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Florida Spring Training: Your Guide To Touring The Grapefruit League |
Also atypical of Spring Training is the lack of a solid corps of regular baseball fans. Much of the lower level is sold to corporate season-ticket holders who bought seats when the Yankees first started playing at Legends Field and the games were mostly at night. Now, the games are mostly during the day and many corporate ticket holders either cannot or do not come. That means lots of empty seats at sold-out games. And most games here do sell out. The New York Yankees have such a following that any place they play is hallowed ground, including Legends Field, despite its many drawbacks.
As for Yankee autographs, as a good New Yorker would say, Fuhgeddaboudit! You may get a few by the practice field if you’re really lucky. That’s not to say that everything about Legends Field is bad. The stadium has the best concessions anywhere in the Grapefruit League, complete with an outpost of Outback Steakhouse. The souvenir program is great, and there is entertainment before the game. The Yankees put on a spectacular opening day show. One recent opener featured a big marching band, a military special ops squad parachuting onto the field and about 60 GIs unfurling a huge American flag while the national anthem was sung by a pair of local celebrities, all capped off by fireworks. That day was also a great opportunity to see Yankees legends like Reggie Jackson and Yogi Berra in person. Outside the ballpark, you’ll also find a square devoted to all the great players the Yankees have had on their team over the years. They’ve dedicated a plaque to each one, complete with the player’s name, number, and a brief biography. One of the more interesting things about Legends Field is the number of Japanese fans you will see at the games. Since the Yankees signed Hideki Matsui, fans from his native Japan have been traveling to Tampa for Spring Training. After finally experiencing what everyone said was such a great ballpark, I was glad to leave. Hopefully, this is not the future of Spring Training, but the exception. If you are a Yankees fan, order your tickets early and make the trek. But make sure you also see the Yankees play at one of the other stadiums in the Tampa area so that you get to experience the real feel of Spring Training. And if you’re not a Yankees fan, don’t worry if you can’t get tickets to a game at Legends Field. You’ll get a more authentic Spring Training experience elsewhere. Didn't find what you were looking for? Try a Google search.
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