Scott Butherus' "View from the Cheap Seats," Mar. 2: Spring training home opener for the Grapefruit League at the league's newest ballpark, Brighthouse Networks Field in Clearwater. The Phillies have been training in Clearwater for the past 61 years, the second longest tenure of any Florida team. Brighthouse Field’s most unique feature? The thatched-roof tiki bar that stands just beyond the left field fence, where I enjoyed buckets of beer with a group of diehard Phillie fans who had played hookie in order to hop a plane down to Florida from Pennsylvania — and
met Phillie icons Darren “Dutch†Daulton, Larry “Yes, I was once traded for both Jeff Bagwell and Curt Schilling†Anderson and $900,000 phenom Ryan Howard. (He's on his cell phone in the photo, probably not worrying about his minutes.) The numerous buckets of beer have taken their toll, so I’ll keep this entry short. Big weekend ahead: Ed Smith tomorrow, McKechnie on Sunday and a Detroit Tigers tryout on Monday. Stay tuned.
This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 6, 2007.