Category Archives: Spring Training

BULLETIN! We interrupt this post to bring this news… Mr Incredible, Jim Thome, is coming back. Reports are coming through that the Twins signed Thome to a $3 million contract (plus incentives) for 2011. That’s at the top end of what I would have paid for Jim and, while you could still argue the Twins need RH hitting more, I can’t complain about this. It just feels good to have Thome back for another year.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled post… – JC

In the first two parts of this Spring Training Guide, we’ve discussed issues to consider as part of the planning process for a trip to visit the Twins’ Spring Training site in Ft. Myers FL and what to expect in terms of the games themselves. But let’s be honest, if all you’re doing is going to some ballgames, you might as well wait a couple of extra weeks and go watch the Twins at Target Field. Spring Training games are, after all, just practice games. So why travel over 1500 miles to watch the Twins practice?

OK, I honestly don’t have a good answer to that question. It’s not easy to explain. Suffice to say that, if you have to ask that question, it’s not likely that you’d understand any answer I could come up with anyway. Maybe you should just accept that those practice games take place in southwest Florida and any reason to spend time in March down there is a good reason to go. But let’s ask some related questions anyway.

What do you do other than go watch baseball games?

Go watch baseball practice, of course! No… seriously… I mean it.

I enjoy watching baseball practice. Maybe I’m odd that way or maybe it goes back to the days I spent as a kid on practice fields with my dad while he was coaching high school baseball in Albert Lea. But I can spend hours wandering the practice fields at the Lee County Complex watching players at all levels in the Twins organization practice. Maybe it’s teenagers, barely out of high school, fielding ground balls or Class A/AA level players getting on-field instruction from Tom Kelly and Paul Molitor. Then spending time watching the AAA players wander the outfield during batting practice… no more than 20-30 feet from the outfield fence of the Major League practice field… and catching them take occasional glimpses to that adjoining field, almost able to read their minds as they imagine taking that final step toward realizing their dreams. So close, yet so far away.

One thing the Twins do, which I really appreciate as a fan, is put the names on the back of the Spring Training jerseys of their minor leaguers. With 150 or more players on 4-5 different practice fields, you’re going to see several guys wearing the same jersey number. Without a name on the back, as well, most of us would have no clue who we’re watching, even if we’re armed with Seth Stohs’ handy-dandy Prospect Handbook.

Over on the Major League practice field, you may find the Big Leaguers (WITHOUT their names on their practice jerseys… guess we’re supposed to recognize all of them by face and/or number by the time they get to this level) taking infield/outfield practice or maybe the pitching staff will be working on fielding bunts or covering first base on a ground ball to that side of the infield. Drilling… always drilling… over and over. So much that you can’t help but be shocked when one of those same pitchers is late to cover 1B in a July game at Target Field. Then again, if you’re really lucky, you may get the opportunity to be entertained by the pitchers actually taking batting practice. See? There is occasional humor to be found on the practice field. There are also batting cages under the Hammond Stadium seating area, visible from outside the stadium, where you can watch today’s Twins getting in extra hitting practice, under the watchful eyes of the staff which, on any given day, may include former Twins greats like Tony Oliva and Paul Molitor.

You may even decide to save your money and pass on buying tickets for the Twins game that afternoon. Instead, pull up a seat on the 4-5 rows of bleachers behind the chain link “dugouts” of the minor league fields and watch the Twins prospects take on the kids from the Orioles or Red Sox organizations. If you’re lucky, you may even get a close up look at one of the Major Leaguers getting some extra work in with the minor leaguers on a day he’s not scheduled to play with the Twins.

And if you’re an autograph collector, it won’t take you long to figure out most of the kids on these diamonds still think it’s kind of cool to be asked for their autograph. As I write this, I’m looking at a practice ball I picked up during minor league batting practice a couple of years ago… and got signed by Joe Benson, Steve Singleton, BJ Hermsen and others.

Isn’t there a beach or something down there?

