Spring training: Great excuse for a short road trip

In Florida, the first signs of spring include longer days, warmer nights and a slow but steady stream of snowbirds headed north.

But the most welcome event for many, by far, is the arrival of spring training.

Over the next several days, 15 Major League Baseball teams will converge on Florida to prepare for the 2012 season.

Three of those teams — the New York Yankees (Tampa), the Philadelphia Phillies (Clearwater) and the Toronto Blue Jays (Dunedin) — hold spring training in the Tampa Bay area. Three other teams are just an hour or so away in Bradenton (Pittsburgh Pirates), Sarasota (Baltimore Orioles) and Lakeland (Detroit Tigers).

The remaining nine teams and their spring training sites are scattered across the state, giving you the perfect excuse for a short vacation to see the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros (Kissimmee); the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins (Fort Myers); the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals (Jupiter); the New York Mets (Port St. Lucie); the Washington Nationals (Viera); or our own Tampa Bay Rays (Port Charlotte).

If baseball is your passion and you've got time to take it on the road for some out-of-town games, here's a quick primer to help you find your way around the Grapefruit League.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Stadium: McKechnie Field, 1611 Ninth St. W. (17th Avenue and Ninth Street West) in Bradenton

Named after Pittsburgh native, Bradenton resident and Hall of Fame manager Bill McKechnie, the stadium was built in 1923 and renovated in 1991-93. The club actually trains at Pirate City, which is five miles from the stadium.

Reporting dates: first workout, Feb. 19; first full workout, Feb. 24

Need a place to stay? Holiday Inn, 100 Riverfront Drive, Bradenton; (941) 747-3727

Notes: McKechnie Field is only 12 miles from the Reds' spring training facility in Sarasota and less than 50 miles from the Yankees' spring home in Tampa. Close by is the South Florida Museum, the Bishop Planetarium and the Parker Manatee Aquarium at 201 10th St. West in Bradenton; best to phone ahead at (941) 746-4131. Also, if you arrive at the stadium early enough, you might want to have some Belgian waffles at Popi's, a popular eating establishment frequented by team officials and announcers before home games.

Restaurant to try: Pier 22, 1200 12th Street W., Bradenton (941) 748-8087

Game tickets: (941) 747-3031

Spring training schedule.

Baltimore Orioles

Stadium: Ed Smith Stadium, 2700 12th Street, Sarasota

The stadium opened in 1989 as spring training home of the Chicago White Sox. When the White Sox moved to Arizona for spring training in 1998, the Cincinnati Reds moved in from Plant City. The stadium was renovated at a cost of $31 million in 2011, and the Orioles moved into the facility in 2010.

Reporting dates: first workout, Feb. 19; first full workout, Feb. 24

Need a place to stay? Homewood Suites, 3470 Fruitville Road, Sarasota; (941) 365-7300

Notes: You might want to drop by the Mote Marine Lab and Aquarium at 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway in Sarasota. Sarasota County also has 35 miles of beaches.

Restaurant to try: Crusty Louie's Pizza, 3800 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; (941) 366-3100

Game tickets: 1-800-745-3000

Spring training schedule.

Detroit Tigers

Stadium: Joker Marchant Stadium, 2301 Lakeland Hills Blvd., Lakeland

Reporting dates: first workout, Feb. 20; first full workout, Feb. 24

Need a place to stay? Lakeland Hotel and Conference Center, 3260 U.S. 98 N., Lakeland. (863) 688-8080

Notes: This will be the Tigers' 76th season in Lakeland, the longest-lasting spring training marriage in baseball. The Tigers began going to Lakeland in 1934. It also will mark the club's 47th consecutive year at Joker Marchant Stadium, which opened in 1966 with 4,900 seats. Renovated several times since, capacity is now 8,000, not counting an estimated 1,000 seats out on the berm. While in Lakeland you might want to visit Hollis (botanical) Garden at 702 E. Orange St. in Lakeland. Also, Gatorland is located between Kissimmee and Orlando at 14501 S. Orange Blossom Road. The 110-acre theme park and wildlife preserve is listed as a special attraction on the Tigers' official website.

