Ballpark #10- Holman Stadium, Vero Beach, FL

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.

When Staci met Ryan- 3/2007

Players just hang out during the game- 3/2003

Me at Holman Stadium entrance

Players exiting the same way the fans do

There's always a Dodger legend close by- this time it's Maury Wills

Staci & I- 3/2007

Ballpark #9- Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter, FL

Stadium Opened: 1998
Teams Seen: St. Louis Cardinals (Spring Training); Florida Marlins (Spring Training)
1st Visit: 3/7/03
Most Recent Visit: 3/8/03
# Games: 2
Food: N/A
Team Store: 6/10
Stadium: 7/10

My first foray into spring training was an exciting one- I drove down from Atlanta to hang out with Mari & Ian in Miami and catch a game. I ended up seeing three games- one in Vero Beach (more on that next time) and two at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. There is something different about Spring Training- more laid-back, players are more accessible (AJ Burnett signed my ticket), closer to the action for less money.

And Roger Dean fits those criteria- and it's also unique in that it has two MLB teams sharing the stadium- the Florida Marlins and the St Louis Cardinals. This is becoming more commonplace in the Cactus League in Arizona, but is still a rarity in Florida. So what does this mean? It's great if you're a fan- there is a game every day, because if one team is on the road, the other team is playing at home.

Roger Dean is a nice complex- relatively new (1998), a wide open concourse greets you when you walk in the gate. Scoreboards tend to be small on this level (after Spring Training many Florida stadiums become homes for low-A baseball). The team store was a nice size, bigger than most minor league stores, in order to carry more Major League items for the traveling baseball fan.

One of the big thrills in Spring Training is seeing alot of the younger prospects playing, especially in early March. Unfortunately not too much to report for the Marlins and Cards that year.

My only complaint about the stadium comes after having seen Spring Training in 4 parks- nothing distinguishes it from any other Florida park (except Vero). Not to say that's a horrible thing- they tend to be cleaner, friendlier and more reasonably priced than your average game, but the cookie-cutter-ness of it bothers me a bit. Small thing to complain about when you're enjoying an 80 degree day 1000 miles from snow.