Florida Spring Training 2017 - Day 59

We had good news/bad news at the baseball game today.  The Phillies played what will be their opening day roster against mostly regular NY Yankees.  The good news was that it was a perfect day for baseball - temperature in the low 80's, sunny, little humidity and no wind.  The bad news was the Phillies lost 14-1.  The starting pitcher didn't make it out of the 1st inning with the Yankees scoring 9 runs before the Phillies even came to bat.  It was all downhill from there with a host of minor league pitchers who were not scheduled to pitch today giving up another 5 runs on the way to a lopsided defeat.  With only one more spring training game to go, it was not a great way to get ready for opening day next Monday.

My sister Eileen and two of her friends (all Yankee fans) joined us for the game.  They were happy with the outcome.  We all went out to dinner at Olive Garden after the game and had an excellent meal.

The Phillies play the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow, then get on a chartered plane for Cincinnati right after the game.  The first game of a long (162 game) season begins on Monday and we will see what happens.  They won 71 games last year and, on paper, they appear to be an improved team this year.  My observations in spring training are that their starting pitchers were not overly impressive, the relief pitchers were pretty good, hitting looks marginally better and defense about average.  As the eternal optimist and loyal fan, I am cautiously predicting 75 wins this year, however I would not run out and place any bets that they will do so.  They may even do better if everything comes together.  If not, there are a lot of good looking young players in the minors almost ready to move up.  The future looks bright but the team is not there yet.

There aren't many other baseball pictures that haven't already been taken this spring, but here a few more as things wind down.

Day 59  Pictures 

Florida Spring Training Trip - Day 29

We did a final load of laundry this morning, shipped some things home and drove over to Tampa to meet Eileen, her friends Linda and Karen, and Eileen's daughter Ali, her husband Dan and their two children, Kessler and Delancy.  Also there was Eileen's other daughter Ang and her friend "Z", a hockey buddy from Ocean City.

They drove over from Orlando where they are staying  to get together with us for a pre-game dinner and the Yankees - Phillies game at George Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees' spring training park in Tampa.  They are staying in Tampa until Wednesday to visit the Aquarium there before heading back to Orlando,where they will stay until Saturday.

We met everyone at the hotel where they were staying near the ball park then had dinner at Leroy Selmon's Restaurant nearby.  The restaurant has a southern BBQ and comfort food emphasis along with a sports bar motif highlighting the career of Leroy Selmon, a famous Tampa Bay Bucaneer football player.

We got to the park just before the game started.  The park is nice but not as nice as Bright House Field, where the Phillies play.  The weather was "brisk" - clear, but temperature in the 50's at game time with a fair amount of wind.  We were mostly sheltered from the wind but it was still cool.

The game was a good one for the Phillies - they beat the Yankees 6-0.  Eileen and Linda are Yankees fans but their kids are big Phillies fans.  After a long ride back to the condo we finally got to bed after midnight.  It was a busy day but it was great to see Eileen and her family and to watch the Phillies win for a change.


 Day 29 Pictures 

Florida Spring Training Trip - Day 17

Back to baseball today.  It was sunny, cool, and breezy, so we dressed accordingly.  Our seats on the second level are in an area open both to the parking lot and the field - sort of a wind tunnel effect if the wind is blowing in either of those directions.  The high temperature at the park today was 61 degrees and the wind was probably at least 10-15 mph.  It was fairly warm in the sun but it was pretty cold in our seats.  Nevertheless, we stayed to the end and watched the Phillies win their second game in a row.  They played the Yankees today and won 6-2.   The Phillies break camp in two weeks so it is time for the players to get serious about making the team and getting ready for the season.  With a new manager and coaching staff, veteran players who many say are overpaid and underachieving, new players trying to do well, and a not-so-great spring training record so far, it is going to be an interesting season.

Dinner was in the condo tonight and an early-to-bed is imminent.  The next game is on Sunday so we have two more days to do other things.  It may still be a little cool for the beach so we probably be doing more sightseeing.  We'll decide what to do tomorrow in the morning.

Here a few pictures from the game today:

Day 17 Pictures

Florida Spring Training Trip - Day 10

As forecasted, it rained today.  When we woke up this morning it was overcast and raining. Judy woke up this morning not feeling very good - lots of congestion, coughing and a sore throat, so we found an urgent care center in Clearwater and went there to get her checked out. Sure enough, a real doctor at the center diagnosed a sinus infection and prescribed antibiotics. After getting the medication at CVS/Pharmacy, we decided to go to Lenny's again, this time for lunch.  As was our breakfast, the lunch was excellent, real Philadelphia food.

As the day progressed, the weather got worse. The rain was really coming down and the area was under a tornado warning.  We didn't consider the game today could be played under these conditions and were not planning to attend anyway since Judy was sick.  However, the weather began to clear after lunch as we were on the way back to the hotel.  After arriving, I called the park and discovered the game had only been delayed and was scheduled to start at 2:30 pm. Judy was feeling pretty good, so I decided to drive back to the park while Judy rested at the hotel.  I arrived there in the bottom of the 2nd inning and conditions were actually O.K. by then - 70 degrees and partly cloudy.  The Phillies were playing the Yankees and played pretty well (3 home runs) and had the lead until 2nd string pitchers blew the lead in the 7th and 8th innings and ending up losing 4-3.

We are moving from the hotel to the condo in Dunedin tomorrow.  We have had a good time here but are looking forward to the next phase of the adventure.

Day 10 Pictures