Best time to visit spring training?

[tcarlic]

In your opinion when is the best time to experience ST? I have been once during the middle of March and am thinking of trying to make it down next year.

[ashbury]

I'm more interested in the drills and the minor-league-field games than in the nominal big-league games there. So for me, earlier is better. If your priority is the opposite of mine then maybe later is better so that you are watching a more settled game lineup.

[Halsey Hall]

In my opinion the best time is a week before they have to report til a week after, that is if you have 2 weeks. If only a week a few days before they have to report to start.

[tcarlic]

The main prerogative would be to get autographs, watch drills - see minor league and major league players participate. Games aren't necessarily the main objective. I've done that and it was fun, but I want a more "personal" experience. I am a teacher and would have the 2nd or 3rd week in February off.

[Thrylos]

The main prerogative would be to get autographs, watch drills - see minor league and major league players participate. Games aren't necessarily the main objective. I've done that and it was fun, but I want a more "personal" experience. I am a teacher and would have the 2nd or 3rd week in February off.

 

If that is the goal, I would say the 3rd week of February. Minor leaguers who are neither on the 40-man nor invited to the big league camp report usually a week after the major leaguers. Lots of them will be around earlier, but the closer to reporting days the best chances you have to see them all...

[Madre Dos]

Minor League is reporting around March 4th - I always go the week after they report.

[Shane Wahl]

I have a friend who is a rabid Red Sox fan and is going to be in Fort Myers for the next week. He is going over to check out the Twins for a bit one day, so I am going to try to find the best time for him to get a glance of Sano, Buxton, and Meyer.

[Halsey Hall]

He can glance between 9 and 11:30 or so. bp starts around 9:30. Meyer will be as far away as can be, down by the stadium or bullpen. He threw a bp today that just blew people's minds away. Fastball so fast you could barely see it if at all, and said after he was throwing at 85%. Since your friend can't be in 2 places at once, I'd have him check out Meyer to see if he's throwing that day, first off.

[AScheib50]

So last year was my first trip down and I went sometime around the 13-16 I think...I watched a lot of minor league drills and BP but never caught a full game. I feel like the minor league games were ramping up by the time I was leaving though. I never caught any big league practice or drills though, was I too late? Where do they do their drills, practice etc?

 

I am planning to go down this year but can't make it til about the last week, like the 22nd...will there still be a lot going on at that point? Can I catch the minor leaguers on the back fields still? Or will I have missed all the good action?