Well, its's a wrap for spring training baseball. It was Game 17 for us in Clearwater today. The Phillies played the Tampa Bay Rays. The game started an hour earlier as the players on the roster headed to Philadelphia after the game to prepare for the season opener against the Texas Rangers on Thursday.
The lineup for both teams featured pretty much what the starting lineups for each team will look like to open the season. Most of the main players only played 5 innings and the rest of the game was played by backup players on the roster and a few minor leaguers. It was not a great game for the Phillies as they lost 7-0. Of course, it was spring training, and every team is tied for first place when the real games start this week. Spring training is not just about winning or losing but also opportunities to evaluate new players, upcoming rookies, veterans trying to make the team, and players on the roster to get their "game" ready for the season that is 162 games long. Winning these games is still important but is not necessarily a reflection of how the team will perform during the season. The Phillies roster looks strong, and I expect they will do well this year.
After the game we headed over to Dunedin for a late lunch/early dinner at Flanagan's Irish Pub, a favorite place from previous trips. Kevin and I had great meals, each featuring corned beef, accompanied by a glass of Guiness draft beer.
On the way back to the RV, we stopped at the Lucky Dill restaurant to get some more pastries at the attached Brooklyn Bakery. Their pastries are the best by far of any we have had here. Back at the RV we each ate one for dessert.
It has been a great trip and spring training baseball experience. There have been plenty of memories, good times, and reconnecting with places in the area and people at the stadium who Judy and I knew and who remembered us from previous trips over the years.
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