After a few weeks of training in sites throughout Florida and Arizona, major league baseball teams have begun spring-training games.<\/p>\n
The Tampa Bay area, a key spring-training hub for decades, features eight teams within an hour\u2019s drive of Westchase.<\/p>\n
For the uninitiated, here\u2019s a primer:<\/p>\n
What is spring training?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the annual training ground for MLB teams in warm-weather sites \u2014 about two weeks of practices before a month\u2019s work of exhibition games in March. In the opening weeks, the big-league workouts included 70 to 80 players, but the rosters will eventually be whittled down to 26 for Opening Day. The rest of the players will be assigned to minor-league teams.<\/p>\n
What can I see?<\/p>\n
If you get there early, you might get a great vantage point for workouts on the back fields. There\u2019s the non-exciting stuff like stretching and running, but you\u2019ll also spot pitchers throwing bullpen sessions and hitters taking batting practice. You\u2019ll see a concentration on fundamentals, such as pitchers learning to cover first base and hitters practicing their bunting.<\/p>\n
Will I see the big-time stars?<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a great chance. Superstars such as New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper and Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be getting their work in. But there will also be a mix of younger players and relatively unknown prospects.<\/p>\n
How can I get autographs and photos?<\/p>\n
The best part of spring training is the casual atmosphere. Players and coaches are usually relaxed and accessible. Hard-core fans relish the opportunity to interact with their baseball heroes in a setting that is much different than the all-business regular season. You\u2019ll quickly learn the protocol. You won\u2019t be the only one with this idea. Just assemble near the<\/p>\n
area where the players are leaving workouts or heading into the dugout. It\u2019s always best to have your own pen and paper or baseball card where the player can sign. Use common sense. Players appreciate patience and good manners. They also respond better if you address them by name instead of shouting out, \u201cHey, No. 20! Can you sign my cap?\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Where do I go?<\/p>\n
Here are the Tampa Bay area\u2019s spring-training sites:<\/p>\n
Atlanta Braves (North Port\/Venice) \u2014\u00a0CoolToday Park, 18800 S. West Village Parkway, Venice, FL 34293. Phone: 941-413-5000. Website: Braves.com\/springtraining.<\/p>\n
Baltimore Orioles (Sarasota) \u2014\u00a0Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12th Street, Sarasota, FL 34237. Phone: 941-893-6300. Orioles.com\/springtraining.<\/p>\n
Detroit Tigers (Lakeland) \u2014\u00a0Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, 2301 Lakeland Hills Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33805. Phone: 863-686-8075. Website: Tigers.com\/springtraining.<\/p>\n
New York Yankees (Tampa) \u2014\u00a0George M. Steinbrenner Field, 1 Steinbrenner Drive, Tampa, FL 33614. Phone: 813-875-7753. Website: Yankees.com\/springtraining.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia Phillies (Clearwater) \u2014\u00a0BayCare Ballpark, 601 Old Coachman Road, Clearwater, FL 33765. Phone: 727-467-4457. Website: Phillies.com\/springtraining.<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh Pirates (Bradenton) \u2014\u00a0LECOM Park, 1611 9th Street West, Bradenton, FL 34205. Phone: 941-747-3031. Website: Pirates.com\/springtraining.<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Rays (Port Charlotte) \u2014\u00a0Charlotte Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte, FL 33948. Phone: 941-235-5010. Website: RaysBaseball.com\/springtraining.<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays (Dunedin) \u2014\u00a0TD Ballpark, 373 Douglas Ave., Dunedin, FL 34698. Phone: 727-733-0429. Website: BlueJays.com\/springtraining.<\/p>\n
What else do I need?<\/p>\n
Pro tip: Get your tickets ahead of time. Some of these games sell out. There will be a parking charge. Check out the team websites for more information.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s probably wise to bring some sunscreen and bottled water (although spring-training sites have food and drink for sale, along with a flurry of memorabilia and merchandise).<\/p>\n
Want to meet a future Hall of Famer? Want to check out a hotshot rookie player before he makes it big? Want to get your baseball cards signed or make some unforgettable memories with your family?<\/p>\n
Head to spring training.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a Tampa Bay tradition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After a few weeks of training in sites throughout Florida and Arizona, major league baseball teams have begun…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":492458,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[363,99],"class_list":["post-492457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/492457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=492457"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/492457\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/492458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=492457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=492457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=492457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}