Restaurants to try: Harry's Seafood Bar and Grill, 101 N. Kentucky Ave. Lakeland, (863) 686-2228; Texas Cattle Country, 735 E. Main St., Lakeland, (863) 686-1434

Game tickets: 1-866-668-4437

Spring training schedule.

St. Louis Cardinals

Stadium: Roger Dean Stadium, 4751 Main St., Jupiter

One of the newer spring training stadiums in Florida, Roger Dean opened in 1998 and seats about 7,000, including a berm that seats 300.

Reporting dates: first workout, Feb. 19; first full workout, Feb. 24

Need a place to stay? Embassy Suites Hotel, 4350 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach (561) 622-1000

Notes: The defending World Series champions, the Cardinals share Roger Dean Stadium with the Miami Marlins (formerly the Florida Marlins). Prior to moving to Jupiter in 1998, the Cardinals trained in St. Petersburg for more than 50 years. Jupiter is located about 25 miles north of Palm Beach and just a short ride south of Port St. Lucie, where the Mets train. Visit River Bend Park at 9060 Indiantown Road if you want to see a little piece of Old Florida.

Restaurants to try: Too Bizarre, 287 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter; (561) 745-6262; Jupiter Ale House, 126 Center St., Jupiter; (561) 746-6720

Game tickets: 1-800-745-3000

Spring training schedule.

Miami Marlins

Stadium: Roger Dean Stadium, 4751 Main St., Jupiter.

Reporting dates: first workout, Feb. 22; first full workout, Feb. 26

Need a place to stay? Hilton Garden Inn, 3505 Kyoto Gardens Drive, Palm Beach Gardens; (561) 694-5833

Notes: Along with the stadium, the spring training complex (which the Marlins share with the Cardinals) includes four major league practice fields and eight minor league practice fields. The Marlins began to train there in 2003. If you get the chance, visit the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum at 500 Captain Armour's Way in Jupiter.

Restaurant to try: Guanabana's Grill, 960 N. A1A, Jupiter; (561) 747-8878

Game tickets: 1-800-745-3000

Spring training schedule.

New York Mets

Stadium: Digital Domain Park, 525 N.W. Peacock Blvd., Port St. Lucie

Reporting dates: first workout, Feb. 22; first full workout, Feb. 27

Need a place to stay? Hilton Garden Inn at PGA Village/Port St. Lucie, 8540 Commerce Centre Drive, Port St. Lucie; (772) 871-6850

Notes: Digital Domain Park is the only stadium in the Grapefruit League that allows its fans to bring lawn chairs to sit on the berm. Close by is SuperPlay USA, a family entertainment center offering such games as bowling, laser tag and miniature golf. It's located at 1600 N.W. Courtyard Circle in Port St. Lucie; (772) 408-5800.

Restaurants to try: Conchy Joe's Seafood, 3945 N.E. Indian Drive, Jensen Beach; (772) 334-1130; St. Lucie Draft House, 6630 S. U.S. 1, Port St. Lucie; (772) 460-8424

Game tickets: (772) 871-2115

Spring training schedule.

Houston Astros

Stadium: Osceola County Stadium, 631 Heritage Park Way, Kissimmee

Opened in 1985, the stadium capacity is 5,300.

Reporting dates: first workout, Feb. 20; first full workout, Feb. 26

Need a place to stay? Reunion Resort and Club, 1000 Reunion Way, Reunion; (407) 662-1000

Notes: From Kissimmee, it's a short drive to many of the top theme parks in the world, including Walt Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios.

Restaurant to try: Fat Boys Bar-B-Q, 1606 W. Vine St., Kissimmee; (407) 847-7098

Game tickets: (321) 697-3200

Spring training schedule.

Atlanta Braves

Stadium: Champion Stadium, 700 S. Victory Way, Lake Buena Vista

Previously known as Disney Field, Cracker Jack Stadium and Disney's Wide World of Sports, Champion Stadium is one of the largest spring training sites in Florida with a capacity of 9,500.

