DUNEDIN, FLA.—Spring training remains a wonderful time of the year, but the experience has definitely changed. Back in 1977, when the Blue Jays held their first training camp, much of the west coast of Florida was new and exciting for Canadian tourists. The Dunedin area was equally new for the players, so the chances of bumping into one of your horsehide heroes away from the ballpark were infinitely better.
Baseball, back then, had an older fan demographic and many Jays supporters looking ahead to their retirement went ahead and bought winter homes as an investment, trusting that the Jays would be there forever. It’s amazing that, with all of the rumours of moves to other areas of Florida (Sarasota, Tarpon Springs, the East Coast) and even to Arizona, the Jays have remained.
Fast forward 40 years to 2017 and although the Jays’ home ballpark, now called Auto Exchange Stadium, has undergone several improvements since the rickety wooden stands of that initial spring, it is still one of the dinosaurs of spring training. But there’s a younger fan base now that is looking to combine spring training and spring break. It’s now more than just baseball.
As an annual public service, here is a Day 1 spring training suggestion of how to mix baseball and everything else that the Clearwater/Dunedin area has to offer.
Blue Jays Baseball
The first Grapefruit League home contest for the Jays will be on Feb. 26 vs. the Phillies. For the first 10 days, prior to the start of games, the place for fans to be is the Mattick Complex, home of the minor-leagues teams, about four kilometres from the main ballpark. Things get going around 10 a.m.
The facility can be accessed from the south by driving north on Belcher, north of Main Street, and turning left at Solon, or else north on Keene and right at Solon. Parking is varied and free, while the four accessible diamonds are the closest fans will get to the players all spring as they jog between scheduled workouts.
Game Days
The total experience of a Jays game day in spring training involves more than just three hours of baseball. A must-include is the quaint little main street in downtown Dunedin lined with restaurants and stores, intersected by the Pinellas Trail. If you get there early enough before the one o’clock start, park in one of the lots north of Main Street, explore if you have time, then walk down the Trail or down Douglas to Florida Auto Exchange and have a late breakfast at the Home Plate Restaurant across the street from the main gate.
On game days, the players wander in from the clubhouse in the right-field corner and those not playing sometimes have time to sign an autograph for fans leaning over the low fence. After the starters play their three to five innings, with two to three at-bats, they gather their equipment and walk back to the clubhouse. Even the stars will stop and sign. Many fans camp put there all day.
After the game, head back to town and stop in at the Chic-a-Boom Room attached to Kelly’s. There are plenty of places to eat, including Flanagan’s, Sea-Sea Riders and Bon Appetit, with an outdoor deck right on the bay.
Other Must-See Stadiums
On days that the Jays are on the road, check out the Phillies’ ballpark in Clearwater and the Yankees across the causeway in Tampa. The Phillies built a modern classic park just off of Highway 19, just north of Gulf to Bay. The best seats include the grassy hill in centre field, a standing spot just above the two bullpens in left field where you can almost reach out and touch the players, and the thatched Tiki Hut in left field sponsored by Frenchy’s. That’s especially appealing during March Madness when TVs are tuned to the NCAA tournament.
If one were going to imagine a New York Yankees spring stadium, this would be it. It’s a gaudy tribute to Yankee Legends of the past outside the park leading to a huge souvenir store where you can buy anything Yankee. Neverthless, it’s a must-see with many of those Yankee living legends in uniform. The fan parking lot is across the street next to the Buccaneers stadium. When walking across the pedestrian bridge, you’ll be right above the Yankee bullpen that remains busy all morning.
Non-Baseball Outings
Take a drive across the causeway to Clearwater Beach and head north. There is a sublime stretch of Clearwater Beach with plenty of parking between two restaurants — Frenchy’s and the Palm Pavilion.
How about an afternoon at Tampa Bay Downs, betting the ponies at one of the classic old-school thoroughbred tracks in America? Racing takes place Wednesday through Sunday afternoons. Then there’s a day trip for lunch at the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs, about 30 minutes north of Dunedin.
On the old Alt-19 stretch of highway, from Clearwater heading north, there are places to rent jet-skis, all-day fishing tours, plus six-hour gambling cruises out of Port Richey. In Tampa, there are Lightning games, a great Aquarium and Ybor City, with its Cuban flavour. There is something for fans of all ages and interests.
Sometimes it seems difficult for players to focus on baseball. One thing that has changed since 1977 is that with all the money available and with many players owning homes in the area, the chances of encountering the guys away from the ballpark has diminished greatly. Enjoy.
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