Fans say goodbye to the Twins as Spring Training ends

Author: Zach Oliveri
Published: Updated:

It’s a bittersweet day for baseball fans here in Southwest Florida. It’s the last day of Spring Training but that means the regular season starts this week. For fans they’re making the most of the last Spring Training game of the year.

Whether that means scoring an autograph, picking up a program or just seeing the players up close and personal. For fans like John Nelson, the Spring Training experience is special. He drives down every year from Minnesota to see his Twins every year.

“When you take two weeks to do it it’s not so bad,” Nelson said.

Nelson makes stops along the way from Minnesota to Avon Park. But nothing tops sitting in the sun in his seat at Hammond Stadium. He’s been a season ticket holder for 15 years.

“We’re close to the on deck circle that bases loaded and Royce Lewis came up and people around us said hey Royce what about a grand slam,” Nelson recalled one of his favorite memories from this Spring Training season. “And he laughed looked at us and smiled. And guess what he did? He hit a grand slam so that was pretty cool.”

People packed the house Tuesday to see the Twins wrap up the Grapefruit League schedule against the Atlanta Braves. Both teams played their starters.

“Spring training games to me are fun because they’re different from the regular season games. Players are more relaxed,” David Leschewski said.

Spring Training is fun, but more fun is on the way for these fans.

“Now it’s time to play the real games,” Nelson said.

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