I remember the morning Sarah was born very well. The temperature was just above freezing, and it was during baseball’s spring training and my own junior college season. I wore jeans, running shoes, and my long-sleeved baseball undershirt into the delivery room. That was almost twenty-five years ago. This year, to celebrate her twenty-fifth birthday, we will be together as a family enjoying a Rays game in Port Charlotte.
When I was younger, I went to a number of spring training games in Vero Beach’s Dodgertown. Vero was only forty miles from home, and you could always get a ticket, even though Dodger games were well-attended. Today, spring training games are a happening, and it’s not unusual to find them sold out. So we managed to procure our tickets early, and will be heading to Port Charlotte.
While some people want to see all the stars play, I enjoy getting a chance to see the young kids on the way up just as much. It’s great to see who the big league club has waiting in the wings. My plan is to get to the park early and walk around the minor league complex as much as I can. Old names will be offering instruction, and new names will be taking in the information. It will be great to hear the crack of the wooden bat and the pop of the glove! Click here for more information about buying tickets for spring training in Port Charlotte.
- If we get lucky, we may be able to see Don Zimmer, who will be around spring training in a limited capacity. When I say lucky, I actually mean fortunate. Zim is not only a baseball classic, but a class act as well. Here’s to wishing him the very best as he starts his 65th game in professional baseball.
- Four Rays will be playing in the World Baseball Classic. Jose Molina will play for Puerto Rico, Fernando Rodney and Joel Peralta will take the ball for the Dominican Republic, and Ben Zobrist will be representing the Rays while playing for the United States.
