Before the Major League baseball season kicks off on Sunday, April 3, professional baseball players from around the country must say their goodbyes to family and love ones at home and head down south for Spring Training (baseball’s preseason).
Since baseball players travel more than any other professional athlete, this is especially bittersweet as they leave their homes for another year of long road trips and missed moments of awesomeness at home.
Spring Training gives players the chance to shake out all of the cobwebs from the long winter and prepare for the coming year. But each year, die-hard fans also make the pilgrimage to prepare their bodies (for excessive consumption of hot dogs, cracker jacks and ice cream that comes in a mini baseball helmet) and minds for the 162 game regular season.
During Spring Training, the 30 Major League teams are split into two leagues: the Cactus League in Arizona and the Grapefruit League in Florida. As Major Leaguers retreat to these two prime early Spring locations, we wanted to take you through some homes in the areas of in these American Pastime oases:
Cactus League, Arizona
Surprise, Arizona: The Spring Home of Lorenzo Cain and the Kansas City Royals
Mesa, Arizona: The Spring Home of Kris Bryant and the Chicago Cubs
Glendale, Arizona: The Spring Home of Yasiel Puig and the Los Angeles Dodgers
Grapefruit League, Florida
Kissimmee, Florida: The Spring Home of Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros
Port St. Lucie, Florida: The Spring Home of Jacob DeGrom and the New York Mets
Sarasota, Florida: The Spring Home of Adam Jones and the Baltimore Orioles
We kick off our Homefield Advantage series again soon, but before then, enjoy the end of Spring Training and the beginning of the 2016 Major League Baseball season!
