Earlier this month we spent 10 days focusing on the St. Louis Cardinals spring training camp in Jupiter, Florida. This year we were there too early to attend any of the Grapefruit League games, but we enjoyed just watching our team on the baseball fields behind
Roger Dean Stadium. Six were in use by the St. Louis Cardinals, and the ones with most of the players were a long walk away. When rain and wind didn't close things down, we spent most of our time on the stadium fields although we had a condo on the beach at Singer Island. Lunch at Mugg's right across from the stadium was a special treat. As I've probably mentioned before, I love sports bars and look for them wherever we go. I don't know many sports bars like Mugg's that provide scenic views as well as sounds from the nearby stadium.
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| Fans Waiting - MM Sikes photo |
Some days I joined in the line of people by the entrance gate to the parking lot where Cardinals players and other personnel park. Rain or shine, fans were always waiting there, controlled by stadium aides dressed in orange flowered shirts. Everyone hopes a player will stop his car on the way out and sign autographs. Some do, but most don't.
Most evenings, we dined at the Islander restaurant at the Palm Beach Shores Resort on Singer Island where the lobster dinner each week is a featured treat. We feasted on 1 1/2 pound lobsters shipped from Maine earlier in the day.
Since I'm such a baseball fanatic, as my mother called me, I wonder why I have never written a baseball book or story. Perhaps if I did, traveling to baseball camp wouldn't be as much fun.
Are any of you sports fans? I'd love to hear about your experiences.
4 comments:
I don't remember the name of the player except for "Don." This pitcher came to the Milwaukee Brewers from LA the same year they went up against your Cardinals in the World Series. I think it was 1982.
Anyway, Don had been featured in a Nature magazine story, and his photo graced the cover. I had lent the magazine to a friend of mine to read at lunch. While he was out, he saw Don on the street, commented on the magazine article and Don offered to sign it. Imagine my surprise when my friend returned my now signed magazine@
What a great story! Was it Don Drysdale? I wasn't following baseball closely then.
Thanks for commenting!
I admire your enthusiasm. No, I'm not a fan, but know quite a few, a major league ball player, Eric Kratz, goes to our church. His wife grew up with my daughter. He plays with the Phillies. He's a catcher.
That's pretty neat to know a player. But I'm not a Phillies fan.
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