SPRING TRAINING "2008"
DAVID'S ANNUAL SPRING TRAINING GUIDE
Baseball, Beaches and Golf; Sunshine, Seafood and More
A Guide for the Phillies Phan's 2008 Spring Training Trip
By David R. Kahn

INTRODUCTION

Do you hear the siren call of Baseball in February? Have you secretly longed to travel south 
for Spring Training? I heard it as a youngster, and first succumbed thirty-one years ago.

Many changes have taken place in the last three decades, from the new parks that make it harder 
to mingle with the players, to the ever-increasing traffic, to bigger crowds at the games and 
more difficulty in obtaining tickets to sit where you want.

But do not be discouraged; I believe this is the best time of the year to watch baseball. It's 
a wonderful experience to shed winter at the end of February and see the green grass of the 
baseball field, hear the sounds of leather cracking, bat on ball, whistles and the other shrill 
sounds of players working out. It's a relaxed atmosphere, even for the veterans struggling to 
stay in the show, and the rookies vying for a place to play.

2008 is the fifth year the Phillies will play in their lovely new park, the horribly-named 
Bright House Networks Field, located next to the Carpenter Complex (minor-league training 
center) at Drew St. and Old Coachman Road, directly west of Route 19, just north of Route 60 - 
Gulf-to-Bay Blvd.

Spring Training is much more than going to the games. This guide covers how to obtain tickets, 
get around the area, places to stay, quality places to eat, from reasonable to ultra expensive, 
minor league training camp visits, and other activities for rainy days or when the team is 
playing farther away than you want to drive. A new feature this year is my son Michael's guide 
to golf courses in the area.

What follows is culled from our own personal experiences. I have used other resources to verify 
the names, addresses, phone numbers and rates of some of the establishments mentioned. This is 
only a partial listing. I suggest you check one or more of the guidebooks available. Note the 
web page links throughout the guide.

Two basic sources of information on the web, with team locations, directions to parks, ticket 
info and a sprinkling of other helpful things are: Spring Training Yearbook Online and Spring 
Training Online.

My wife loves baseball, but I know her willingness to go to as many parks and fields, and see 
as much baseball as we have crammed into all too few days is a mark of her love for me, not 
just the Game itself. I thank her, my sons and their wives, for their participation and 
understanding of what this is all about.

THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU GO

Airline tickets: Check Orbitz or Expedia for best buys from traditional airlines. US Airways 
has the most direct and non-stop flights between Philadelphia and Tampa. Try Southwest 
Airlines, USA3000, or AirTran for discount fares (though in the spring, there's not much of a 
discount). 

Buy your game tickets in advance: With parks seating between 6500 and 10,000, there are almost 
no bad seats. Be careful when you order. If you're calling Ticketmaster or tickets.com they 
can't always tell you where the location of the seats are, but you can find a seating diagram 
on their respective web sites.

If you tell Ticketmaster what section(s) you're interested in, they should be able to help you, 
rather than just selling you whatever pops up on their computer screen.

If staying out of the sun is important to you, you generally do not want to ask for "the best 
location" available. Make your sun or shade preferences known. Usually "reserved" seats instead 
of "box" seats will do the trick if you don't want to burn. Typical park orientation means that 
between home and 1st base, high up (not really very high) is the shadiest area.

The Phillies individual game tickets are on sale now. The phone number is 727-442-8496. The 
Phillies play the following teams within a reasonable driving distance (from Bright House 
Networks Field). Your travel time may vary depending on where you stay. All starting times are 
1:05 PM unless otherwise indicated.  To see the schedule go to the Phillies Spring Training 
web page. 

HOME GAMES: Bright House Networks Field
Tuesday, February 26 vs. Florida State University 7:05 P.M.
Wednesday, February 27 vs. Reds
Thursday, February 28 vs. Pirates
Saturday, March 1 vs. Yankees
Monday, March 3 vs. Pirates
Thursday,March 6 vs. Rays
Sunday, March 9 vs. Blue Jays
Tuesday, March 11 OFF DAY
Wednesday, March 12, vs. Reds 7:05 P.M.
Friday, March 14 vs. Braves
Saturday, March 15 vs. Twins
Monday, March 17 vs. Indians
Tuesday, March 18 vs. Rays
Thursday, March 20 vs. Pirates
Saturday,  March 22 vs. Tigers
Tuesday, March 25 vs. Reds
Wednesday, March 26 vs. Yankees

AWAY GAMES:
Friday, February 29 and Monday, March 10 vs Pirates @ McKechnie Field, 1611 9th Street West 
(17th Avenue West & 9th Street West) Bradenton, a 1 1/2 hour drive. Call tickets.com at 800-
955-5566. Even though this is a newer park, replacing the last of the old wooden structures 
several years ago, it ranks near the top of my list of favorites. It was built in a style to 
reflect the heritage of the old parks. Lots of shade in the seats behind home plate, but the 
space between rows is quite narrow.

