A lone voice echoed through the stadium chanting, “Let’s go Yankees,” She couldn’t have been more than 10 years old, but her voice carried and the passion for her team was undeniable. This is the epitome of what spring training looks and sounds like in Florida.
I love baseball. I always have and to live in middle of a spring training mecca is fantastic. In the Tampa Bay/central Florida region alone, you can watch games for favorites like the Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, Pirates, and Tigers all within an hour’s drive. Being from Tampa, I am ultimately a Rays fan, but the intimate, smaller stadiums provide the backdrop of why it doesn’t have to be your team playing to just enjoy America’s game and have a great day at the park.
It was a beautiful 75-degree Sunday when I watched the Yankees take on the Tigers at Steinbrenner Stadium. It was a sunny and still day with the cold Blue Moon from the drink vendor as perfect as the weather. There was a large crowd, but it wasn’t overwhelming. Many of the fans were on a pilgrimage to see their favorite team, and their accents, and skin tone from being indoors all winter, was a little different from the norm in Tampa. The buzz of excitement in the air was unmistakable.
There wasn’t a bad seat in the house. I watched the well-knowns including Chisholm, Goldschmidt, Bellinger, Volpe, Jung, Vierling, Dingler, and Sweeney take the field for their respective teams without the need of any type of binoculars or reliance on jumbotrons. As the teams ramp up, you don’t know who you’ll see playing on a given day. So, to observe big-name players, and those fighting for a spot on the 40-man roster, is outstanding for the die-hard, or even casual, baseball fan. Games also tend to be unpredictable just like the broken bat that came barreling towards me.
The Yankees ultimately lost, but I don’t think fans walked away too disappointed. Spring training really does harken back to baseball’s glory days with quality play and the focus on fan experience. Don’t sleep on a trip to Florida in February or March if you want to witness baseball at its purest. There’s simply nothing like this.
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