I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love the fact that my team, the Toronto Blue Jays, play their spring training games in Dunedin, Florida. The same Dunedin, Florida in which I live. They even have their practice facility on the road right behind my condo complex. It’s amazing!
I was wondering whether I’d be able to accomplish this memory this year, as Major League Baseball had locked out the players. Spring training and part/all of the regular season was at risk, as no one was allowed to play or practice.
Thankfully, though, both sides were eventually able to come to an agreement, and shortened 3-week spring training schedule was salvaged. I quickly scooped up a couple tickets for me and Amy, for the best seats available. We’d be sitting in the section behind home plate, about 8 rows back.
Typically, I like to find tickets along the 1st base side, as close to the Blue Jays dugout as possible. Sitting there increases the chances of catching a foul ball, getting a ball tossed from a player in between innings, or getting a close glimpse of the players I normally only see on TV.
This time, however, the seats were a couple rows in front of the big, white wall for the announcer’s box above. The color of this wall is important, because as I learned in science class as a kid, white paint reflects light incredibly well. The bright, Florida sunshine beat down on us from both the front and the back, and it we felt trapped in a sauna. We survived about 2 innings, before we were drenched in sweat and needed a break.
We grabbed some water, price-gouged accordingly, strolled around to the outfield walkway, and caught the rest of the game from behind the right field home run fence. The breeze was lovely, and we could actually have a conversation that focused on something other than how uncomfortably hot we were.
It was a lovely date, and a wonderful memory to make. Oh, and the Blue Jays won, to help the day even sweeter.
I hope the Blue Jays have a great year, and I’ll see them again next Spring!
My Memory List 