Yes… and after making several trips to Spring Training, I finally found my way to Ft. Myers Beach last year. It’s nice. I don’t happen to think it’s as nice as Clearwater Beach, a couple of hours north of there, but if beaches are your thing, I definitely recommend a trip to Ft. Myers Beach. You can catch a trolley in a mall parking lot a couple of miles from the Twins complex that will take you down to the beach and all of the shopping/eating/drinking activities that can be found in that area.

Sanibel Island is just a drive across the Sanibel Causeway (and a $6 toll) away from the Ft. Myers coast, as well. I have to admit that I haven’t been as big a fan of Sanibel Island as a lot of other people, but I think I’m in the minority.  Ft. Myers also has an Imaginarium (kind of a combination museum and aquarium) that I confess I’ve never been to. I’m not sure why I haven’t gone… I actually kind of enjoy aquariums. Maybe one of you will go check it out and let me know how it is?

What about food?

I recommend it. Sometimes, it’s easy to get wrapped up in all the baseball stuff and forget to eat, but eventually you are likely to get hungry. When you do, I strongly recommend eating… preferably somewhere other than Hammond Stadium. You can find the traditional ballpark fare at Hammond, but that’s about it. The food is just one of many differences you’ll notice between Hammond and Target Field.

Fortunately, there are other places to eat in the area that offer much better options. I admit that I tend to look for seafood when I’m down there because we don’t exactly have an abundance of seafood options in Iowa.

LaVelle E. Neal III of the StarTribune has authored an annual blog post listing restaurant recommendations for the area and I’ve seldom been disappointed with the listed places that I’ve tried. I like places that have an outdoor seating area but even the sports bars down there all seem to have those, so they aren’t hard to find. (Shoeless Joe’s and Pott’s Sports Cafe have been my favorites, I suppose, since I keep going back to them.) Keep an eye out, though, for this year’s post by LaVelle.

Aren’t there theme parks or something down there somewhere?

No. You’re probably thinking of Orlando FL. Mickey Mouse and his Disney friends live up there, as do Harry Potter and his buddies at Universal. Orlando is about a 3 and a half hour drive from Ft. Myers. Tampa (two hours or so away) has Busch Gardens which, I’ve been told, is quite a lot of fun if you really need the theme park experience.

There’s also a dog-racing track a few minutes south of Ft. Myers, where you may also find a poker room. I know that’s not exactly a theme park, but hey… I thought I’d mention it.

I think this brings to a close this series of posts. I can’t think of much I haven’t covered at this point, but if you have questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section or click the “Contact Us” link at the top of the screen and drop an email. There isn’t much more for me to say except that I can’t recommend strongly enough a trip to Florida to hang out with our Twins, whether for a day or two or a week or more. You won’t be disappointed.

I’m know looking forward to my trip to Ft. Myers in March and it would be great to see a few of you down there, as well. Let us know if you’re planning to go!

– JC

Hopefully, Part 1 of our Spring Training Guide made you feel all warm inside as you pondered the possibility of spending time in March down in Ft. Myers FL with the Twins at the Lee County Sports Complex, their Spring Training home.

Today, I’ll continue the series by sharing a couple more things I’ve learned over the years on my trips to catch a bit March baseball with the Twins.

What time do I need to go to the ballpark?

Most game times at Hammond Stadium are at 1:00pm ET, though there is an occasional night game mixed in. Game times at other Grapefruit League ballparks vary a bit but the vast majority are afternoon games. I like to get to the ballpark a bit early, especially since I usually don’t have my tickets ahead of time. But even if I do have tickets, if I’m at the Twins complex, it’s really easy to wander around both the Major League and minor league practice fields in the morning. I don’t try to go quite as early to road games because of the time it takes to drive to them, but I do like exploring the different ballparks a bit before the game.

What’s the ticket situation? Do I need to buy them in advance?

Hmmm… “need”? No.

