Two Games in One Day – A Florida Spring Training Baseball Fan’s Challenge
By Nick Gandy, Florida Sports Foundation
The Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates ballparks are 305 miles apart from eastern to western Pennsylvania.
In the Florida Grapefruit League, the Phillies spring training home, Baycare Ballpark, in Clearwater, is 41 miles north of LECOM Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, in Bradenton.
In Pennsylvania, it’s a scenic drive through the countryside of the state. In Florida, it’s a straight shot down the Tampa Bay area’s iconic Highway 19 that includes a trip over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
On Thursday, March 21, the Phillies hosted the Tampa Bay Rays at Baycare Ballpark, in Clearwater, with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. Five hours later, the Pirates hosted the Toronto Blue Jays, at LECOM Park, in Bradenton.
It was a full day of baseball for Pennsylvania baseball fans, or fans of Florida Spring Training Baseball, with temperatures starting in the low 70s and rising into the 80s.
Two games in one day. I attended both games.
While the action on field lasted five hours and 13 minutes, it also included about two hours of pre-game exploring around both ballparks and an hour and 15 minutes of driving the 41 miles. But I made to my seat for both first pitches and then some.
I walked through the gates of Baycare Ballpark at 11:40 a.m . and walked out of LECOM Park 8:45 p.m. after watching two one run games. One featured a come from behind win and the other was almost a walk off win.
It was a tough day for the fans of the home teams as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Phillies, 6-5. The Rays scored three runs in the eighth and ninth inning to overcome a 5-3 deficit. Curtis Mead scored the first of the three comeback runs in the eighth inning and drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth.
The Toronto Blue Jays held on for a 3-2 win as Billy McKinney’s long fly ball fell just short of the 400 foot wall in centerfield with a runner on first base. At the crack of the bat, Pirates fans at LECOM Park rose to their feet in hopes of a walk-off home run, but sighed as it fell into the Jays centerfield’s glove.
The action on the field showcased the talents of opening day starters and players hoping to one day be an opening day starter. A total of 15,328 fans had their tickets scanned at both games, 9,524 at BayCare Ballpark and 5,804 at LECOM Park, on a picture perfect day under the March sun.
In the top of the first inning in both games, visiting players, both wearing number two, sent balls out of the yard. Tampa Bay’s Yandy Diaz, the 2023 American League Batting Champion, led off with a home run to left center field. Toronto’s Justin Turner, a 16-year MLB veteran, launched a two run homer, after George Springer led off the game with a walk.
Some baseball fans may have missed these moments due to the amenities and sights both ballparks offer.
Before settling in for the action at the Baycare Ballpark, which was built in 2004, fans walk up a flight of stairs to enter BayCare Ballpark on the third base side of the field. They look straight down at the outfield grass and the rightfield grass berm. To their left is a concourse filled with plenty of activity, including group party areas, the team store, a variety of food and beverage options and one of the Florida Grapefruit Leagues favorite spots, the Frenchy’s Tiki Bar.
To their right is a concourse heading behind home plate and down the first base line. There’s a big difference in maneuvering the concourse more than an hour before the game and during the game. Even though it’s a wide concourse, put more than 9,500 baseball fans in the park and it’s like the slow moving afternoon traffic on Highway 19 out past the right field fence.
The Baycare Ballpark menu features food from the Philadelphia area, including Delco’s Cheesesteaks, Manco and Manco Pizza, as well as local vendors like Abe’s Place and Pete and Shorty’s. There’s even a stand for Moe’s Burritos.
If you’re thirsty, it seems like there’s a beer stand every 20 feet or so. If you go thirsty or hungry at a Philadelphia Phillies spring training game, it’s your own fault. If Phillies fans want to get creative in their beer drinking efforts, there’s a “beer bat,” option available. Yes, a mug shaped like a baseball bat that’s roughly 18 inches long.
Baycare Ballpark was the first Florida Spring Training stadium to offer the full 360 degree walk around the park. Since its opening in 2004, many Florida parks have followed Clearwater’s lead. The outfield space is quite busy beside the grass berm that holds quite a few sunbathers for spring training. Benches and tables are situated between the sidewalk and the rear fence of the stadium.
Besides the large indoor team store, there are kiosks and a tent with plenty of merchandise to choose from. The Phillies and Pirates both offer their classic letter P logo merchandise, but plenty of Spring Training merchandise featuring Clearwater and Bradenton.
Fans proudly display their purchases as well. Both teams offer the classic jerseys and hats worn by the players on the fields. The Phillies proudly offer merchandise from their recent successes in the postseason while the Pirates have plenty of retro merchandise with the likeness of Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente and Dave Parker featured.
The best outfit seen was a woman at the Phillies game wearing white overalls with red pinstripes and the cursive Phillies P just under the overall clips.
Bradenton’s LECOM Stadium dates back to 1923 and it manages to hold its old school charm of the roaring 1920s with modern amenities of the 2020s sprinkled into the mix.
Upon entering the stadium, fans are greeted by ushers, most of retirement age, wearing nametags along with their hometowns. Many of the fans in the stands of the same age demographic may be neighbors of the ushers in the local communities.
Once you’re in the stadium, from foul pole to foul pole, it’s all stadium. There’s a wide concourse down the first base side with plenty of food, drink and souvenirs available. There’s bars, concession stands, tables and even an area on turf with very comfortable looking deck chairs.
The food offerings are basic ballpark fare with the only name brand offered being a Smashburger Express tent. The burgers sure smelled good.
The Plaza Lounge is a seated bar with Pennsylvania based Yuengling on tap and televisions showing the game for those taking a break from inside the stadium.
Climb up a flight of stairs and you’re walking the outfield perimeter. Instead of an outfield berm like in Clearwater, the Bradenton Park offers a left field bleacher section with completely covered rows of seats with backs.
During the Thursday night visit on the first night of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, the Kona Bar in centerfield showed basketball games along with the game broadcast and the MLB Network.
While you disappear from sight of the game, behind the batter’s eye in centerfield, there’s a gallery of photos on the wall of former Bradenton Marauders who have advanced into the big leagues. It’s an impressive collection featuring the likes of Gerrit Cole, Tyler Glasnow, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Mitch Keller.
The LECOM Park public address announcer was very informative throughout the game even offering up scoring tips for those keeping track of the game in their souvenir programs. The Pirates program, while costing a bit more than the Phillies program, held the advantage between the two nice programs, due to including 40-man rosters of all visiting teams making the trip to Bradenton.
Both cities, Clearwater and Bradenton, are staples of the Florida Grapefruit League with teams visiting the area dating back to the 1920s. The Phillies are now in their 78th year of holding Spring Training in Clearwater and the Pirates are now in their 56th season in Bradenton.
While visiting the Florida Grapefruit League parks, take advantage of the many views from different areas of the park. See what each has to offer, there are a variety of places to sit and visit. It makes the game more interesting and there are good baseball fans in every area of the park.
Baseball fans look forward to the day in February when “Pitchers and Catchers report,” to signal the upcoming season. Florida host communities like Clearwater and Bradenton, also look forward to the day knowing baseball fans will soon be flocking to their area for this annual rite of spring.