Major-league baseball fans can watch the Florida Marlins in Miami and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St. Petersburg throughout their seasons from April through September, but the entire state is a baseball hotbed from late February through March, when many other teams tune up for the regular season with "Grapefruit League" exhibition games.
Most of Florida's spring-training stadiums are relatively small, so fans can see their favorite players up close, maybe even get a handshake or an autograph. Also, tickets are priced from $5 to $12, a bargain when compared with admission for regular-season games. Many games sell out by early March, so don't wait until you're in Florida to buy tickets.
The teams can move from year to year, so contact the Florida Sports Foundation, 2390 Kerry Forest Pkwy., Suite 101, Tallahassee, FL 32309 (tel. 850/488-8347; fax 850/922-0482; www.flasports.com), which usually posts the Grapefruit League schedules on its Web site late in January. The main office of Major League Baseball, 350 Park Ave., New York, NY 10022 (tel. 212/339-7800; www.mlb.com), is another place to find out where your favorite teams will be playing.
Here's where they played in 2003:
- Atlanta Braves, Lake Buena Vista, near Orlando (tel. 407/939-GAME; www.braves.mlb.com)
- Baltimore Orioles, Fort Lauderdale (tel. 954/776-1921; www.orioles.mlb.com)
- Boston Red Sox, Fort Myers (tel. 877/733-7699; www.redsox.mlb.com)
- Cincinnati Reds, Sarasota (tel. 941/954-4464; www.reds.mlb.com)
- Cleveland Indians, Winter Haven (tel. 863/293-3900; www.indians.mlb.com)
- Detroit Tigers, Lakeland (tel. 813/287-8844 or 407/839-3900; www.tigers.mlb.com)
- Florida Marlins, Jupiter (tel. 305/930-HITS; www.marlins.mlb.com)
- Houston Astros, Kissimmee, near Orlando (tel. 407/933-2520; www.astros.mlb.com)
- Kansas City Royals, Davenport (tel. 868/424-2500; www.royals.mlb.com)
- Los Angeles Dodgers, Vero Beach (tel. 772/569-4900; www.dodgers.mlb.com)
- Minnesota Twins, Fort Myers (tel. 800/338-9467; www.twins.mlb.com)
- Montreal Expos, Jupiter (tel. 561/775-1818; www.expos.mlb.com)
- New York Mets, Port St. Lucie (tel. 561/871-2115; www.mets.mlb.com)
- New York Yankees, Tampa (tel. 813/879-2244; www.yankees.mlb.com)
- Philadelphia Phillies, Clearwater (tel. 727/442-8496; www.phillies.mlb.com)
- Pittsburgh Pirates, Bradenton (tel. 941/748-4610; www.pirates.mlb.com)
- St. Louis Cardinals, Jupiter (tel. 561/775-1818, ext. 7; www.cardinals.mlb.com)
- Tampa Bay Devil Rays, St. Petersburg (tel. 888/FAN-RAYS or 727/825-3250; www.devilrays.mlb.com)
- Texas Rangers, Port Charlotte (tel. 941/625-9500; www.rangers.mlb.com)
- Toronto Blue Jays, Dunedin (tel. 800/707-8269 or 813/733-0429; www.bluejays.mlb.com).
Other Options in Another State
If Florida doesn't fit the bill, you have a second choice in the "Cactus-League," which holds spring training camps out west in Arizona. Teams stepping up to the plate include the Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks and 2002 World Series Champs Anaheim Angels. For more information, go to www.cactus-league.com, where you'll find a full roster of teams, schedules and even recommended accommodations listings. Additionally, Southwest Vacations is offering an ongoing variety of two- and three-day packages, including air, hotel and rental cars to the Phoenix area. For details, go to www.swavacations.com.
Package Tours for Mature Travelers -- The venerable Elderhostel (tel. 1-877-426-8056; www.elderhostel.org) has six tours each to both Florida and Arizona in February and March costing between $600-$700. You get admission to three games, your accommodations and classes taught by some of the greats of the game. As the name indicates, Elderhostel caters to travelers 55 and older.