Spring Training Memories

[Doug Miller]

With Spring Training around the corner, I thought I'd start up a thread about past trips. Take a minute to post your favorite Spring Training memories.

I've been to Mariner's Spring Training one time, it was in 2000. The chance to fly in late afternoon, driving through Phoenix, and convincing my wife and our friend, Ted, that we needed to drive to Scottsdale to see a game that night (even though we hadn't planned to see a game until the next day).

Next afternoon, sitting in the hot as hell sun, eating a $10 hotdog the size of a 20oz bottle, washing it down with a cold glass of lemonade -- bought from the really, really old guy that walks the stadium in Peoria everyday screaming "Lemondade" in a high pitched squeal that makes me laugh when I hear it on the radio during Spring Training.

Sitting 2 rows up from home plate, behind Chuck Armstrong, and next to Ron Fairly. Shaking hands with Wayne Gretzky, who had just talked with Jaime Moyer 5 feet in front of me not 2 minutes earlier.

Seeing a bunch of kids that will never make it to the majors. Standing near the 3rd base line an hour before game time, and letting any kid that wanted to stand in front of me, even though it meant moving back and "missing out" on autographs.

I'd do Spring Training every year if I could, it was a helluva time. In the meantime, I just use my Spring Training fund to visit other MLB parks each year. Maybe once I hit them all, I'll make it back to Spring Training, where I didn't care who won, didn't care who lost, only cared that I was there to watch a game in the sun, with a cold lemonade.

Doug

[PeteU]

I would definetly have to say my first spring training game. I was 12 and my dad took me down to Florida (this was before I lived down here). We were staying in Homestead, south of Miami. I think around noontime I was looking to see where the nearest game was. This was after the Orioles had left Miami and when the Yankees were in Fort Lauderdale. However, the Yankees weren't playing that day, meaning that the nearest game was in West Palm Beach, the Expos versus the Dodgers.

We didn't think it was a big deal, and that West Palm probably wasn't that far a drive. Of course I didn't know what I know now, which is that the South Florida area is rather large, and West Palm is a pretty long drive from Miami. Even worse, the map that came with the rental car didn't have the West Palm stadium marked on the map. Fortunately, I remembered before I left looking at a map which did have the stadium marked on it, and I was able to go off memory and direct my dad, who was driving much faster than usual to make it for game time.

Luckily, it was only the third inning when we arrived at West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium. We sat in the bleachers down the third base line. The biggest thing I could remember was being so close to the action--usually during the regular season we sat up in the upper deck, so being able to hear the player's chatter was a neat experience for me.

About the fourth or fifth inning, I was watching the game with my dad. I must have taken my eye off the action for a second, but then I heard a lot of shuffling around me and shouting, and my dad yelled "Get that ball!" Now, I'm not sure if it was a foul ball which had bounced directly into the stands, or if it had rolled to the bullpen and they had thrown it into the stands. But regardless, the ball was rolling down the bleachers and my dad grabbed it. To this day, it still has been the only foul ball I've ever gotten at a baseball game.

I got my first autograph on the ball--Jose Offerman of the Dodgers. The next couple of days we went to Fort Lauderdale to get a lot more. Most of them were just prospects who didn't amount to anything, but it didn't matter to me.

Sadly, the Expos (and the Braves) moved out of West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium, and a few years later they tore the grandstands down and put up a Home Depot in its place. Seeing it gone makes me a little sad, thinking about the excitement of that first game. But if drive out beyond the Home Depot, you'll find an interesting relic--part of the outfield fence from Municipal Stadium is still intact, for some strange reason or another. So it's not quite gone yet....

P.S.: The only picture of West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium I could find was here:

http://www.skypic.com/sports/11-4705.jpg

I remember it being a lot similar in style to Fort Lauderdale Stadium.

[DevilRays1969]

Living in Tampa, FL I've been to more than my share of spring training games--in fact I have been to all of the Grapefruit League ballparks, some of which no longer exist. My first spring training game was the Cincinnati Reds in 1986-87 in Plant City (believe it or not I never saw them play at old Al Lopez Field in Tampa although I'd been in there many times because it was open before the Bucs games so the tailgaters could use the restrooms. Anyway...I've got a friend in New Orleans who is a bigger baseball nut than I am and when we were in college at Loyola we would road trip to my parents' house in Tampa for spring break or after Mardi Gras to catch a few days of games..have even done day/night doubleheaders (i.e. 1:00 game in Orlando, 7:00 game in Lakeland for example). He's even flown in several times the last few years for 4-5 day weekends to catch some spring training. Some memories I have include...all the times I was rained on at old Baseball City Stadium. I swear EVERY time I went there it rained, whether it was spring training or when my high school played in the state championship there my senior year and the year after I graduated. Sad to see it gone though because I thought it was a nice ballpark, nevermind the bathroom tile on the back wall of the grandstand and the astroturf infield and grass outfield. Liked sitting on the grass berms there b/c they were right by the bullpens. Also as run down as it was I liked McKechnie Field in Bradenton before the renovation in the early '90s because the right field bleachers were so close to the bullpens the fans could carry on conversations with the players. Also going to Ft. Lauderdale Stadium (Orioles) to complete the Grapefruit League circuit.

[RichardLillard1]

I live in Phoenix, Arizona and they have the "Cactus League Spring Training" here every year. Its really great given that the prices are cheap and the atmosphere is usually great for watching a game.

My first game though is the one that sticks out most in my mind. We had good seats, only about 5 rows behind the third base dugout at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa. My uncle took me, I was 10, knew little about baseball and had to sit through the Cubs losing for 7 1/2 innings.

Then the most amazing thing happened to me that I still remember to this day.

This strained voice came over the P/A. A little off key but just as happy and jolly as Santa Claus he began singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame". Being only ten years old I found this to be an amazing site as I had never heard the song in a ballpark before. All of the sudden some five thousand people were on their feet singing along with this guy.

My eyes scanned the suites and press boxes untill I found who was singing it.

From a distance all I could see was this very animated face with big bold glasses on moving his arms and belting out every note. I sang along with and found I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was such a thrill to watch with the way he swayed and moved his arms to his own beat that everyone followed. It was as though he was a mighty conductor commanding his orchestra and when he finished everyone cheered for him like he had hit a home run.

I know it sounds corny but there has never been an experience on tv or at a baseball game that has ever been able to replicate this one. Seeing Harry Caray live at my first game and getting to sing along with him hooked me on the game and I have been watching ever since.

By the way I beleive the Cubs lost 7-2, bummer.