Out to the Ball Game -- Phillies vs. the Rays at Charlotte Sports Park

Only a short 10-15 minute drive from downtown Punta Gorda, if you know the back roads that is, the American and National League champion baseball teams played ball yesterday. 

 This season the revitalized Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte became the home of spring training for the Tampa Bay Rays, making it possible to  see major league play at 4 stadiums within an hour's drive of Punta Gorda and more venues if you want to travel just a bit a bit further to, for instance, Clearwater.  Check out this year's spring training schedule and more on the  stadiums of the grapefruit league, many on the west coast of Florida.  

We headed up to the Charlotte stadium yesterday to see the 2008 World Series competitors, Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays, battle it out again in front of  a sellout crowd.  The Rays won this one 3-2.

It was our first visit to the handsomely refurbished facility. A couple of things we really liked about the renovated stadium--- the clear, attractive signage marking entrances by first base, home base etc., the comfortable chairs, the part of the seating that was shaded from the hot, Florida sun, the upgraded concessions scattered about the perimeter of the stadium, the clear scoreboards.   Only a few misses we didn't like--not enough space between rows to accommodate long legs, the dirt parking lot--but neither of these complaints deterred much from our enjoyment of the game.

Not much beats devouring  a hot dog or a Phillie cheeseteak in early March in the warm sunshine watching the two best major league teams play baseball.  

We will be back again to see the Rays and then the Stonecrabs.