Final Stop: Fort Lauderdale


The final chapter of this year's Grapefruit League extraveganza takes place at Fort Lauderdale Stadium, the former spring home of the Yankees. Now occupied by the Orioles, the stadium, state of the art for the early-1960s, now comes off as bland and a bit antiquated.
The Mets visit the Orioles, with most of today's pictures shot from the press box atop the ballpark. Here's sweet-swining Orioles rightfielder Nick Markakis making contact.
The threat of rain holds down the crowd... as does a less-than-stellar Orioles team. It's going to be hard to even approach .500 ball playing in the same division with the defending champion Rays, the wild-card Red Sox, reloaded Yankees and talented Blue Jays.
Second baseman Luis Castillo is one of the Mets having a good spring. Here's the moment before he steps on home to score.
I liked the angle capturing the view up the 1st base line with the batter, the runner and the fielders.
Late in the game, reporters head downstairs. We caught the final couple of innings from behind the visitors bullpen area down the 3rd base line.
(above) Mets pitcher Brian Stokes gets ready.

(above) Reliever Darren O'Day wraps up his work.
(below) He then heads to the locker room.
A clever touch outside Fort Lauderdale Stadium is this fence specially designed for autograph signing.

A last look at the action... the weather clears, the game moves on. A little over two weeks from now, the games start to count.

Comments

meikd423 said…
wow, i was at that same game. pretty cool.
March 23, 2009 at 5:43 PM
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