I prefer to wait to buy my tickets when I get down to Florida. That’s partially due to necessity and partially due to personal preference. It’s certainly not the cheapest approach, but I still prefer to wait for a number of reasons:

1. I never make my ST plans early enough that I know which games I want to attend by the time single game ST tickets go on sale.
2. If there are tickets available from the team by the time I am ready to buy, they’re not likely to be terrific seats. This, of course, is a relative thing. The ST ballparks, including Hammond Stadium, are essentially very nice minor league ballparks. This means the worst seats are comparable to tickets most of us would snatch up in a heartbeat for a game at Target Field. But, for me, one of the things I like about ST is the ability to get a much closer view of the action on the field. I don’t need the “best” seats… but I like to get “good” seats. Those are seldom, if ever, available from the box office for the Twins home ST games.
3. Sometimes it rains (not often… but it CAN happen). I’ll sit through a rain delay without a problem. But if it’s raining enough that the game gets canceled, it’s not like I can exchange my ticket for another game later in the season. I’m there for a fixed number of days.

The night before each game I’m going to attend, I check the next day’s forecast to see if there’s a chance the game may get rained out.

Then I’ll check the team’s own site to see if tickets are available direct. This isn’t likely to be the case for the Twins, but if I’m heading to a road game the next day, it’s a possibility. For example, the Rays have very cheap “general admission” tickets for their games in Port Charlotte and I kind of like sitting at a table out on the outfield boardwalk at their ballpark. (Yes, I know this might seem to contradict my “good seats” rule, but not being shoehorned in to a stadium seat and having the freedom to move around, watch the game at a table near a tiki bar, and holler down at the outfielders and in to the bullpen meets my personal definition of “good seat”. I’m fickle that way.)

If there’s nothing I like available from the team, I’ll check StubHub or other online ticket options that have the option of downloading and printing the ticket at my hotel. I’m honestly not sure I’ve ever bought a ST ticket this way, but that doesn’t stop me from checking.

Most of the time, I find myself without a ticket the morning of the game when I get in my car and head to the ballpark. No problem. I’ve never gone to a ST ballgame and and not found a way to get inside to watch the game. I prefer to get there early enough to have a good set of options from the ticket brokers outside the gates and I’m generally willing to pay a bit of a premium for the seats I want. But if you think prices are really high, you can take a chance by waiting until close to game time when the brokers face having to eat any unsold tickets. It all comes down to how much of a risk you’re willing to take that you’ll get shut out. Personally, I go down there specifically to see the games so I usually get my ticket earlier rather than trying to save a few bucks by waiting.

The demand for Twins home games has increased progressively since I first started making trips to ST. That’s another reason to shop early. You won’t have trouble finding the ticket brokers… they’ll find you as soon as you park your car in the complex parking lot. If you don’t see one there, there should be at least 2-3 of them in the parking lot near the box office.

As for seating preferences, the big deal for me is that I prefer not to sit in the shade. I’m sure the shady seats are popular for minor league games in July, but in March, the temperatures simply aren’t that hot. In fact, it’s not unusual for the weather to be cool enough that sitting in the shade is what makes it uncomfortable. For those of you with longer memories, you may recall from guest reports I did for Howard Sinker’s Strib blog a few years back, I’ve even been known to buy more than one ticket for the same game… just because the first ticket turned out to be in the shade. Get some sun, folks… you’ll be back up north in a few days!

What about tickets for road games?

If you follow the Twins on the road, you can have a little better luck with ticket prices in some places. Despite their recent successes, the Rays tickets in Port Charlotte aren’t too bad and while I haven’t been there in a couple of years, I suspect tickets in Bradenton for Pirate games are still inexpensive. Prices in Sarasota were pretty reasonable when the Reds trained there and I can’t imagine why things would have changed dramatically when the Orioles moved in. On the other hand, prices across town in Ft. Myers for games at the RedSox ballpark won’t be any cheaper than at Hammond and if you want to see games at the Phillies (Clearwater) or Yankees (Tampa) facilities, be prepared to spend a bit more, as well.

