Baseball Spring Training Florida

Get tickets January and February.

Some are single seats. Depends on the team you want to watch. Pick some of the less high-ranking and you could get great seats. These are pictures and stories from past Spring Training Games over several years. Most clubs charge extra for games of the big three, Yankees, Mets, Red Sox and the rest vary depending on who last won the World Series. Going to several different Stadiums is fun to see the teams and where they get to play and how the stadium treats their Spring Guests.

Before the game Photo by Eileen

Atlanta Braves have the Disney Wide World of Sports now called ESPN in Orlando

They have simple fireworks during the National Anthem for the bombs bursting air so make sure you get there early to see the little extras. Mickey Mouse comes out on the field with whomever is throwing out the first pitch. There is a quartet before the game and the seventh inning stretch. They play on one base line and then the other. Fireworks celebrate home runs by home teams and if they win the game.

These are the little extras that add surprise and fun to the game.

During the game Photo by Eileen

When the game is against the Yankees the place is packed, Very Packed. Price is higher too but parking is free. Every other park charges for parking. The lines in the picture are from taking it through the home plate net. Not all parks have an extra place to put lots and lots of fans. If there is an inch, they sell the standing room only ticket.

Mickey with the person throwing out 1st pitch Photo by Eileen

Mickey is part of assisting the person who throws out the first pitch.

Quartet before and during game

The quartet is fun

Wide World of Sports Stadium is really nice

My mother was a Yankee Fan because her dad was a Yankee Fan and took her to the games all the time. They lived very close to the Stadium. Of course, my mother’s team became our team. We went to games a lot. We would get off work and drive to the Bronx to see them play a night game.

A totally packed stadium.

Not all games were like this.

I bought the mini plan to make sure I got a seat for the Yankee game. The other game was a Met Game and Detroit game and neither of them were this packed. If getting tickets for a game here during the day, you do not want to be in the sun which is on the third base line the whole time. Of course that depends on the temperature.  I went to a night game and had a blanket. Cold weather can happen in March. One day can be 80 and the next be 50 or at least 50 at night. So bring appropriate clothes for the weather changes. After buying the mini pack for two years, I went back to single tickets. Those who buy the season ticket for lower level in the back three rows have the shade and a good view. I was in someone’s empty seat who decided not to come to that game. Their friend let me know and I stayed there. Many move down under the covering as the game goes on because of the shade.

Detroit at Atlanta Braves Photo by Eileen

The Detroit team players signed balls and hats and their fans were happy. Although I had read the Spring Teams do sign for fans, I did not see that many teams that did. The one team that signed the most was the one who won the series the year before who normally does not win. Sorry, I don’t remember the team. I don’t know all the players they move from team to team so much now that it is hard to be a die-hard any team fan. I know the die-hard fans don’t see it that way and will support their colors and team logo to the end. Even the Coach is long gone now.

No longer the Yankee Leader Photo by Eileen

Houston Astros host the Yankees at Osceola Stadium in Kissimmee, Florida

Before the Dodgers moved their Spring Training West, I had gone to their Stadium in Vero Beach, Florida. This is a very small field, one level so only a few fans can fit. It was never full when I went and I even got a foul ball by walking down an aisle where no one was seated. Again, the name brand teams did fill it up but otherwise it was empty. It was fun to go when there were the AAA teams playing. Not sure where I have those pictures stored and will have to hunt on my other hard drives and hope I didn’t lose them when my computer crashed.

Osceola Stadium Photo by Eileen

Osceola Stadium which is for the Houston Astros is a small and cozy stadium where it was said the teams signed autographs but not the day I went. I bought a package there one year because that was the only way to get a ticket for a Yankee game. The big name Yankees did not make the trip. It was still fun but taught me that sometimes there are split squads or that the big-ticket players don’t travel far from their Spring home Stadium. There was one player that just the year before was with Boston.

Do you recognize this player? Photo by Eileen

One of my very favorite things to do is watch the kids run the bases after a game and was truly surprised and tickle that even these major league teams did it and not just the AA or AAA teams. The kids being lost and not sure where to run and the older ones who try to slide into home. The very young ones wander off the base line trying to figure out where to go. I played Varsity Softball and would have loved to run the bases on a major league field. The excitement, exhilaration, and the butterflies just thinking about it is fun to imagine. Watching the kids, I get to live through them.

Kids run the bases after the game

Getting there early you can watch the teams warm up. Many teams allow people to come watch morning practice for free. Starting right now. Go watch your favorite team now before the games start next week. Catch a game somewhere in Florida this Spring or catch a AA or AAA game starting in April. Baseball Fever starts NOW.

Batting warmup Before Game Photo by Eileen

I have not watch a Spring Training game at Steinbrenner Stadium in Tampa BUT I have watched the Tampa Yankees. It is like a miniature Bronx Yankee Stadium. It is always worth one trip to Tampa. The parking is free when not Spring Training and close to the Stadium. I can watch and be just as lost about how the team scored a run while I was watching something else. It is amazing how little I remember about a game yet I enjoy the evening out in the cool evening and picking any seat I want to sit in. Sign up for the Facebook fan page and the Tampa Yankees have specials through their season.

Steinbrenner Yankee Stadium Photo by Eileen

Looks good, huh!

Game starting photo by Eileen

Line up for National Anthem as Sun sets

Tampa Yankee Team Mascot Photo by Eileen

BLUE Tampa Yankees Mascot

Yogi Bear number photo by Eileen

This memorial Park outside the stadium had a number of Yankees and their numbers. Of course, I took pictures of all of them but don’t want to bore you with them all. It is so nice to go to this stadium when it is not packed and parking is free and watch some baseball, eat a hot dog and just enjoy the spectatorship of baseball. Try it!

Enjoy your spring games this year. My plan is to take in one or two games this year.

Eileen

Resources

Atlanta Braves Spring Training http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/pro/braves-spring-training/

Steinbrenner field http://www.steinbrennerfield.com/new-york-yankees-spring-training/season-ticket-information.html

Spring Training Schedule Yankees  http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/spring_training/home.jsp?c_id=nyy

Osceola Stadium http://www.osceolastadium.com/seasontickets.html

Tampa Bay Rays http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/spring_training/ballpark.jsp?c_id=tb

Major League Baseball Beat Writer Brian Hoch http://bombersbeat.mlblogs.com/archives/2011/02/snapshots_from_yankees_spring.html

Tampa Yankees Facebook Page  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tampa-Yankees/154306537958604

Official Tampa Yankee Website http://tampa.yankees.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t587

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Eileen Lud­wig, travel writer of Free­lance Tourist brings to the world insights about places to travel, dis­counts, Stay­ca­tions, Restau­rant Reviews, movie reviews, and fas­ci­nat­ing tibits. She is owner of three other sites: Pho­tog­ra­phy, Web Design School, and Social Media School Each are in dif­fer­ent stages of devel­op­ment and evolution.

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