Baseball Spring Training

Baseball fans nationwide eagerly await the spring when they hear that magic phrase: "Pitchers and Catchers report." It means the players start filtering into camps ... spring training has arrived.

The St. Pete/Clearwater area has a 90-plus-year history of spring training. The area features the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin and the New York Yankees in nearby Tampa. There are also 9 other teams within a two-hour drive. Here in St. Pete/Clearwater, well, there're no worries when it comes to the weather, no matter the season. But Spring Training still provides a rare treat for the area's three big-league teams to practice outdoors. The cozy stadiums and relaxed atmosphere help deliver the game in all its casual elegance.

In Dunedin, a Canadian influence accents the Toronto Blue Jays' time at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium (formerly Dunedin Stadium). The Philadelphia Phillies work out at the glistening Bright House Field in Clearwater, the newest venue on the Grapefruit League circuit.

Offering full sun in its grass berm area and cold beverages in its Tiki Pavillion beyond the left field wall, Bright House Field has been a hit with fans since its 2004 inaugural season. In addition to being the spring home of the Phillies, Bright House Field also hosts home games of the organization’s Florida State League team, the Clearwater Threshers, and the BIG EAST Baseball Championship.

While the Phillies have trained in Clearwater since 1948, they aren’t the only Major League team to call the area their spring home. The American League’s Toronto Blue Jays have opened camp in Dunedin since the team’s inception in 1977. Lauded for its cozy feel, the Jays’ Florida Auto Exchange Stadium was once ranked by Sports Illustrated as one of the top 5 places to watch a Spring Training game. The stadium also plays host to the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League, the Dunedin High School baseball team and various community activities throughout the year.

Nine other big league teams play their spring games within a two-hour drive of St. Pete/Clearwater: Atlanta Braves (Lake Buena Vista), Boston Red Sox (Fort Myers), Baltimore Orioles (Sarasota), Detroit Tigers (Lakeland), Houston Astros (Kissimmee), Minnesota Twins (Fort Myers), Tampa Bay Rays (Port Charlotte), New York Yankees (Tampa) and Pittsburgh Pirates (Bradenton).

The players and teams are on display from mid-February, when workouts begin, until early April when they dispatch to their home cities for the regular season. Come check out baseball's best, up close.

For more information for Phillies, call 727-467-4457, for Blue Jays information, call 727-525-5297, for New York Yankees, call 813-879-2244 and for the Rays, call 727-898-RAYS.