Spring training baseball and more...

[The Big D]

Just back from a five day trip to Florida. Stayed in Sarasota but two games up the road a bit in Bradenton. Lecom Park in Bradenton is an older ballpark with nice updates including a boardwalk that stretches the entire span of the outfield fences. It's at fence height with fabulous seating and standing viewpoints. And bars, of course.

Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota is far more modern and really nice.

Both stadiums had greatly restricted and socially distanced seating. And greatly enhanced prices. Cheapest seat was $90.

Bradenton has a nifty microbrewery and outdoor food grill across the street from Lecom. Darwin's. It's a must!

Not much near Ed Smith but it's close to downtown with many beerrooms and restaurants. Hyde Park Prime is a great steakhouse but bring money. Joe's is a dive bar with PBR pounders and very cigar friendly. Mattison's has live bands...and there were humans DANCING! Great burgers there, too. And fried calamari. Yummy.

All of Florida seems cigar friendly; was in Delray Beach for Super Bowl and Key West a couple times recently. Same.

Folks are friendly; masks are required in ballparks and public indoor places unless eating or drinking. That was an easy 'fix.'

One last note: After hundreds of ballpark visits I captured my first baseball. So what if I knocked over a little kid; he shoulda been quicker/tougher.

Kidding! This ball escaped from the bullpen at Ed Smith. I caught it! No children were harmed.

Be safe.

 

[Justin T]

Baseball?! Now we're talking! I have two sons now that play select ball. I'm up to my neck in hitting, pitching, baseball IQ, tournaments, and concession stand food. Boys are on spring break, but my 13 year old is at practice today.

 

[Jon651]

Here's a few from one of the spring training games of 2020, taken in Lakeland at the home base of the Detroit Tigers. Mickey Cabrera, CJ Cron and Cameron Maybin. We had REALLY good seats!

That was February 22, 2020 - and the day we tracked to my Covid-19 exposure. I think that game was the Tigers vs. the Phillies, and both Philadelphia and Detroit ended up being Covid hubs - but not before they managed to spread it around down here! The last game we saw that year was March 7 with the Mets and I fell ill the very next day. I was asymptomatic right up to that point and there were no tests available even if I had suspected.

 

[S&W Fan]

I'm a die hard baseball fan, played through high school-3rd base. When I lived in Tucson going to the Toros games was a great way to spend an evening when we had no other plans. To get a feel for Hi Corbett field watch "Major League" which used to be the Cleveland Indians (uh oh, can I say that??) spring training location until the Colorado Rockies came in to being. There's a scene with a guy holding a radar gun to catch the speed of Charlie Sheen's character's pitches. He was actually the mascot for the Toros then. I think his name was Irv, can't remember the last.

During Cleveland's last spring in Tucson, after I had moved to the Denver area, I took my young sons to visit my parents. My older son (8 yrs old at the time) got Bob Feller's autograph on the program, still has it too (almost 30 years later). Feller was like a team ambassador at the time, very friendly to all.

Best summer nights spent with my sons have been at Rockies games. A cold beer, hot dog, fries and good game. The fireworks shows on/around the 4th of July were spectacular, even better when the Rox won the game lol.

Regardless of the covid impact the idiot owners of the Colorado Rockies have ruined my home team for me. I will go to two games this coming season but it will only be to see the visiting Mets (fan before the Rockies were even a thought) and the Cards-for many reasons but mostly due to Nolan Arenado now playing for them.

In the early days of the team they had some great players and the Rockies were fun to watch-The Blake St Bombers-but these moron owners don't know anything about running a team. Good players don't last, the owners get rid of them. They've turned the ballpark into a bar that happens to have a ballfield. Coors Field was a lot more fun before they took away seats to have the standing only bar on the "rooftop".

This year I haven't paid any attention to spring training. Too many reasons to not even think about it. I wish some smart business folks that appreciate the game and how much more money they could make with good players would come along that the idiots would sell to.

Oh well, I'll just have to spend more time shooting this summer.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Back in the day, the Reds A ball team played at Ed Smith, before the renovations. We'd usually take in a couple games while on vacation. Never made it up to Bradenton, where the Pirates A ball team I think still plays . . .