Games on the road at Port Charlotte (Rays), Sarasota (Orioles) and Bradenton (Pirates) are easy 60-90 minute 4-lane drives from Ft Myers. The Phillies, Yankees, and Blue Jays all play in the Tampa/St Petersburg metropolitan area, which is 2+ hours up the interstate or more. The Tigers (Lakeland) are well over 2 hours away as well. If you want to see a game in Port St. Lucie (Mets) or Jupiter (Cardinals and Marlins), plan on driving over two hours across the state on slower 2-lane roads to Florida’s east coast.

I enjoy road games because I get to see different ballparks and more of the regular players of the opposing teams play. Just keep in mind that you won’t see as many of the Twins’ own regulars play on the road. The longer the bus trip for the team, the fewer veteran regulars make the trip. Of course, that also means that road games just across town at the Red Sox facility are more likely to feature a higher number of Twins regulars. Likewise, home games against the Sawx means better odds you’ll see more of their stars, as well.

Do players really “try” in ST games?

Of course they try. But what they “try” to do is different than when the games count in the standings.

Some fans seem to forget that the ST games are really just “practice” for the players. A pitcher may go in to a game with instructions to solely focus on one pitch. When he throws 15 straight fastballs, there’s a pretty good chance opposing hitters will figure out what he’s trying to work on and are likely to get some good swings in. The pitcher’s stats may look crappy and he may have “lost the game” for his team, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t accomplish exactly what he and his coaches wanted.

And don’t be shocked when Joe Mauer’s spot in the order comes up in the 6th inning with bases loaded in a close game and you see a kid who looks like he’s 15 years old, wearing a jersey number in the 90s, walking up to pinch hit for Joe.

The point is that these are practice games and you need to keep your expectations in check, accordingly.

In the next (and final) post of this series, I’ll wrap things up by discussing things you might want to consider doing beyond just going to the Spring Training games, themselves.

– JC

I’m getting anxious for Spring Training. I can’t help it. It’s dang cold here and nobody I care about at all is in the NFL playoffs, I don’t care at all about the NHL or NBA and no college team I care about is any good at all at basketball. It’s January and I have no reason whatsoever to care about anything sports related except baseball. Some might call that pathetic. Maybe it is.

I’ve heard from enough people that are considering taking their first Spring Training adventure to Ft. Myers this spring that I thought I might put together a series of posts that reflect a few things I’ve learned from my own experiences over the past few years. Keep in mind, I’m no expert on the subject and I have tended to find out what I like and don’t like just by going down there and playing it by ear. That’s pretty much just how I roll on casual personal travel in the first place.

Most fans going to Spring Training for the first time have the same sorts of questions about tickets, hotels, food options, what goes on besides the Spring Training games themselves. In short, why should you go and what should you expect when you get there? That’s most people, of course… I am not most people. I went to my first Twins’ Spring Training game out of boredom. I was spending three weeks in the St. Petersburg FL area for work one March and saw that the Twins had a ST game in Tampa against the Yankees over one of the weekends I was there… so I went. I haven’t missed a Spring Training since.

Take that as a warning… if you go once, you’re probably going to want to go again. In a perfect world, I’d take the entire month of March off from work and spend it in Florida. It sucks that the world isn’t perfect.

I’ll break this in to three posts. Today I’ll cover some basic questions. The next post (whenever I get around to posting it) will focus on the Spring Training games themselves and then the last post will touch on things to do beyond just attending ST games.

How do I get there?

Some people really like cross-country driving. I used to be one of them. I’m also sure that there can be something fun and exciting about spending 24+ straight hours in a car with or without travel companions. I have no idea what those might be, however. I highly recommend flying.

Southwest Florida International Airport in Ft. Myers is served by several major airlines, including Delta, American, United and others, as well as a few other less major airlines (Southwest, AirTran, etc.). The existence of several “discount” airlines in this market usually makes fares relatively reasonable… unless you happen to be flying down there from Cedar Rapids IA, like me. I usually get a decent fare on Allegiant, which has direct flights from CR to St. Petersburg, which is about a 2 hour drive from Ft. Myers. You could probably also look for cheap fares to any other Florida city if you’re prepared for an even longer drive to Ft. Myers.

