We
left for our first game at the Toronto Blue Jays field (Florida Auto Exchange
Stadium) around 11:00 am. The park, the
atmosphere, and the overall experience are much different from the Phillies
complex at Brighthouse Field.
The
park is only a few blocks from downtown Dunedin, a nice small town just north
of Clearwater. The town is a retiree
haven right on the beach with an attractive downtown area including shops, restaurants,
and a park in the city square in the center of town. Parking for the game is essentially entrepreneurial,
with virtually every location along the street to the park offering parking. One place was also offering a free beer if
you parked there.
After
entering the park and looking around a little, we had lunch at the Canadian
Grill, a picnic tent sort of food area inside the park. The food was typical ballpark fare and nothing
particularly exciting.
The
park is much smaller than Brighthouse Field and a lot older. The seats and rows are closer together, fairly
uncomfortable and hard to get in and out of.
Nevertheless, the game was good (the Phillies won), the weather was
pleasant, and the crowd was friendly. We
sat near a lot of Blue Jay fans (mostly Canadians) but there were also a lot of
Phillies fans in attendance who appeared to be on their best behavior. It was a good Spring Training baseball
experience and we look forward to the two other Phillies games there later in
the month.
We
go back to Brighthouse Field tomorrow to watch the Phillies play the Houston Astros.
Day 33 Pictures
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