Every March, thousands of spring-breakers migrate to Florida to unwind, relax and make memories they may be too bashful to share. Large portions of these vacationers are college-aged young adults who will partake in shenanigans that are too rhetorical to question.
Another group of out-of-towners tends to be a little quieter and less likely to drink from a funnel. These tourists return annually regardless of how old or subjectively uncool they may become. What brings them back is one singular passion: a love for baseball.
"I look forward to spring training every year," said Eddie Ravert, a native of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. "When I am on the way home, I am already planning for next March. This is heaven for me."
Eddie Ravert (left), a 44-year-old chef, and father Anthony Ravert, a retired 68-year-old, both from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, enjoy a Philadelphia Phillies game at Spectrum Field. The Ravert’s spring training trip to Clearwater, Florida, is an annual family tradition.
Ravert smiled as he shared his childhood memories, raving about the "thunderous clap" Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt would generate from his powerful right-handed swing during batting practice. A boyish fervor emanated from Ravert as he described the burning smell from Schmidt's bat after each monstrous swat sent another baseball into orbit.
"That's what got me hooked," Ravert said. "It started for me and the guys in my family, cousins, uncles, brothers, our grandfather … it became a tradition of sorts."
Spectrum Field has been a staple of Clearwater, Florida, since 2004. The ballpark serves as the training facility and home field for Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies during spring training. During the minor league regular season, the Phillies’ class-A affiliate, the Clearwater Threshers, plays their home games at Spectrum Field.
The relationship between the Phillies and Clearwater dates all the way back to 1947, a rich history Clearwater native Dave Tomkins remembers fondly.
"The best Phillies players I have ever seen are Robin Roberts and Richie Ashburn," Tomkins said. "Roberts could pinpoint the fastball anywhere you wanted it, and Ashburn – he was the best defensive centerfielder I've ever seen next to (Willie) Mays."
Tomkins, like many other baseball lifers at Spectrum Field, could talk for hours on end about the sport, citing a roller coaster of emotions only a Philly fan could appreciate. From the highs of the late ‘50s "Whiz Kids" to the pain and despair of the infamous "Phold in '64", Tomkins was akin to an artist, painting a picture so vivid you could smell the freshly cut grass on the field and the buttery popcorn in the bleachers.
Unfortunately for MLB, baseball is having trouble cultivating newer and younger fans who share the same excitement as Ravert and Tomkins. Millennials have expressed their lack of interest in the sport by stating games are too long and lack consistent action, according to recent surveys.
In 2015, the average length of an MLB game was two hours and 56 minutes, down 12 minutes from the year before, but it still was not much longer than the other major sports. The NBA average game length was two hours and 15 minutes, and the NFL averaged three hours and seven minutes during the same time span.
The MLB has tried to implement changes to speed up the game, including minimizing the amount of times a batter can step out of the batters box, creating a strict time limit in between pitches, lowering the instant replay review time and recently, getting rid of the four-pitch intentional walk. The latter rule change was met with steady criticism among those at Spectrum Field.
"It's garbage, and it absolutely destroys an element of the game that can't be replaced," said Clay Morris, a native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. "Do you know how many times a pitcher has overthrown a pitch on an intentional walk, causing a runner to move up or score? With this rule in place, those crazy plays are gone forever."
It is few and far between that a pitcher messes up a routine intentional walk, but the point is that it does happen. Now, it will never be seen again. These intricacies make baseball great and give the game its own flavor and personality, Morris said.
"That's the best part about baseball," Morris said. "The fact that you can tune into a game and, even if you have seen a million games before, you have a chance to see something you have never seen before. No two games are completely equal."
Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Florida, is the spring training home for Major League Baseball’s Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies and the city of Clearwater have had a partnership since 1947.
