Stadium Opened: 1953
Teams Seen: Los Angeles Dodgers (Spring Training)
1st Visit: 3/9/03
Most Recent Visit: 3/4/07
# Games: 3
Food: 8/10
Team Store: 8/10
Stadium: 10/10
When it comes to Major League stadiums, one could make the argument for any number of places as "the best." Old, new, retro, location, etc, all play some sort of role in determining your favorite. Well, in spring training parks, there was virtually no argument for over 50 years- Holman Stadium in Vero Beach was the standard-bearer in every way possible.
What made Vero so special? Atmosphere is putting it lightly. From the beginning in 1953, players were as accessible as anywhere on the planet. This continued into its last days in 2008, when millionaire players and fences, closed batting-practice, and general ambivalence had overtaken MLB parks. Dodger players had to walk a dirt path to their locker room, literally walking next to fans as they did so. I had conversations with players and coaches in both visits there. Even opposing players were more open- minutes after arriving at a 2007 game, Staci had her picture taken with her favorite player Ryan Zimmerman.
Another great thing was the food- Dodger Dogs imported straight from LA, a wide variety of stands for all tastes, another rarity in spring-training complexes. A huge souvenir stand awaited you as you walk into the stadium, giving East-Coasters a chance to load up on Dodger gear.
And then there was the game itself- as you can see from the photos below, there were no dugouts, so the players were right there for you to hear every word and watch every move.
There's talk of another team filling the space the Dodgers left in '08, but it will never be the same. I look forward to seeing the Dodgers in their new Arizona spring training home someday,but nothing will ever be good old Dodgertown.
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