SPRING TRAINING

In Major League Baseball, 'spring training' is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to audition for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play. Spring training has always attracted fan attention, drawing crowds who travel to the warmer climates to enjoy the weather and watch their favorite teams play, and spring training usually coincides with spring break for many college students.
Spring training typically lasts almost two months, starting in early February and running until just before the season opening day, traditionally the first week of April. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training first because pitchers benefit from a longer training period due to the exhaustive nature of the position. A week or two later, the position players arrive and team practice begins.
While Florida and Arizona now host all Major League Baseball teams for spring training, this has not always been the case. The Brooklyn Dodgers trained in Havana, Cuba in 1947 and 1959, and in the Dominican Republic in 1948. ^[1] During World War II, most teams held an abbreviated spring training within easy reach of their cities. Before big league baseball reached the West Coast, a number of teams trained in California.

Contents

Spring training locations by team

Statistics

References

External links

Spring training locations by team

In modern training, teams that train in Florida will play other Florida-training teams in their exhibition games, regardless of regular season league affiliations. Likewise, Arizona-training teams will play other Arizona teams. These have been nicknamed the Grapefruit League and Cactus League respectively, after plants typical of the respective states. The teams can play colleges (Georgia Tech vs. Atlanta), minor league baseball club, intra-squad games (members of the same team play against each other), split-squad games (games when one team is scheduled for two games in one day, so the team splits into two squads and each squad plays in each of the games), and B Games (unofficial Spring Training games where statistics and standings are not counted).[1]
=== Grapefruit League (held in Florida) ===

★ Atlanta Braves - The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports, Lake Buena Vista

★ Baltimore Orioles - Fort Lauderdale Stadium, Ft. Lauderdale

★ Boston Red Sox - City of Palms Park, Fort Myers

★ Cincinnati Reds - Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota

★ Cleveland Indians - Chain of Lakes Park, Winter Haven

★ Detroit Tigers - Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland

★ Florida Marlins - Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter

★ Houston Astros - Osceola County Stadium, Kissimmee

★ Los Angeles Dodgers - Holman Stadium, Vero Beach

★ Minnesota Twins - Hammond Stadium, Ft. Myers

★ New York Mets - Tradition Field, Port St. Lucie

★ New York Yankees - Legends Field, Tampa

★ Philadelphia Phillies - Bright House Networks Field, Clearwater

★ Pittsburgh Pirates - McKechnie Field, Bradenton

★ St. Louis Cardinals - Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter

★ Tampa Bay Devil Rays - Progress Energy Park, St. Petersburg

★ Toronto Blue Jays - Knology Park, Dunedin

★ Washington Nationals - Space Coast Stadium, Viera
=== Cactus League (held in Arizona) ===


★ Arizona Diamondbacks - Tucson Electric Park, Tucson

★ Chicago Cubs - HoHoKam Park, Mesa

★ Chicago White Sox - Tucson Electric Park, Tucson

★ Colorado Rockies - Hi Corbett Field, Tucson

★ Kansas City Royals - Surprise Stadium, Surprise

★ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe

★ Milwaukee Brewers - Maryvale Baseball Park, Phoenix

★ Oakland Athletics - Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Phoenix

★ San Diego Padres - Peoria Sports Complex, Peoria

★ San Francisco Giants - Scottsdale Stadium, Scottsdale

★ Seattle Mariners - Peoria Sports Complex, Peoria

★ Texas Rangers - Surprise Stadium, Surprise

Statistics

Statistics are recorded during spring training games, but they are not combined with the listed statistics for regular season games, and unusual performances which would have broken records if accomplished during the regular season are considered to be unofficial.
Although spring training statistics are commonly viewed with a jaundiced eye, teams still frequently use players' spring training performances as a way of assigning starting roles and roster spots on the club.

References

1. The '47 Dodgers on Havana: Baseball at a Crossroads

External links

★ Spring Training Magazine Information

★ Spring Training Tips - A guide to enjoying everything about Spring Training

★ Cactus League Official Site