Spring training, day eleven

Day 12, Spring Training. Bright House Networks Field, Clearwater. Home of the
Philadelphia Phillies.

I can remember listing to the Phillies spring training games from Clearwater on the radio as a young boy. It always marked the promise of spring to hear baseball again on the radio. It was high on my agenda of things to do in retirement to go see the Phillies in Clearwater.

The park was brand new in 2004. It is easily the prettiest spring training park I’ve seen so far. It looks like a Spanish mission, rather than the usual ugly bare concrete stadium. The website directions claim parking is on the right as you approach the facility. There is a lot there, but it was already full when I arrived. Another larger lot is on your left before you get to the stadium, so I threw a U-turn to get back to it. No signs to help you, of course. There’s a side entrance to this lot that I would use in the future now that I know where it is.

The shady seats are to the right of home plate and on the first base side as well as in the “club” seats on the second level beside the luxury boxes. My seat was just to the right of home plate 13 rows up. I was in the sun briefly; shade found my seat just as the game started.

Bill Giles, the Phillies’ chairman, was on hand to autograph his new book. I guess he has to scratch for every cent he can after Chase Utley’s contract. Naturally, Philly cheese steaks were available at the concession stands.

It was a gorgeous day – a dry 71 degrees at game time, climbing to 76 at game’s end. The place was packed. Even the berm seating in the outfield was crowded. The announced attendance was 7992. Even though this was the third largest crowd I’ve encountered, I didn’t run into too much traffic getting out since I took the side exit to the parking lot and did an end run around the principal line of traffic. It only took a little over an hour to make the commute in each direction.

The Phils were in their home red so they looked like the Phillies to me. The also looked like the Phillies during the game, bowing to the lowly Pirates 5-1. Both Abraham Nunez and Ryan Howard got thrown out trying to stretch singles into doubles which killed what few promising innings the Phils had.

I’ll definitely come back here again. I’m thankful that the Phillies don’t play in a dump like Knology or in ugly Ed Smith.

Two days off until my next game, which is a long commute to the Orlando area near Disney World to see the Braves.

Dad