Unofficial 2011 Baltimore Orioles Spring Training Visitor's Guide

I am taking the family to Disney World this summer so I will not be at Spring Training this year. It just would not be fiscally responsible. (Going to Spring Training is not fiscally responsible...Going to Spring Training is not fiscally responsible...Going to...)

But just becasue I'm not going doesn't mean I can't lend a helping hand to those who will. Pitchers and catchers report in a week and Oriole Spring Training is some experience these days.

With that in mind, here is my unofficial Baltimore Orioles Spring Training Guide. This is based on my personal experiences from past visits plus information I have gathered from around the web, from the team and other publications. I'll have a few things to update along the way (and if you have anything to add yourself, please leave it in the comments of email me at dempseysarmy at yahoo dot com) but, in my humble opinion, is a very good start.

Stadium

This is the second season that the O's will make their Spring Training home in Sarasota. Ed Smith Stadium is still in the process of being renovated, a process that begun as soon as the club headed north in 2010 but it was already a big upgrade from the crumbling confines of Ft. Lauderdale Stadium, the Orioles pevious Spring Training home.

The stadium is cozy so there's not really a bad seat in the house. There is little to no shade (although renovations are supposed to help that a bit) so if you go to a day game, pack sun screen accordingly. The renovation is supposed to create some more shade but better safe than sorry.

Ed Smith was not a great stadium but Louis Angelos promised that the offseason renovations of the Sarasota baseball facilities would create "a ballpark that is the premier baseball facility, not just in Florida but you can include Arizona too." So there's that. (Pictures of the ongoing renovation can be seen here.) You'll notice that the seats from OPACY that were removed during its renovation are now being installed in Sarasota.

The stadium is located at 2700 12th St. in Sarasota at the corner of 12th and Tuttle. There's a ton of parking available and it's $8 to park there on game day.

From the book Florida Spring Training by Alan Byrd:

"There's little to like about Ed Smith Stadium. While it comes close in size to some of the League's older parks, it's missing the things that would make it quaint...

On the positive side, you'll have no trouble seeing all the action. The box seats are close to the diamond and the other seats aren't too far away."

Schedule

Oriole pitchers and catchers report on February 13th with the first workout taking place on February 14th. The first full-squad workout takes place on February 21st. Workouts are scheduled to begin each day at 9:00 AM and are free to the public until the games begin. Fans will be able to access the main "bowl" and some of the back fields as well.

After the games begin, team practices are closed to the public but you can enter the stadium up to two hours before game time with your ticket.

The full game schedule is available here with the first official game on February 28th against the Pirates in Bradenton. The first game in Sarasota is March 1st versus the Rays. Most games are at 1:05 with a handful of night games. The seating chart is here.

I am a big fan of attending workouts. It's very laid back and you get to watch fielding drills, batting practice and throwing sessions up close and personal. Some concessions and souvenir stands are open during the workouts and they hand out a roster as you go in so you can identify the players. The workouts also give you the best chance to get autographs. On top of all that, it's free!

Concessions

Here's a list of concessions and prices from last season:

Hot Dog $4.00
Bratwurst w/ Kraut $6.00
Pizza $6.50
Nachos $4.75
Chicken Nuggets $6.50
Popcorn $3.75
Peanuts $4.00
Soft Pretzel $4.00
Cracker Jacks $3.50
Candy $3.00
Ice Cream $3.50
Cotton Candy $3.50
Soda (32oz) $4.00
Gatorade $4.00
Bottled Water $3.50
Coffee $1.75
Beer (16oz) $6.25
Imported Beer (12oz) $6.75

Grill
Hamburger/Cheeseburger $6.50
Sausage, Peppers & Onions $7.00
Hot Dog $4.00
Hebrew National Kosher Dog $5.00
French Fries $4.00

And a quick snapshot of souvenir prices:

Tickets

Tickets for Oriole Spring Training games are priced as follows: for General Admission

Standing Room          $10
Left Field Pavilion    $15
Reserved Grandstand    $17
Lower Box              $21
Infield Box            $23
Premium Infield Box    $27

Prime games are $2 more per ticket, across the board. Box office hours from January 24th-February 11th are M-F 10 AM - 4 PM. After February 11th, the box office is open seven days a week, also 10 AM - 4 PM.