Sunday, March 2 (1:15 P.M.) and Monday, March 24 (7:15 P.M.) vs. Yankees @ Legends Field, 1 
Steinbrenner Drive (Dale Mabry Blvd., across from Raymond James Stadium) Tampa, a 30 minute 
drive. Call Ticketmaster at 813-287-8844. Seating sections run from the first base side to the 
third base side, 101-120, and 201-220.

Tuesday, March 4 vs. Braves @ Champion Stadium, Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, 710 
South Victory Way, Kissimmee. About a 2 1/4 hour drive. Call Ticketmaster at 407-839-3900. 
NOTE: Shade is at a minimum.

Wednesday, March 5  SPLIT SQUAD: GAME 1 vs Blue Jays @ Knology Park, Dunedin 311 Douglas Ave., 
Dunedin, a 10 minute drive. Call 800-707-8269. Seating sections run from the first base side to 
the third base side. The rear rows in the 200 level from 203-209 will have shade. GAME 2 vs 
Tigers @ Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland (see March 27 below for details).

Friday, March 7 and Wednesday, March 19 vs. Rays @ Progress Energy Park, (Al Lang Field), 180 
2nd Ave. SE, at 1st St. South, St. Petersburg, a 30 minute drive. Almost all seats are sun-
splashed, except for the very rear of the grandstand. 2008 will be the last spring training 
season at this venerable location with a view of Tampa Bay, as the Rays are moving their camp 
to Port Charlotte, Florida in 2009. Call Ticketmaster at 727-898-7297.

Saturday, March 8 vs. Indians @ Chain O' Lakes Park, 500 Cletus Allen Rd. (Route 17 at Cypress 
Gardens Blvd.) Winter Haven. A semi-precious jewel of a fifties-era park. About a 1 1/2 hour 
drive. Call Ticketmaster at 866-487-7423.

Thursday, March 13 (7:05 P.M.) and Sunday, March 16 vs. Reds @ Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12th 
Street (12th Street and Tuttle Avenue), Sarasota. Approximately a 1 3/4 hour drive. Call 
tickets.com at 800-955-5566. (Tickets are not on sale until January 26.)

Friday, March 21vs. Twins, @ Hammond Stadium at the Lee County Sports Complex, 4100 Six Miles 
Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers. Call 800-338-9467. NOTE: There are two parks in Fort Myers. This 
one is on a highway leading to beautiful Sanibel and Captiva Islands. The other one, City of 
Palms Park (home of the Red Sox) is in the downtown Fort Myers area. Fort Myers trips are 
probably the longest on the schedule, 2 1/2-3 hours. You might want to stay over and enjoy the 
area - Sanibel Island is known for the great shells on its beaches; they also have a museum 
with an outstanding, beautiful shell collection. Check out The Green Flash on Captiva Island 
(connected to Sanibel by a short bridge) for dinner. Fort Myers Beach is a lovely area, too.

Sunday, March 23 vs Blue Jays @ Knology Park, Dunedin 311 Douglas Ave., Dunedin, a 10 minute 
drive. Call 800-707-8269. Seating sections run from the first base side to the third base side. 
The rear rows in the 200 level from 203-209 will have shade.

Thursday, March 27 vs. Tigers @ Joker Marchant Stadium, Al Kaline Dr., 2301 Lake Hills Blvd., 
Lakeland, a 2 hour drive. Call Ticketmaster at 813-287-8844. A nice older ballpark.

And make hotel/motel reservations, too. See below for some ideas.

