sink deeper into the couch and soon I’m on my way to Snoozeville. Count on me to catch a nap during telecasts of even the most exciting games. Remember the 1992 National League Championship Series game when Skip Caray screamed “Braves Win! Braves Win! Braves Win!”? Yeah, I don’t. I was asleep.
But take me out to the ball game, and I’m a totally different person. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks and not only will I follow all of the action, I might even taunt the opposing team’s players. (I won’t do the wave though.) Whether it’s the big leagues or the minor leagues, there’s just something about the crack of the bat, the sights and smells at the stadium that grab my attention.
One summer, my husband and his college roommate traveled to different major league baseball stadiums throughout the country. They would roll into town, watch a game and then head to the next city. American League or National League, it didn’t matter - though they did try to catch the Braves if they were in the area. They spent their last dollar at a Detroit Tigers game and had to make their way home using just his roommate’s gas card. They ate nothing but Slim Jims and chips from Michigan back to Atlanta, but it still ranks as one of my husband’s favorite trips.
You can see as many games and sports stars as they did without putting quite so many miles on your car simply by heading south for spring training in MLB’s Grapefruit League. Opening Day is still weeks away, but as many as 18 different major league teams will begin playing games throughout Florida next week. The Braves’ first game is next Wednesday at their training site in Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. Champion Stadium, where the Braves play, seats about 9,500 and is the largest spring training site in the Grapefruit League.
Other National and American League teams play in locations throughout Georgia’s southern neighbor from Vero Beach (LA Dodgers) and Melbourne (Washington Nationals) to Fort Lauderdale (Baltimore Orioles), Fort Myers (Boston Red Sox) and Tampa (NY Yankees). Each of these small ballparks offer fans a chance to see their favorites up close and in action.
Have you ever traveled to spring training? Where did you stay? Do you have any tips for fans going for the first time? Are the special packages worth it or is it better to just drive down and grab tickets on the day of the game?
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