 

[Maddog 521]

I'm a fan of the game and have been my whole life. It's a shame what they have done with all of the political BS they have displayed. I wonder what they will show this year?

 

[ladder13]

BITD, box seats at Yankee Stadium were $2.50. Since we were poor, we sat in the bleachers, seats were $.50, and all the sun you could take on an August day.

 

[Onomea]

Years ago, a friend of mine, work colleague and big baseball fan, once remarked to me something that has stuck with me over the years: He said that growing up, no matter how difficult things became between his father and him, they could always talk baseball.

Fathers and sons with that bond are fortunate.

 

[Golddollar]

Years ago, a friend of mine, work colleague and big baseball fan, once remarked to me something that has stuck with me over the years: He said that growing up, no matter how difficult things became between his father and him, they could always talk baseball.

Fathers and sons with that bond are fortunate.

This reminds me of conversations my late father and I had after I grew up. Both of us saw the movie "Major League" and had been Cleveland Indians fans for decades. So one day Pop starts talking about the movie and opined as to who the characters in the movie resembled in real life. When I listened to Pop I figured he had something there so I started in on other more players and it was pretty interesting who we came up with.

When "Major League II" was being filmed in Baltimore, a casting call for extras with Cleveland Indians regalia was put out. My late cousin Billy and I were living in Maryland and decided to go the filming. Both of us grew up in Ohio as Indians fans, so how could we pass this up? What a fantasy, to be in a movie about a team we rooted for since we were little boys.

 

[kaaskop49]

BITD, box seats at Yankee Stadium were $2.50. Since we were poor, we sat in the bleachers, seats were $.50, and all the sun you could take on an August day.

You precede me, 13. I remember .75 bleacher seats, $1.30 general admission, $2.50 reserved seating, and $3.50 box seats. And except for the bleachers, those darned posts were ALWAYS in the line of sight.

Once in 1962, grandpop gave Dad $5.00 for him to take us to a Saturday game. Six carfares, 2 GAs, 1 Ladies' Day, and 4 snacks
came to exactly $5.00. Can't make this stuff up. Memories...

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[sheepdawg]

I'm a die hard baseball fan, played through high school-3rd base. When I lived in Tucson going to the Toros games was a great way to spend an evening when we had no other plans. To get a feel for Hi Corbett field watch "Major League" which used to be the Cleveland Indians (uh oh, can I say that??) spring training location until the Colorado Rockies came in to being. There's a scene with a guy holding a radar gun to catch the speed of Charlie Sheen's character's pitches. He was actually the mascot for the Toros then. I think his name was Irv, can't remember the last.

During Cleveland's last spring in Tucson, after I had moved to the Denver area, I took my young sons to visit my parents. My older son (8 yrs old at the time) got Bob Feller's autograph on the program, still has it too (almost 30 years later). Feller was like a team ambassador at the time, very friendly to all.

Best summer nights spent with my sons have been at Rockies games. A cold beer, hot dog, fries and good game. The fireworks shows on/around the 4th of July were spectacular, even better when the Rox won the game lol.

Regardless of the covid impact the idiot owners of the Colorado Rockies have ruined my home team for me. I will go to two games this coming season but it will only be to see the visiting Mets (fan before the Rockies were even a thought) and the Cards-for many reasons but mostly due to Nolan Arenado now playing for them.

In the early days of the team they had some great players and the Rockies were fun to watch-The Blake St Bombers-but these moron owners don't know anything about running a team. Good players don't last, the owners get rid of them. They've turned the ballpark into a bar that happens to have a ballfield. Coors Field was a lot more fun before they took away seats to have the standing only bar on the "rooftop".

This year I haven't paid any attention to spring training. Too many reasons to not even think about it. I wish some smart business folks that appreciate the game and how much more money they could make with good players would come along that the idiots would sell to.

Oh well, I'll just have to spend more time shooting this summer.

Thanks for Nolan. I've been a Cardinals fan for long enough that I actually got to see Musial play.