Boys Of Spring Jack Up Economy And Enrich Florida's History

The calendar tells us spring doesn't begin until March 20, but it really arrived last week when baseballs began hitting wooden bats and pounding leather gloves - the real sounds of the season.

It's spring training, a Sunshine State tradition that began in 1888 when the Washington Statesmen worked out in Jacksonville. It heats up Tuesday when the games begin. Preseason games don't count, true, but it's baseball, our national pastime.

And it starts here.

Florida Blooms Baseball In Spring

Florida's aptly named Grapefruit League has 18 major-league teams, including eight within fairly easy driving distance for Tampa Bay-area residents who love the game. They include the storied New York Yankees (Tampa), Detroit Tigers (Lakeland), Philadelphia Phillies (Clearwater), Toronto Blue Jays (Dunedin), Cleveland Indians (Winter Haven), Cincinnati Reds (Sarasota), Pittsburgh Pirates (Bradenton) and our own Tampa Bay Rays (St. Petersburg).

It's not just a time for players to ready themselves in the quest for a World Series championship. Spring training draws scores of local and out-of-state fans who contribute an estimated $450 million a year to Florida's economy, state officials say.

More than 1.7 million people attended spring games last year, a record for the second year in a row. The Yankees led the way with 154,661 loyals.

The play doesn't generate all the excitement, though. Each team brings history and a big-league flavor to settings that make baseball much more intimate and fan friendly than the regular season.

At George M. Steinbrenner Field, formerly Legends Field, in Tampa, fans who have never been to Yankee Stadium can get a feel for the stadium in the Bronx. Steinbrenner Field has the same field dimensions of Yankee Stadium. It even has a Monument Park that salutes former team greats. And this year, a 500-seat, tiered deck, sponsored by this newspaper, opens, giving fans a tremendous view.

Fans of the Toronto Blue Jays, who have trained in Dunedin since the team's birth in 1976, are treated to both the Canadian and U.S. national anthems, plus Labatt beer, a favorite of our northern neighbors.

And history abounds at the Rays' spring home at Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg, named after the one-time mayor who lured the St. Louis Browns to town in 1914. It was the start of the city's 94-year-run as a big-league playground and training camp for some of the game's legends, including the Bambino, Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial and Grover Cleveland Alexander.

Sadly, St. Petersburg's spring-training love affair ends next month when the Rays, the only Major League team to spend spring at home, break camp.

But the team is staying in Florida, only moving a bit south to Port Charlotte for next spring. The change of scenery could create more regular-season anticipation for locals who have gone to Al Lang daily.

Cactus League Poses Competitive Threat

Despite these positives, some still say the Grapefruit League - and Florida as a spring training mecca - is losing its luster. To a small extent that's true, because of a spirited rivalry with Arizona, home of the Cactus League.

About 10 years ago, Florida had 20 teams. Next spring, the number will reduce to 16 when the Dodgers, who have trained in Vero Beach for 60 years, and Indians, whose winter base is in Winter Haven, move to Arizona.

The Reds may leave Sarasota for the Southwest, too, after nearly 90 years in Florida. The team is negotiating with Goodyear, Ariz. If the Reds move, the score would be: Grapefruit League, 15; Cactus League, 15.

But here's the good news. Other Florida-based teams have long-term leases, and our communities and state government embrace the importance of baseball to our economy. Tens of millions of tax dollars have been invested in stadiums, practice fields and other facilities to keep teams in-state. Fiscally responsible investment in spring training should continue.

For example, the Blue Jays, Dunedin and the state teamed to build a $12 million training complex in 2002. And four years ago in Clearwater, the Phillies opened the gates to Bright House Networks Field, a $25 million park funded by the state, Pinellas County, the city and the team. The ballpark is a great place to watch a game, with its patio seating, two-story grandstand and, of course, Philly cheesesteaks.

Baseball - and the cities and towns that host it - have a power hitter in their corner: Gov. Charlie Crist, who once worked as a lawyer for professional baseball, is a resident of St. Petersburg.

Crist recently signaled his love for the game and its importance to the state by reviving the Governor's Baseball Dinner in St. Petersburg after a 15-year lull. The dinner, which will celebrate baseball's history in Florida, will be held Tuesday at Tropicana Field.

It's safe to say the game is in good hands in Florida, despite the competition from Arizona.

And when the Cactus League proves prickly, Florida welcomes a return of our prodigal teams.