Do I need to rent a car there?

Yes, you or someone in your travel party will need a car. Don’t even think for a moment about trying to get by without one. Just do it. You’ll never be sorry you have one and if you don’t have one, I’ll guarantee you will, at some point (probably very early in your adventure) be sorry you don’t.

Where should I stay?

This is always a tough one to answer, because everyone’s tastes (and budgets) with regard to hotels is different. If I’m traveling alone, I feel like I spend so little time at the hotel itself that I don’t care about anything except having a clean room and reliable internet connections. Having food options nearby is nice.

There are no hotels in “easy walking distance” to the Lee County Sports Complex (the Twins’ ST facility). Most hotels that claim to be near the Ft. Myers airport will also be easy drives to the ballpark. Hotels on South Cleveland Avenue are also good bets to be a reasonable distance to the ballpark. (Note, hotels on North Cleveland Avenue will put you closer to the Red Sox facility.)

I’ve never had a problem getting a decent room for under $100 per night. Using Priceline.com or a similar internet site, you may even get something decent for $70 or even less. Verify your reservation before you head south. The only time I’ve ever had a problem getting a place to stay in Ft. Myers was the year I got down there and discovered the hotel had erroneously canceled my reservation. That was not a fun experience.

When I first considered going down to ST, I was hesitant because it coincides with “Spring Break” and in my mind, that meant expensive hotel rates and rowdy college kids. I’ve never had an issue with either problem, probably because I do not even try to look at hotels on/near the beach.

When should I go?

Choosing when to go see ST games is different than deciding when to go see the Twins play during the regular season. During the regular season, I make my plans based on factors such as the opponent, the standings, and pitching matchups. None of that really matters in Spring Training. Sure, you might think seeing the Twins host the Yankees would be very cool… until you show up and realize there are only 2-3 players wearing Yankee uniforms that you’ve ever heard of.

Instead, you need to make your decision based on what you want to see. I tend to break down the ST season in to 10-day segments. It’s not exact… but it’s close enough for my planning purposes.

Games 1-10: In early March, there are more players in the Major League camp. Pitchers don’t throw more than 1-3 innings in a game and “regular” position players generally come out of games after a couple of plate appearances. So if you are hoping to see the stars play a lot of baseball, this is not the time for you to go. On the other hand, if you are wondering who all these players are that the Twins signed during the off-season that you’ve never heard of… here’s your chance to find out what they look like. You’ll may see five or more pitchers throw an inning or two each in every game. Don’t even TRY to keep a score card.

Another thing to consider, especially if you are a big follower of minor leaguers, is that formal minor league games don’t start as early as the Major League games do. If you want to see minor league action, don’t rush to get down there the first week of March.

Games 11-20: Toward the middle of March, starting pitchers are getting 3-4 innings in and starting position players are playing at least 5-6 innings. This means many of the pitching prospects who have been in Major League camp to this point, will be getting sent across the facility to the minor league complex where they’ll get more innings in, since the formal minor league workouts and games are now underway.

This is the period that I personally prefer to spend time at ST. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed and informal (and the players are generally still having fun being back on the field playing ball again after the off-season), but the regular players are playing a few more innings to start getting their timing at the plate or building up stamina by throwing more pitches/innings on the mound.

Games 21-30: By this time, the “final” rotation is getting set up and throwing more pitches each start. Most of the Major League roster is set and those players are getting most of the playing time through 7 innings or so. You’ll still get a look at a handful of minor league prospects brought up to finish out the 8th-9th innings of games.

You also may notice some more subtle differences among the players. They’ve been “practicing” for over a month and playing games that don’t count. They’re anxious to get the season started and some of them aren’t quite as generous with their time signing autographs and interacting with fans, in general. On the other hand, if there’s going to be competition for any of the remaining Major League roster spots, this is your chance to see that drama play out.

That’s enough for today. Look for Part 2 tomorrow… or the next day… or next week sometime. Get off my back, I’ll post it eventually! 

– JC