The Wandering Disciple

 The Tampa Bay Rays look to make another run at the postseason and keep the Champa Bay spirit alive as they defend their American League championship and look to add a World Series trophy to the trophy case this season.  The team is in camp in Port Charlotte prepping for the 2021 season which kicks off April 1st on the road in Miami.  (Photo: February 19, 2019)

Spring is in the air and the boys of summer are back out on the field. The crack of the bat fills the air as major league clubs open up spring training in Florida and Arizona. For the next month, players will use the spring sunshine to help tune their skills in advance of the 2020 regular season as each team pushes for the postseason. (Photo: February 27, 2016)

Rays minor league outfielder Beau Brundage makes the catch of a fly ball during a minor league spring training game.   These spring training games are good opportunity for players to work on fundamentals and impress the coaching staffs before camp breaks in a couple weeks.   (Photo: March 15, 2019)

The Boys of Summer are back on the field as minor league spring training games kicked off this week.   The minor leaguers will spend the next couple weeks playing scrimmage games to prepare for their regular season.   Unlike the major leaguers who get all the attention, the minor league players grind it out every day in the shadows of the stadiums as they chase their dreams of playing in the majors.   (Photo: March 13, 2019)

Despite the cold weather sweeping the nation, Florida and Arizona are about to heat up with spring training baseball in a little over 45 days.  The crack of the bat and baseballs snapping the leather of the gloves with fill the air as the boys of summer take to the field and begin preparations for the 2018 season.  (Photo: February 28, 2015)

Before a baseball player can make the big time, they have to pay their dues on the backfields of ballparks in Florida and Arizona.  Each spring while the big league clubs play in front of thousands of screaming fans, hopeful big leaguers get their work in with the hopes of one day fulfilling their dreams of making the majors.  Pictured here is the Red Sox Xander Bogaerts taking swings in extended spring training in 2011, two years before he would make his MLB debut with Boston in August of 2013.  (Photo: May 30, 2011)

Orioles minor leaguer Michael Mosby rounds the bases after hitting a home run in a minor league spring training game against the Rays in 2011.  While the major league players are getting work in the main stadium in front of thousands of spectators, the hundreds of minor league players are playing their spring training games on the backfields in front of coaches and staff.  (Photo: March 19, 2011)

Tampa Bay Rays pitching leader Chris Archer congratulates lefty Matt Moore on a great outing during live batting practice on Saturday morning at Charlotte Sports Park.  The team continues to fine tune their skills prior to opening the spring training exhibition schedule on Tuesday.  (Photo: February 27, 2016)

Current Tampa Bay Rays minor league pitcher of the year Blake Snell gets some pointers from former minor league pitcher of the year Matt Moore during a full-team spring training workout at Charlotte Sports Park. (Photo: February 27, 2016)

A great horned owl sits on display at the Charlotte Harbor Nature Festival. The great horned owl can be found throughout Florida as well as much of the United States. (Photo: November 21, 2009)

Port Charlotte, Florida: Minor league spring training continues under the sunny skies of Florida as the Bowling Green Hot Rods hosted the Delmarva Shorebirds today at Charlotte Sports Complex. This match-up featured some of the younger players in the Rays and Orioles organization getting playing time as they prepare for the 2012 season. The game also featured several Major League Rays pitcher getting time on the mound as the big league club was on the road. Instruction is the main focus of minor league spring training games so no scores or official stats are recorded.  Click on the photo above to view my Hot Rods/Shorebirds spring training photo gallery .

Port Charlotte, Florida: As the start of the short season schedule is getting closer, the players are fine tuning their game in extended spring training in Florida. On a sunny Memorial Day, the Rays team hosted a squad from the Red Sox in two exhibition contests on the back fields of Charlotte Sports Park. The squads were comprised of players that will be playing in short season ball once the season began. The players on the Rays squad will be making up the rosters of the Hudson Valley Renegades, Princeton Rays and GCL Rays. The players on the Red Sox squad will be playing for Lowell Spinners and the GCL Red Sox. The players were split into two teams that played on adjoining fields. The emphasize of extended spring training is player development, no scores or stats are maintained. Click on the photo above to view the gallery from the Rays/Red Sox extended spring training game.

Port Charlotte, Florida: The Charlotte Stone Crabs took to the backfields of Charlotte Sports Park on a sunny Saturday afternoon to host the Frederick Keys in a spring training exhibition game. Today's game wrapped up the first week of spring training games as the minor leaguers prepare for the start of the 2011 season. No official stats are recorded at these spring training games as the focus of these contests are for training and not statistics. Click on the photo above to view the Stone Crabs/Keys photo gallery from Saturday.

The Gulf Coast Rays lost to the Gulf Coast Twins 7-3 on a soggy Monday afternoon at the Charlotte Sports Complex. A bullpen collapse lead to four runs in the ninth combined with five errors resulted in the Rays suffering the loss. The Rays scored first in the third inning. Julian Morillo drew a walk to lead off the inning. Morillo advanced to second on a wild pitch. Then Edward Dorville tripled to center to score Morillo. Dorville would then score on a double by Joel Caminero to give the Rays a 2-0 lead. The Twins cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth. Max Kepler-Rozycki reached on a throwing error to put a runner on base. Then Nicholas Tindall doubled to center, scoring the runner and pulling to within a run of the lead 2-1. The Twins tied the game in the sixth. Eddie Rosario reached on error, followed by Kennys Vargas reaching on a catcher's interference call against Justin O'Connor. Rosario then stole third and later scored on a passed ball to tie the game 2-2. The T...