SETTING PRIORITIES FOR WHERE TO STAY

Decide if you want to stay on the beach, or nearer to the stadium. Traffic can be heavy and you 
could have long trips to and from the ballpark, even for home games, depending on where you 
stay. There are, of course, all price ranges available in the area. Staying right on Clearwater 
Beach may be noisy and crowded with college students on spring break. The beaches immediately 
south are quieter, and offer mainland access that is usually less crowded than the Clearwater 
Causeway. There are numerous small motels along this strip, and a few major brand name hotels 
as well, including Raddison Suites, and Sheraton on Sand Key, Holiday Inn in Indian Rocks 
Beach, Doubletree in North Redington Beach. Further south, there are many hotels and motels 
stretching all the way to St. Pete Beach. A very convenient location is the Rocky Point area, 
not far from Tampa International Airport, on Route 60-Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. George Steinbrenner's 
Radisson Bay Harbor Hotel, a Holiday Inn Express (my son's favorite these days), a Hampton Inn 
and others. Also at Rocky Point are a couple of high rise hotels, including the Grand Hyatt and 
a Doubletree.

In Dunedin, which is a neat place to stay if you don't want a beach, try the Best Western Yacht 
Harbor Inn - 727-733-4121. You may have a water or marina view here. A newer hotel around the 
corner is a Holiday Inn Express - 727-450-1200. A few blocks south on Alternate Route 19 is a 
new Comfort Suites. Dunedin has a lovely little main street with several good places to eat. It 
is within walking distance of the Blue Jays ballpark, and offers easy access to the Pinellas 
Trail, which is wonderful for walking, jogging, or cycling. Should you want to go see the ruins 
of demolished Jack Russell Stadium for some nostalgia, it is only five minutes from Dunedin by 
car.

GETTING WHERE YOU WANT TO GO IN FLORIDA TRAFFIC

Orienting yourself to the roads in the area with a map is helpful. If you can, do this before 
you go. The Clearwater-Largo-St.-Pete area (Pinellas County) is basically laid out in a grid.

The main east-west road into Clearwater and Clearwater Beach is Route 60 - Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. 
This is the road you'll hook up with coming out of Tampa International. If you're staying on a 
beach between Sand Key and St. Pete Beach, you'll want to take I-275 from the airport and the 
long causeway, then connect with the appropriate 600 series road going west to the beaches. The 
main north-south routes from Tarpon Springs to the St. Pete area are Route 19, Alternate 19, 
and Interstate 275, the road you want to connect with if you are going to St. Pete, Bradenton, 
Sarasota and other points south.

EATING SOMEWHERE BESIDES THE BALLPARK

Remember those player's wives and youngsters you saw at the park? You're as likely as not to 
see them at one of the restaurants listed alphabetically below. There are many other wonderful 
places listed on the web at: Zagats guide.

You'll also find the usual chains and fast food joints, but I've been to all the ones listed 
below (unless noted), most more than once, and some (starred) I try to get to every trip, if I 
have enough evenings available. Should you follow up on an overnight stay in the Fort Myers 
area, I recommend a restaurant on Sanibel/Captiva called The Green Flash. There are also at 
least two fine breakfast places on Sanibel.

Clearwater-St. Pete area (Pinellas County)

*Island Way Grill - 727-461- 6617 - 20 Island Way - Located off the Causeway to Clearwater 
Beach, in Island Way Estates. It's a Pan-Asian seafood place. Flashy and expensive. Highly 
recommended by sportswriters in a 2003 article.

*Blue Heron - 727-789-5176 - 3285 Tampa Rd., Palm Harbor - Fine cuisine in an out-of-the-way 
strip shopping center east of Route 19, north of Clearwater. Long-time Phillies fans Pat and 
Dave Hildebrand let me in on this one.

*Bob Heilman's Beachcomber - 727-442-4144 - 447 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach - A traditional 
eating and drinking hangout for the Phillies' brass on Clearwater Beach - steaks, chops, famous 
chicken - reservations suggested.

*Bobby's Bistro and Winebar - 727-446-9463 - 447 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach - Behind Bob 
Heilman's Beachcomber with the same ownership - no reservations, fine food and wine.

*Capogna's Dugout - 727-441-4791 - 1650 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd., Clearwater - Decent pizza and other 
casual food, with a baseball theme. Autographed memorabilia on the walls. Great for the kids.

*Domenic's Capri - 727-441-1111 - 411 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach - Bill Giles once said 
this was his favorite Italian restaurant in Clearwater Beach, and in this instance, his opinion 
has value. Excellently prepared traditional Southern Italian dishes and a fine wine list.

*Frenchy's - 5 locations in Clearwater Beach - one of Bill Conlin's favorites - they're all very 
noisy - my favorite is "Rockaway Grill" 727-446-4844 - 7 Rockaway St. (at Mandalay Ave.) - it's 
the only one on the beach side of Mandalay Ave. - the main drag north of the causeway.

*Guppy's on the Beach - 727-593-2032 - 1701 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach - A great casual 
place to eat fresh fish outdoors on the barrier island - no reservations. Recently renovated.