Reporting dates: first workout, Feb. 20; first full workout, Feb. 25

Need a place to stay? Orlando World Center Marriott, World Center Drive, Orlando (407) 239-4200

Notes: The spring training complex is located in the southwestern corner of Disney World. If you're looking for something to do other than watch a spring training game, well, it is Disney World.

Restaurant to try: Giordano's, 12151 S. Apopka Vineland Road, Lake Buena Vista; (407) 239-8900

Tickets: 1-800-745-3000

Spring training schedule.

Boston Red Sox

Stadium: JetBlue Park at Fenway South, 11581 Daniels Parkway, Fort Myers

The new stadium has the same dimensions as Fenway Park in Boston, including a 37-foot wall in left field. Seating capacity is 10,823, which makes it one of the largest stadiums in Florida.

Reporting dates: first workout, Feb. 21; first full workout, Feb. 25

Need a place to stay? Homewood Suites, 5255 Big Pine Way, Fort Myers; (239) 275-6000

Notes: Fort Myers was the winter home of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, and their estates are open to tourists for viewing. Just east of downtown Fort Myers is Terry Park, believed to be the oldest former spring training stadium in Florida. With Captiva and Sanibel islands just a short drive west, the Fort Myers area offers some of the finest beaches found anywhere in the country. And if you're not a big Red Sox fan, the Minnesota Twins also hold spring training in Fort Myers.

Restaurant to try: Stevie Tomato's Sports Page, 9510 Marketplace Road, Fort Myers; (239) 939-7211

Game tickets: 1-877-733-7699

Spring training schedule.

Minnesota Twins

Stadium: Lee County Sports Complex (Hammond Stadium), 14100 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers

Reporting dates: first workout, Feb. 19; first full workout, Feb. 24

Need a place to stay? Hilton Garden Inn, 12600 University Drive, Fort Myers (239) 790-3500

Notes: With the Red Sox also playing in Fort Myers and the Tampa Bay Rays just up the road in Port Charlotte, Southwest Florida offers a lot of options for seeing a spring training game. Hammond Stadium is also just nine miles from Southwest Florida International Airport. When the big club goes back up north, the stadium is home to the Fort Myers Miracle of the Class A Florida State League. At some point, two popular entertainment figures have claimed part ownership of the Miracle: Jimmy Buffett and comedian Bill Murray.

Restaurant to try: Lani Kai's Glider Lounge, 1400 Estero Blvd. Fort Myers Beach; (239) 463-3111

Game tickets: 1-800-338-9467

Spring training schedule.

Washington Nationals

Stadium: Space Coast Stadium, 5800 Stadium Parkway, Viera.

The stadium has a spaceship look because of its close proximity to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The facility was originally built to be the spring training home of the Miami Marlins.

Reporting dates: first workout, Feb. 20; first full workout, Feb. 25

Need a place to stay? Hampton Inn, 130 Sheriff Drive, Melbourne; (321) 255-6868

Notes: The stadium was built in 1994 for the Marlins, but when Jeffrey Loria bought the club, he moved his team to Jupiter for spring training. If you have the time, a trip to Cape Canaveral (and the Kennedy Space Center) is well worth it.

Restaurant to try: Bunky's, 2372 No. A1A, Indialantic; (321) 777-2526

Game tickets: (321) 633-9200

Spring training schedule.

Tampa Bay Rays

Stadium: Charlotte County Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte

Reporting dates: first workout, Feb. 21; first full workout, Feb. 26

Need a place to stay? Hampton Inn Port Charlotte, 24480 Sandhill Blvd.; (941) 627-5600

Notes: Depending on where you live in the Tampa Bay area, Port Charlotte is about a two-hour drive south. Port Charlotte was the spring-training home of the Texas Rangers for several years before the Rangers moved to Arizona. Port Charlotte Beach Park, at 4500 Harbor Blvd., has basketball courts, horseshoe pits, a playground and a beach.

Restaurants to try: Village Oyster Bar, 1200 W. Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda; (941) 637-1212; or Harpoon Harry's at the same location; (941) 637-1177

Game tickets: 1-888-FAN-RAYS

Spring training schedule.