Cut4 Spring Training Road Trip, Day 4: Salmon, hockey sweaters and a trip into deep space
Cut4 Spring Training Road Trip, Day 4
Some of the Cut4 staff has traveled south for spring, taking shelter in beautiful sunny Florida to enjoy the sights, sounds, foods and fans of MLB's Spring Training. As we venture through the many stadia of the Grapefruit League, we'll keep you updated on what it's really like to check out 15 MLB teams, explore the backroads of the Sunshine State and watch a whole lot of baseball. Past recaps: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3.
Today's lineup: Blue Jays, Nationals
Day 4
Team Visited: Blue Jays
Ballpark: Auto Exchange Stadium
Total miles driven: I don't know. Like a billion. Spring Break traffic, man.
By Mike Bertha
I left my Philly roots in Clearwater on Saturday and drove north to Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin, Fla., Spring Training home of the Blue Jays, where I was immediately trolled.
Just in case I was feeling good about the way today was shaping up, @JoeCarter_29 had to kick me where it hurts. pic.twitter.com/Nc7aLjYGlX
- Mike Bertha (@MikeBertha) March 14, 2015
If the hardware didn't clue me into the fact that I was north of the proverbial border, then the guy rocking a hockey sweater on an 82-degree day certainly did.
You know how I can tell I'm at @BlueJays #SpringTraining? pic.twitter.com/8U11Yu3srS
- Mike Bertha (@MikeBertha) March 14, 2015
I met a family who drove down from Toronto and slept in their van Daniel Norris style along the way. I also discovered that you can get fish at the ballpark here.
The salmon sandwich offered a welcome reprieve from the briar patch of admittedly delicious hot dogs and sausages that had filled my trip thus far.
Auto Exchange Stadium had more going for it than just the fare, too. The Blue Jays fans down here are optimistic and knowledgeable and eager to play for keeps in 2015. Plus, it's hard not to like a team that has a rookie who sleeps in his van, an All-Star third baseman with a mohawk and Munenori Kawasaki fighting for a roster spot.
Tomorrow I'll venture back to Clearwater for the full Phillies Spring Training experience.
Team Visited: Nationals
Ballpark: Space Coast Stadium
Total miles driven: 144 miles
By Matt Monagan
Today, I drove two hours to Viera, Fla., to watch the Nationals take on the Marlins (yes, I've seen the Marlins three times this week). And once I got there, I flew to the moon:
JK! But Space Coast Stadium does have some very space-y elements, including that ship. It's just a 30-minute trip from the Cape Canaveral NASA branch and located along Florida's Space Coast.
But who needs to go to space when there are tiny, adorable creatures like the below here on Earth:
That's Mac Harper (no relation to Bryce). Although, after re-gramming that photo from Friday, the Nationals outfielder walked out to meet his little friend before Saturday's game:
Awwww, look at those Harper boys. Being all cute and all. That's what it's all about.