*Keegan's Seafood Grille - 727-596-2477 - 1519 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach -A casual place, 
kid-friendly, for seafood. 

*Kelly's For Just About Anything - 727-736-5284 - 319 Main St., Dunedin - one of my favorites 
for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Really a funky place that transforms for the dinner hour into 
something a little nicer. They have a patio, recently enlarged and covered (not as intimate as 
it used to be) in the rear.

*Lenny's - 21220 US 19 N, Clearwater - The famous deli-restaurant near Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. (Route 
60) and the Phillies complex. Good for breakfast or lunch. You might see a ballplayer or two 
very early in the morning. You must approach from the North and watch for the right-hand exit 
areas immediately after crossing Drew Street. Lenny's is within walking distance of the 
ballpark.

*The Lobster Pot - 727-391-8592 - 17814 Gulf Blvd., Redington Shores - Elegant old-time seafood 
place.

*Salt Rock Grill - 727-593-7625 - 19325 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores - A similar experience to 
Guppys, but slightly more upscale, with steaks and chops as well as seafood.

*The Wine Cellar - 727-393-3491 - 17307 Gulf Blvd., North Redington Beach - A high end beach 
area restaurant.

*Mystic Fish - 3253 Tampa Rd., Palm Harbor - A sister restaurant to Guppy's, this place in the 
same strip shopping center as Blue Heron is a busy, casual place that serves upscale food, from 
fish to poultry to beef.

Tampa Area (Hillsborough County)

*Bern's Steak House - 813-251-2421- 1208 S. Howard Ave., Tampa - World famous and extremely 
expensive, our family's favorite steak house in the USA, with a wonderful wine list and dessert 
menu. Reservations are required.

Columbia - 813-248-4961 - 2117 East 7th Ave., Tampa - A famous Cuban restaurant.

*St. Barts House - 813-254-4387 - 1502 S. Howard Ave., Tampa - Formerly a French bistro with 
fine food, this is now a fine seafood and tapas place, just south of Bern's.

*Sideberns - 813-258-2233 - 2208 W. Morrison Ave. (at S. Howard Ave.), Tampa - A lovely 
restaurant, a couple of blocks north of Berns, and owned by the same family, but the similarity 
ends with the fabulous wines. Sideberns has a  fine wine store on the premises, but it closes 
before the typical dinner hour.

During the past twenty years, South Howard Street has evolved from a depressed-looking area 
into an upscale restaurant row. There are several other fun and fine dining spots here.

GETTING THE MOST ENJOYMENT WHEN GOING TO THE GAMES

Until the advent of new, larger stadiums, access to the players was easy. They often had to 
walk through the stands to get to the clubhouse, if there was one. Now, access is much more 
restricted. There is a more commercial feel to the games. But if you arrive early, and go down 
the lines to the outfield areas, many will talk with you and sign autographs. You can see the 
"family" sections near the dugouts with many wives and youngsters in attendance. Also, 
management and scouts are often accessible in these small parks. A little politeness goes a 
long way with them. These conversations can be entertaining and informative. Souvenirs are for 
sale as at any park, but sometimes there are unusual and interesting things available. At 
Bright House you may find game-worn jerseys, cracked bats, and other memorabilia. You might see 
Robin Roberts autographing his book behind home plate. It's not unusual to find a Hall-of-Famer 
or two in the stands taking in the game. Most of all, you can sit back and relax and enjoy 
baseball in a relaxed, warm atmosphere while your friends back home are still shivering in the 
cold. Already a tradition at Bright House is the Tiki Bar in left field staying open for a 
couple hours after the game. Players have been known to stop by after finishing their post-game 
work.

SECRETS FOR ENJOYING MINOR LEAGUE CAMP

Minor-league camp officially opens early in March. Games will start about a week later. See the 
St. Petersburg Times for listings of minor league games and their locations. Or you can see the 
schedule at the complex on a daily basis. Typically, the Phillies send two teams to another 
team's camp, and host two teams from that organization. Games are in the afternoon. You can 
watch the morning workouts ever day at the Carpenter Complex, Drew St. and Old Coachman Road, 
at 10 A.M.

You may also see an occasional major-league "B" game at the complex or at Bright House. These
usually start at 10 A.M.

GOLF AND YOUR SPRING TRAINING VACATION-MICHAEL KAHN'S GUIDE 

The Tampa/Clearwater area makes it easy to fit some golf into your spring training vacation. 
There are golf opportunities ranging from simple parkland layouts, good for knocking off the 
rust after a northern winter, to upscale and challenging resort layouts.

