Grapefruit Getaway

Baseball's "Spring Break" on a Shoestring Sports travel is quickly becoming a booming industry that attracts fans who want to combine vacation fun with the experience of being with their favorite team away from home. According to the Travel Industry Association of America, 75.3 million U.S. adults attended an organized sports event while on a trip or vacation during the past five years. Of these fans, 33.7 million traveled to a baseball-related venue.

During the months of February and March, 15 major league baseball teams head to Florida to train. Grapefruit League games permit fans greater access to the players than during the regular season. For the casual fan, going to Spring Training is a once-in-a-lifetime dream. As an avid baseball fan, I have taken the trip to "Meet the Mets" in Port St. Lucie, Florida twice. Regardless of which Florida coast you travel to, no less than three teams have training camps within a two-hour ride of most destinations. In today's economy, it is especially important to keep expenses to a minimum. The dream of going to Spring Training is not expensive if you schedule and plan the trip yourself.

Making your Plans As soon as the ball drops on New Year's Eve, it is time to start planning your Spring getaway. Looking out of my window at the freshly fallen snow, I remember the words of the baseball immortal, Rogers Hornsby: "People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do, I stare out the window and wait for spring." Whatever your team did the previous season, even if they finished dead-last, Spring Training holds the promise of once again starting afresh. Every team starts with a clean record, and the true baseball fan is free to dream of a potential pennant and world championship.

The first thing to do is to nail down the dates you plan to go. Basically, a three night Florida stay will assure the opportunity of seeing one or two exhibition games during your visit. Most major league teams post the Grapefruit League schedule on their web site by the first of January. If you are an avid fan of the team, it is a must to visit their home facilities and attend at least one home game. Purchasing game tickets via the team's web site is ideal, and good seats in the stands behind home plate can cost as little as $10. When you get the dates, it will be easy to proceed with both your travel and lodging plans.

As a diehard Mets fan, it's easier for me to fly down and rent a car. Traveling from Northern New Jersey via Newark Liberty Airport, there are many direct flights to West Palm Beach, Florida, which is less than 50 miles from the Port St. Lucie area. During March 2016, flying out of Newark, NJ on a Tuesday morning and returning on Friday afternoon will cost only $260/person roundtrip on United. Renting a car at the airport is fast, and will put you on the road to Port St. Lucie in less than an hour. At Alamo, a three-day car rental will usually cost less than $50/day for an economy vehicle, as long as you get the car back to the airport within 72 hours.

If you are traveling with your family, it's even more economical. Most prepackaged tours that are offered on the internet tend to be pricey, as they reserve accomodations at high-end hotels close to a team's training facility and charge per person. By finding budget accomodations in a nearby town, it is possible to find lodging at a fraction of the cost. For example, I stay at a Days Inn located in Fort Pierce, which is only a 15 minute drive from Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie. For only $79 per night/room, you get an excellent outdoor pool and continental breakfast included. There are also plenty of great low-cost restaurants on the way to or from the ballpark, as well as lots of recreational sites along the Atlantic coastal waterways.

Soaking in the Fun Part of the benefit of Spring Training is that you can enjoy the glorious Florida weather; after all, it is the Sunshine State. Shedding winter coats and donning your team's jersey and cap while wearing summer shorts and other light clothing is liberating. For a few days, you can relax and luxuriate in the warmer climes of Florida. Dive into your hotel's pool and get that killer tan to show off to your northern neighbors on your return. After spending an evening at liberty, a morning trip to your team's facility is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to go behind the scenes to see how the team trains. Plan on getting there at least four hours before the start of the exhibition game, so you can tour all of the practice fields and watch all levels of ballplayers, from the youngest prospects right up to the familiar faces of major leaguers. Practices occur all morning, and you can get up close and personal with players who aspire to either the major league team, or perhaps one of the minor league franchises. Between drills, it is possible to obtain autographs, especially from the rookies!

About 90 minutes before the game, it's time to enter the ballpark and find your seats. This is when the major leaguers have their batting and fielding practice, and it is also possible to get close to the field and snag an autograph from your favorite players and even have a short chat. Part of the fun of Spring Training is that security is less stringent than during the season and players are much more accessible. Shutterbugs are also able to take pictures with the players. Youngsters will treasure such a photo for the rest of their life, as well as oldsters who are able to see our national pastime through the eyes of children.

After the game, plan on staying in Port St. Lucie and eating at a local eatery. Mets players have been known to frequent Duffy's Sports Grill, for example. Player sightings are numerous, especially long after dark.

Play Ball!

Alfred Voto, M.Msc.