And the grapefruit hit the manager in the chest and exploded. "So instead of throwing a baseball, he threw a grapefruit. "I guess at some point he realized that might kill the guy," Kite-Powell told WTSP in Tampa. According to Rodney Kite-Powell, curator of history at the Tampa Bay History Center, a pilot named Ruth Law took a Brooklyn Dodgers player in a plane to throw a baseball to his manager on the field below. Who came up with the term "Grapefruit League" isn't known for sure, but one theory comes from a stunt involving an aviation stunt in Daytona Beach in 1915. By 1914, enough teams had migrated their preseason camps to Florida that an informal circuit started forming. Major-league teams began spring training in Florida in 1888, when the Washington Senators came south to Jacksonville. The term "Grapefruit League" is an homage to Florida's citrus industry. There are 15 teams who play in the Grapefruit League: Which teams are in the Grapefruit League? The biggest winners of Grapefruit League games are the fans, who go on vacation from as far as Boston, New York and Minnesota to enjoy the Florida weather and get a closer and more relaxed look at their favorite players. Players on new teams will use the time to get comfortable with their new teammates, and veterans recovering from injuries the previous season test their arms to make sure they can hit and pitch as usual. Others will try to prove they're ready to be promoted higher up the minor-league system, or even make the big leagues. Some players will use spring training to compete for a place in the starting lineup. The games that are played serve more as a formality the real intrigue comes not from the teams facing each other, but from the intrasquad competitions. At the end of March, most of the players and staff will spread out across the nation to begin the regular season either at the MLB parks or their designated minor-league teams. The teams gather in the middle of February to get ready for the upcoming baseball season about a month and a half later. The Grapefruit League refers to the Major League Baseball teams who go to Florida for spring training. Here's what you need to know about Florida spring training and the Grapefruit League: What does Grapefruit League mean? Lucie completes $2.6 million project to replace Mets field for first time in 34 years Spring training in Jupiter: Stadium makeover payments must have 'public benefit,' town says ![]() Red Sox and Twins: Lee County needs a tourism spending boost after Hurricane Ian. Lucie.Ĭhanges to baseball rules: Pitch clocks, enlarged bases, ban on shifts? Get ready for wacky spring training | Opinion ![]() To receive Grapefruit League schedule news, spring-training news and schedule updates via email, please sign up for the Spring Training Online email newsletter.Every year, veterans, rookies and everyone in between play exhibition games across Florida for about five weeks, giving baseball fans a taste of the long season to come and bringing extra attention to cities like Fort Myers, Jupiter and Port St. Whether it’s a game at the University of South Florida ballpark in Tampa or a Florida Southern game at Henley Field, it’s easy to cram your schedule with an abundance of baseball at every level. Though we do not cover the games here, the abundance of college baseball in Florida within an easy drive of the spring training camps means you can create your own unique schedule. Pete and surrounding communities like Bradenton and Lakeland and the Treasure Coast/Palm Beach County, including Port St. In Florida, spring training is focused in three areas: the Gulf Coast, including Fort Myers and Charlotte County, Tampa/St. The Grapefruit League 2024 schedule covers the 15 teams training in Florida: Still to come: game dates, additional games and exhibitions (including details on the popular Las Vegas games), workout dates and when tickets go on sale.įor spring training news, please sign up for the Spring Training Online email newsletter. Here is a tentative and incomplete Grapefruit League 2024 schedule. You are here: Home › Grapefruit League 2024 Schedule Grapefruit League 2024 Schedule
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