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Gary Wong 5/23/21 Gary Wong 5/23/21

Tampa-St. Petersburg, May 15-16

Looking at the 2021 MLB schedule when it was released last summer, I knew I’d be coming down this weekend to see the Mets play the Rays and notch Tropicana Field off my ballpark list.

Beers 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺
Breweries 🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻
Games ⚾️ ⚾️
Ballparks 🏟🏟
Flights ✈️✈️

#ballparkdoubledip

Looking at the 2021 MLB schedule when it was released last summer, I knew I’d be coming down this weekend to see the Mets play the Rays and notch Tropicana Field off my ballpark list. This trip, of course, depended on the state of the pandemic and whether Florida would be in the clear by mid-May. I shouldn’t have had any doubts - it’s Florida, after all (interpret that however you want) and so I was off to Tampa-St. Petersburg.

What can I say about Tropicana Field that hasn’t already been said? It’s definitely a bottom-tier MLB ballpark and only the Oakland Coliseum rivals it for worst stadium in MLB. Having a roof prevents the rainouts in the summer months that the Marlins used to fall prey to when they were in Joe Robbie Stadium but not having it be retractable or at least transparent makes it feel like they’re playing baseball in a tent. It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon and you couldn’t tell from inside the stadium. I’m just bummed I didn’t get to see the wacky ground rules regarding the ceiling rings go into effect. If I’m being charitable, I can say that the sightlines from just about every part of the stadium are clear and unobstructed. Also, the local food and craft beer options are spectacular.

When I planned this trip, I planned to just make it to one game; after all, this was Tropicana Field and the way the flight schedules worked out, it was just easiest to come in Saturday morning and leave Sunday afternoon. What I hadn’t anticipated was the Canadian reticence to let the Toronto Blue Jays host games at home, owing to the cross-border traffic that would be required for them and their opponents to come to Toronto. This meant that the Blue Jays would not be able to break camp and head north after spring training, choosing instead to stay in Florida to open the season. As luck would have it, they were home the same weekend I would be in Tampa-St. Pete and, even luckier, their game would be at night. So, after leaving Tropicana Field (with a pit stop at a nearby brewery), I made my way up to Dunedin and to TD Ballpark.

I’d actually been here before for spring training but to see an actual MLB game at a spring training stadium was quite the experience. Sure, the tickets were way more expensive than you’d normally pay for a game here but look how close fans are to the action!

As always, there were breweries to visit and while I made it a point to revisit Green Bench and Webb’s City Cellar, their offshoot next door, everything else was new to me. It’d only been maybe three years or so since the last time I was down here and there were still plenty of places to try for the first time. If you’re ever in the area, I’d make it a point to go up to Dunedin and walk/bike along the Pinellas Trail - there’s at least a handful of breweries you can stop in at to whet your whistle.

The List

Breweries

Bayboro Brewing Co.
Avid Brew Company
Green Bench Brewing Company
Woodwright Brewing Company
Cueni Brewing Co.
HOB Brewing Co.
3 Daughters Brewing
Grand Central Brewhouse
Webb's City Cellar by Green Bench Brewery