Backup Bonus

First pitch at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., spring training home to both
the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals. This night, the Cardinals were the visitors.

It was supposed to be opening night for the Miami Marlins vs. the World Series champion Braves last night, but the contract negotiations between Major League owners and players put a stop to that. Instead, the Marlins’ season will open on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies in two weeks and their home opener is in mid-April.

This would have been upsetting because I had planned on opening night in Miami and with the Savannah Bananas the next night on their Banana Ball World Tour stop in West Palm Beach. Thanks to baseball’s backup plan, it turns out my trip will be even better. The delay in the big league regular schedule forced them to squeeze in some spring training games and I’ll be seeing a lot more baseball — and a lot more Marlins — than I had planned.

Last night I saw the Marlins at their spring training ballpark in Jupiter against the St. Louis Cardinals. Friday, it’s a double header, first the Marlins at the Houston Astros at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, then the Banana Ball game that night in the same stadium. Saturday, it’s back to Jupiter for the Washington Nationals at the Marlins and on Sunday, I’ll stop for Marlins at the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie on my way back to Central Florida.

But wait, there’s more.

I’ll be in Lakeland Monday when the Detroit Tigers face the Toronto Blue Jays. Tuesday is opening night for AAA baseball, and I’ll be in Jacksonville when the Jumbo Shrimp face the Worcester Red Sox.

Not my first trip to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, but the first since
I started keeping track in my spring training passport book.  

Spring training comes to an end on Tuesday, but the Tampa Bay Rays have scheduled an extra game against the Phillies at the Trop, their major league home in St. Petersburg, on Wednesday. Too bad the Rays aren’t playing on Thursday, which is opening night for most of the Major League teams, but I think I’ll be ready a day of rest after eight games over seven days in five ballparks.

The fun continues next Friday, opening night for the rest of minor league baseball, and I’ll be joining friends at Jackie Robinson Park in Daytona Beach when the Tortugas play the St. Lucie Mets. Finally it’s back to Jacksonville on Saturday for another Shrimp-Sox matchup.

I say finally, but there might be one more game in Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon, and then I’ll head out on my first road trip of the season. It looks like my baseball adventures are off to a good start in 2022.

A nice spring training pin for the Cardinals.

That first road trip will start in the Carolinas and take me through Georgia and Alabama, then back to Florida. Two of my stops are on the Banana Ball World Tour when they play in Columbus, Ga., and Birmingham, Ala.

My second trip will be built around the last Banana Ball game against the Kansas City Monarchs in early May. I haven’t worked out the details, but it looks like I’ll be driving from Florida to Pensacola, then up to Kansas before heading home to Pennsylvania, with plenty of baseball along the way.

One more trip will take me to Texas for games in Corpus Cristi, Sugar Land, Houston, Frisco, Arlington, Round Rock and San Antonio. This tour includes two Major League games, the Marlins at Houston Astros and my first visit to the Texas Rangers’ new ballpark. Once again, I’ll be able to say I’ve been to all the Major League Baseball stadiums. Also, it’ll be my first time in the capital of Texas, and I’ll have a day off to visit the grave of former President Bush. That's my triple crown: baseball, state capitals and presidents resting in peace.

There might be a trip southern California and I’ll be able to check Nixon and Reagan off the list and complete my tour of presidential burial sites. There are three Single A teams in the area, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to fit that trip in this year.

Some excitement at the ballpark last night. Jorge Soler cleared the bases with a big double and Jazz Chisholm Jr.hit a grand slaw to give the Marlins a big lead early in the game. The Cardinals never caught up. Final: Miami Marlins 7, St. Louis Cardinals 4.