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| Home Media ST. PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER AREA OFFERS MAJOR LEAGUE SCHEDULE OF SPRING TRAINING ACTION IN FLORIDA'S BEACH (March 2000) -- Major league baseball stars take the field every day in Florida's Beach as communities throughout the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area host spring training. St. Petersburg is home to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Clearwater is where the Philadelphia Phillies play and the Toronto Blue Jays can be found in Dunedin. Four other teams can be found within an hour's drive of the area including the New York Yankees in nearby Tampa. Spring baseball is a different breed than regular-season action. Stars can be seen running laps in the outfield (before and during the game), doing extra work on separate fields and they often make time for signing lots of autographs. Instead of large stadiums where fans are far from the playing action, most spring training sites hold only 5,000 or so spectators. Front-row seats, which are usually around $10, put fans face-to-face with their Major League heroes. But only for a few innings, because teams always use plenty of players during the spring games. Numerous other teams are within easy driving distance of area hotels and beaches, making Florida's Beach the perfect base for spring training exploration. The St. Petersburg/Clearwater area (Florida's Beach), is located in Pinellas County on Florida's west coast, bordered on the east by Tampa Bay and on the west by the Gulf of Mexico. The area and its famous beaches are within minutes of Florida's popular attractions -- just 30 minutes away is Busch Gardens in Tampa and 90 minutes away are Walt Disney World Resort, Sea World, Universal Studios Florida and other central Florida sites. Most pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 18, position players on Feb. 23. Full-squad games start March 1. Here are the schedules and field information: Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Devil Rays remain as the only team since 1919 to spend spring training in the same city where they play during the regular season. The Devil Rays spend the spring at Florida Power Park, home of Al Lang Field, in downtown St. Petersburg. They move across the city to Tropicana Field for the regular season. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 727-825-3250 or Ticketmaster at 813-287-8844. Florida Power Park 180 2nd Avenue S.E. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Directions: Located in downtown St. Petersburg on 1st St. and 2nd Ave. S.E., 1.5 miles east of I-275 Exit 9. Paid parking is available close to the ballpark. Tickets: Field box seats, $14; Loge box seats, $11; Grandstand, $9, $6; General admission, $4. Training Schedule: Practices are twice daily at the Raymond A. Naimoli Baseball Complex, 7901 130th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. Minor league facilities at the Naimoli Complex. Devil Rays Spring Training Home Games (some games may be split-squad): Date / Opponent / Time March 1 Univ. of South Florida 1:05 p.m. March 3 Florida Marlins 1:05 p.m. March 4 Atlanta Braves 1:05 p.m. March 5 Cincinnati Reds 1:05 p.m. March 7 Texas Rangers 1:05 p.m. March 8 Philadelphia Phillies 1:05 p.m. March 9 Cincinnati Reds 1:05 p.m. March 13 New York Yankees 1:05 p.m. March 15 Pittsburgh Pirates 1:05 p.m. March 16 Detroit Tigers 1:05 p.m. March 22 Houston Astros 1:05 p.m. March 23 Cleveland Indians 1:05 p.m. March 24 Kansas City Royals 7:05 p.m. March 25 Cincinnati Reds 1:05 p.m. March 29 Kansas City Royals 1:05 p.m. March 31 Detroit Tigers 1:05 p.m. Philadelphia Phillies The City of Clearwater has hosted the Phillies for spring training since 1947. Jack Russell Stadium was built to accommodate the team in 1955. For more information or to order tickets by phone, call: 727-442-8496 or 215- 463-5000. For tickets by mail, write: Philadelphia Phillies Tickets, P.O. Box 10336, Clearwater, FL 33757 (add $4 handling). Jack Russell Stadium 800 Phillies Drive Clearwater, FL. 33755 Directions: Located 3.5 miles west of Highway 19, 6 blocks north of Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. off Greenwood Ave. Paid parking is adjacent to the ballpark. Tickets: Box seats, $12; Lower Reserved, $11; Upper Reserved, $9; Reserved seats, $6. Training Schedule: Practices during February begin at 8 a.m. at the Carpenter Complex, 651 Old Coachman Rd., off US 19 North at Drew St. In March, practices take place at Jack Russell Stadium. Minor leaguers practice are at Carpenter Complex, 727-799-0503. Philadelphia Phillies Spring Training Home Games (some games may be split-squad): Date / Opponent / Time March 3 Cleveland Indians 1:05 p.m. March 5 Pittsburgh Pirates 1:05 p.m. March 6 Detroit Tigers 1:05 p.m. March 7 Cincinnati Reds 1:05 p.m. March 9 New York Yankees 1:05 p.m. March 11 Toronto Blue Jays 1:05 p.m. March 13 Kansas City Royals 1:05 p.m. March 14 Cincinnati Reds 1:05 p.m. March 16 New York Yankees 1:05 p.m. March 17 Houston Astros 1:05 p.m. March 19 Texas Rangers 1:05 p.m. March 23 Toronto Blue Jays 7:05 p.m. March 25 Boston Red Sox 1:05 p.m. March 28 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 1:05 p.m. March 30 Pittsburgh Pirates1:05 p.m. Toronto Blue Jays The Blue Jays begin their 23rd year in Dunedin. Dunedin Stadium is a classic spring training site. The Stadium was built in 1930 and renovated in 1989. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 727-733-0429 or 800-707-8269. To order tickets by mail before Feb.15, write: Blue Jays Spring Training Tickets, P.O. Box 957, Dunedin, FL 34697. Dunedin Stadium at Grant Field 311 Douglas Avenue Dunedin, FL. 34698 Directions: Located 3.5 miles west of Highway 19 on Douglas Ave., 1/2 mile north of Sunset Point Rd. (Route 588). Paid parking is adjacent to the ballpark. Tickets: Box Seats, $13; Grandstand Reserved, $11; Bleachers Reserved, $9. Training Schedule: Practices in February take place at Cecil B. Englebert Complex, 1700 Solon Ave., Dunedin, at 9 a.m. daily; in March, at Grant Field. Minor leaguers practice is held at Englebert Complex, 727-733-9302. Toronto Blue Jays Home Schedule (some games may be split-squad): Date / Opponent / Time March 2 New York Yankees 1:05 p.m. March 6 Atlanta Braves 1:05 p.m. March 7 Kansas City Royals 1:05 p.m. March 9 Pittsburgh Pirates 1:05 p.m. March 12 New York Yankees 1:05 p.m. March 15 Houston Astros 1:05 p.m. March 16 Texas Rangers 1:05 p.m. March 17 Cincinnati Reds 1:05 p.m. March 22 Philadelphia Phillies 7:05 p.m. March 25 Minnesota Twins 1:05 p.m. March 27 Boston Red Sox 1:05 p.m. March 28 Texas Rangers 1:05 p.m. March 30 Cincinnati Reds 1:05 p.m. |
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