Clearwater proper is largely built up, and public golf courses are not plentiful. The closest 
course to Bright House Networks Field is Clearwater Country Club, 525 N. Betty Lane in 
Clearwater, about 8 minutes from the ballpark. There is a driving range and putting/chipping 
green; however, the course is old, very tight, and not upscale, and the practice facilities 
seem to be an afterthought. Serious golfers will want to play and practice elsewhere.

Our golf home in the area is Rocky Point Golf Course, 4151 Dana Shores Blvd., in Tampa, right 
near the Campbell Causeway (Route 60). Expect to drive about 25 minutes to the ballpark. This 
course is well run by the Tampa Sports Authority. The driving range is nicely maintained, and 
the practice green is large and runs true. The course is well maintained, although neither long 
nor challenging, and a bargain for the area. This is the best opportunity to combine a full 
spring training itinerary with a golf vacation, while trying to rediscover your swing after a 
winter layoff. My wife Jennifer (also a golfer) and I accomplish this by staying at the Holiday 
Inn Express at Rocky Point, right at the beginning of the causeway, 5 minutes from the course 
and 20 minutes from the ballpark. If you get going by 9 A.M. you can hit a bucket of balls and 
some putts, eat brunch at Lenny's, and arrive in your seat just in time for the Phils' first 
pitch at 1 P.M. We consider this our default daily itinerary when the Phils play at home. Skip 
the brunch and you could play 9 or even 18 holes, depending on how early you get moving. 

When the Phillies are on the road and you're not following them, or you just need a day off 
from baseball, there are some excellent "destination" golf courses to consider.  Also, 
Teeofftampabay.com is a terrific web site run by Tampa's local PGA professionals. It offers 
last-minute tee times at bargain-basement prices. We've had great success booking golf this 
way, and now rely on it once we get to Tampa, instead of making tee times way in advance and 
paying peak rates. Recommended courses available through this site (besides Rocky Point Golf 
Club) include:

The Eagles Golf Club, in Odessa, is a 36-hole public layout about 25 minutes from Rocky Point.

Bloomingdale Golf Club, in Valrico, is a healthy ride (at least 45 minutes from Rocky Point, 
expect the return trip to take longer because you may hit Tampa rush hour), but well worth it 
if you come across a bargain. The course is immaculate, and the practice facilities are top 
notch.

Other local upscale golf resorts include Innisbrook (once home to a PGA event) and the 
Beleview Biltmore (a Donald Ross design). Expect to pay top dollar to play these layouts.

Finally, the I-75 corridor south near Bradenton and Sarasota contains some well-regarded 
courses. We never miss Legacy Golf Club east of I-75, just past Bradenton. It's a wide-open, 
outstanding Arnold Palmer design with great scenery and terrific facilities.

Happy golfing!

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE TO DO IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA?

Rainy days, the one off day or days when you don't want to follow the team 3 hours south:

Salvador Dali Museum, other museums, Ybor City (in Tampa -- the old Cuban section -- learn all 
about making good cigars and enjoy some Cuban food), movies (at Countryside Mall, Largo, and 
other locations -- see the St. Petersburg Times for specific info). In St. Pete, go to the 
pier.

Walt Disney World is two hours east; perhaps a visit can be tied in with a Braves game.

Beaches of course--Honeymoon Island, Clearwater Beach, Sand Key Park Golf and Tennis.

Other activities include Busch Gardens, and the Pinellas County Trail. This trail runs north-
south the length of Pinellas County from Tarpon Springs all the way to St. Pete. It's ideal for 
biking, running, or long walks. There is likely to be a section near wherever you stay.

Take a short trip north to Tarpon Springs-the Greek sponge-diving community, a great place to 
buy the finest sponges in the world and eat Greek-style seafood in one of the many restaurants 
along the dock area.

Visit Safety Harbor or Dunedin, communities with an old village feel and a Main Street on which 
to stroll, shop and eat.

There is a wonderful performance hall, Ruth Eckerd Hall, in Clearwater. There are big and small 
name shows on almost a nightly basis. Call the box office for more info at: 727-791-7400. In 
Tampa you'll also find a major venue, The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Their box office 
phone is 813-229-7827.

Have a great trip -- you'll be glad you're at Bright House when at the start of the game they 
announce the current temperatures in Philly and Clearwater.

Enjoy!