In your opinion when is the best time to experience ST? I have been once during the middle of March and am thinking of trying to make it down next year.

I'm more interested in the drills and the minor-league-field games than in the nominal big-league games there. So for me, earlier is better. If your priority is the opposite of mine then maybe later is better so that you are watching a more settled game lineup.

In my opinion the best time is a week before they have to report til a week after, that is if you have 2 weeks. If only a week a few days before they have to report to start.

The main prerogative would be to get autographs, watch drills - see minor league and major league players participate. Games aren't necessarily the main objective. I've done that and it was fun, but I want a more "personal" experience. I am a teacher and would have the 2nd or 3rd week in February off.

The main prerogative would be to get autographs, watch drills - see minor league and major league players participate. Games aren't necessarily the main objective. I've done that and it was fun, but I want a more "personal" experience. I am a teacher and would have the 2nd or 3rd week in February off.

 

If that is the goal, I would say the 3rd week of February. Minor leaguers who are neither on the 40-man nor invited to the big league camp report usually a week after the major leaguers. Lots of them will be around earlier, but the closer to reporting days the best chances you have to see them all...

Minor League is reporting around March 4th - I always go the week after they report.

I have a friend who is a rabid Red Sox fan and is going to be in Fort Myers for the next week. He is going over to check out the Twins for a bit one day, so I am going to try to find the best time for him to get a glance of Sano, Buxton, and Meyer.

He can glance between 9 and 11:30 or so. bp starts around 9:30. Meyer will be as far away as can be, down by the stadium or bullpen. He threw a bp today that just blew people's minds away. Fastball so fast you could barely see it if at all, and said after he was throwing at 85%. Since your friend can't be in 2 places at once, I'd have him check out Meyer to see if he's throwing that day, first off.

So last year was my first trip down and I went sometime around the 13-16 I think...I watched a lot of minor league drills and BP but never caught a full game. I feel like the minor league games were ramping up by the time I was leaving though. I never caught any big league practice or drills though, was I too late? Where do they do their drills, practice etc?

 

I am planning to go down this year but can't make it til about the last week, like the 22nd...will there still be a lot going on at that point? Can I catch the minor leaguers on the back fields still? Or will I have missed all the good action?