Major League Baseball (MLB) is the American sport that has been endeared by the world. Little boys learn the game in far-away countries grow up with the same dreams as neighborhood tykes in these United States to one day be the next star hitter on the New York Yankees. For fans and players alike, everything transforms into a nostalgic, child-like joy at a baseball game. Access to smaller, vintage ball park is nostalgic and magical:
McKechnie Field, 1611 9th Street West, Bradenton, FL 34205-7223 phone: 941-748-4610
McKenchie Park opened in 1923 as the home base for St. Louis Cardinals. In 1969, the Pittsburg Pirates made McKechnie Park their spring training Grapefruit League home base, and fans continue to love the easy access to players and autographs with both the Pirates and visiting teams. It is a small, mission style park, with good views from every seat close to the field. It became more modern with renovations in 1993 with beautiful mission styling and white stucco designing at the grand stand. Reserved bleachers are shaded, which is a sweet feature for fans in the Florida sun.
Dunedin Stadium, 373 Douglas Avenue, Dunedin, FL 34698 phone: 727-733-9302
Dunedin Stadium was built in 1930. According to Baseball Pilgrimages, national anthems for both the United States and Canada play before every game at Dunedin Stadium, because it has been the only spring training home to the Toronto Blue Jays. In 2002, it was named in Sports Illustrated one of the top five places to watch a spring training game. That’s quite an honor, considering there are more than a dozen MLB spring training ball parks. The stadium is charming in that the small park doubles as a local ballpark for the neighborhood high school, seating only about 5,500. The high school receives equal billing on the stadium walls with the Toronto Blue Jays. Not another high school team in the U.S.A. can make a claim equal to an MLB team billing.
Fort Lauderdale Stadium,1301 NW 55th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 phone: 954-776-1921
Fort Lauderdale Stadium appears to be a very endangered park. Built in 1962, the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles have both made this their spring training home over the years. However, in 2009 the Orioles were warned by the MLB suits to make changes because the stadium was in such disrepair. The Orioles solution was to make a change to skip away to Sarasota. As of this writing, Fort Lauderdale Stadium has no potential tenants signing up to take the lease offered by the owner, so the future looks bleak. Ball Park Digest laid its bet on at least an 80% chance it will meet the wrecking ball within five years.
For more about Major League Baseball, see Resolving to Make Baseball History . ..
Lynn Pritchett - Lynn lives in Arizona with her husband and is caretaker for a few pets left behind by their two grown daughters.
