City of Palms Park, March 2007

Where did I leave off? Oh yeah, I just bought tickets to Spring training, Camden Yards and Fenway. By the time March rolls around, I've bought MLB TV so I can watch the Red Sox games (since I live in Maryland). March 12, 2007 I've got an afternoon flight to Ft. Myers, FL that arrives around 5 PM. The Red Sox/NYY Spring Training game was at 7 and I had just enough time to get there. City of Palms Park was the first baseball park I had been to in a very long time - the first being McCoy Stadium where the Pawtucket Red Sox play. My seat is only a few back from the visitors dugout and I'm surrounded by what looks like season ticket holders. Apparently, someone gave their tickets up because I was able to purchase my seat. I remember the Yankees sent a watered down team - which at the time I took as the Yankees saying "Well, the game doesn't count so we'll wait until it does count to play you for real," only maybe they were just injured. Since the Yankees were watered down, we couldn't lose. Even if we won, it wouldn't be anything to brag about, but loosing to a watered down team would be so much worse. We won 7-5. (Box Scores) I had a 6 AM flight the following morning and didn't have the money to stay in a hotel. I figured I would just take a cab to a a local bar and stay til closing. Then it would be 2 AM and I would just take a cab to the airport and wait. Well, turns out that down town Fort Myers is actually not that interesting - in fact "ghost town" might be more appropriate. I wander around play a game of poll with some guys at one place, and move on to another bar. There I meet what else? guys from Alexandria VA! It was fun and they bought be drinks. I got a little drunk, and went with them back to their rented house. They called a cabbie they had earlier in the day and once we all got back to the house, the cabbie stayed with us. We all had breakfast at 3 or so in the morning and the cabbie said he'd nap there and take me to the airport in the morning. I guess cabs can drive whenever they want in Florida...LOL All in all it was a good trip and I'm excited to go back next year!