Tickets will be available at the Sarasota box office, via phone orders at 800-745-3000 or Orioles.com.

In my opinion, there's not a bad seat in the house.

Minor League Camp

One of the benefits of the Oriole's move to Sarasota is that the major league facility is now in close proximity to the minor league facility. The facility, known until last season as Twin Lakes, was re-christened Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex in 2010 and is located at 6700 Clark Rd. in Sarasota, about 10 miles from Ed Smith Stadium.

Minor league pitchers will hold their first workout at the complex on Tuesday, March 2. The first minor league full squad workout will take place on Saturday, March 6. Minor league games begin Wednesday, March 17.

All workouts and games at the minor league complex are free to the public as is the parking.

Here's this year's minor league spring training schedule. When the AAA and AA teams play at home, the A level teams play away and vice versa.

Wednesday, March 16 AAA/AA vs. Boston 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Boston 12:30 p.m. Ft. Myers

Thursday, March 17 AAA/AA @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte
A Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex

Friday, March 18 AAA/AA @ Minnesota 12:00 p.m. Ft. Myers
A Minnesota 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex

Saturday, March 19 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte

Monday, March 21 AAA/AA Minnesota 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Minnesota 12:00 p.m. Ft. Myers

Tuesday, March 22 AAA/AA @ Boston 12:30 p.m. Ft. Myers
A Boston 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex

Wednesday, March 23 AAA/AA @ Minnesota 12:00 p.m. Ft. Myers
A Minnesota 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex

Thursday, March 24 AAA/AA @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte
A Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex

Friday, March 25 AAA/AA Boston 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Boston 12:30 p.m. Ft. Myers

Saturday, March 26 AAA/AA @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte
A Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex

Monday, March 28 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte

Tuesday, March 29 AAA/AA Minnesota 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Minnesota 12:00 p.m. Ft. Myers

Wednesday, March 30 AAA/AA @ Boston 12:30 p.m. Ft. Myers
A Boston 12:30 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex

Thursday, March 31 AAA/AA @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte
A Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex

Friday, April 1 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Buck O'Neil Complex
A @ Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. Port Charlotte

Autographs

I am not big on autographs but in my previous trips to Spring Training, my kids certainly were. Here's some tips from my limited experience.

If you really want autographs, go to the workouts. There are always a fair amount of players, major and minor leaguers who will come over to sign things for the fans. We were able to get a few autographs before one of the games but there was much less jockeying for position at the workouts. Players are much more likely to sign for kids than for adults or obvious "autograph hounds". I remember Kevin Millar in particular ordering "Autograph hounds to the back, kids up front!"

Cute little kids tend to get more freebies too. Stadium workers would go out of their way to give my son foul balls and two players gave him their bat; a Dodger minor leaguer named Tydus Meadows and Matt Treanor, then a catcher for the Marlins. Again, I'm not big on autographs but my kid sure got a kick out of it.

Ed Smith Stadium afforded better opportunities for autographs before game that Ft. Lauderdale stadium did. If you stand along the rightfield wall near the bleachers, you will place yourself in close proximity to the outfield gate that the players use to get from the clubhouse to the field. Players were very generous with their time (and this was during a crowded Red Sox matchup) and autographs seemed fairly easy to come by.

Outside of the Ballpark

I haven't been to Sarasota enough to be an authority so I will link to Peter Schmuck's column on his favorite Sarasota haunts.

Getting There

Sarasota is a quick two and a half hour flight from Baltimore. If you found this guide useful, check out our partner, Expedia for your tickets, rental car and hotels: