Thursday, July 28
Today’s schedule includes an early ride into Ybor City and the Al López homestead, which houses the Tampa Baseball Museum. As we seek a place to park the car in front of us slows and then stops to allow a few free-range urban roosters to cross the street. Of course they aren’t using the crosswalk, but we ignore their pedestrian faux pas. Street thugs!
My mind immediately goes to “Why did the roosters cross 19th Street?”
Apparently they’re everywhere, at least enough of them to have a sign posted at the parking lot entrance.
After a few more poultry one-liners, we arrive at the museum.
A Cuban-American, Al López became the first Tampa native to reach the majors, enjoyed a Hall of Fame managerial career (culminating in his induction in 1977), and won a pair of pennants while ruling the bench. The well-respected manager of both the Indians and White Sox led the Indians to 111 victories in 1954 and the Go Go Sox to 94 wins in 1959.
The woman who greets us at the museum is a wealth of knowledge of both Al’s family and the baseball history of the area. (She’s also the CEO of the local historical society and is the first woman to speak in this video.) Surprisingly, the museum has only been open since September, 2021, as you’ll learn from the video link above.
I don’t want to spoil this unique baseball treasure in case you’d like to spend some time here. It celebrates all of the teams and players from this area (going back to the 1800s) with a large focus on Al López, because he was the first Tampa native to join the big leagues. It’s definitely worth the time for baseball nerds (like Mitch and me) who especially enjoy the history of the game.
The woman is helpful with a lot of information, including recommending Columbia for lunch a few blocks away. Opened in 1905 this is Florida’s oldest restaurant. Since there’s a wait for a table, we decide to take the other Yelp-er’s advice and lunch at Duffy’s Sports Grill.
Duffy’s is a chain peppered along both Florida coasts that appears to be a typical sports bar, except it’s all times ten. The place features dozens of TVs and full-size college football helmets from every team surrounding every booth. We’re seated, and guess what’s directly behind Mitch?
Mitch informs the young man that seats us, “With hundreds of helmets in here, you seated us at my alma mater.” Without missing a beat, he quickly responds that he did it on purpose.
Mitch enjoys a Mahi Mahi sandwich while I order the Shrimp Po Boy special and a couple of Jai Alai IPA pints by Cigar City Brewing.
On our way back to the hotel we stop at Mitch’s nephew’s wife’s business, St. PetersBARK. (I love the punny name!) Neither relative is on site, but we browse through the doggie treats and toys. All of the employees are busy with customers, so I take a photo of Mitch with the store sign so he could send it to them as a surprise.
BayCare Ballpark is less than 30 minutes away so we leisurely trek to Clearwater, arriving well before first pitch. Little do we know that tonight is Craft Beer Night, the only such night scheduled during the entire month of July. (More UBT magical timing! I can just hear Harry Carey asking, “How about that?”) We taste a few and chat with some brewers before settling on something we each really like. All 24 oz. pours are only $3.75! I can’t remember the last time I paid that price for a ballpark pint, much less 24 oz.!
Our UBT shirts attract a husband and wife who became season ticket holders this year. They live three miles away so it’s a convenient night out of entertainment for their family with reasonably priced food and drink. They also walk occasional laps around the ballpark for exercise.
Mitch and I take a pre-game stroll around the concourse and on the walkway beyond the outfield. There’s even some grass seating available between the outfield fence and the walkway. Picnic tables dot the outside of the walkway beyond left and right fields.
It’s a modern minor league ballpark a long homer’s launch away from the Carpenter Field Complex, tomorrow morning’s destination for Florida Complex League rookie baseball.
Before the first pitch, we concentrate on ordering ballpark fare to complement our discounted craft beverages.
The Threshers, Single-A Phillies Florida State League affiliate, lose 8-0 to the Dunedin Blue Jays. As we discover, this game is part of a day/night split twin bill due to a Tuesday rain out so the teams only play seven innings.
In the parking lot we’re greeted once again by the enthusiastic season ticket holder couple. They ask how we enjoyed our BayCare Ballpark experience. We thank them for their welcome earlier in the evening before parting. More baseball (in two different cities) tomorrow!