THINGS TO DO VisitSPC.com/Sports SPORTS P1 OFFSHORE GRAND PRIX W ith near-perfect weather year-round, St. Pete/Clearwater is a haven for pro sports, recreation and some of the biggest events in the country. Let’s start with America’s pastime. Check out some of the game’s biggest stars and dazzling newcom-ers during spring training, when the Philadelphia Phillies prepare for the new season at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater and the Toronto Blue Jays play at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, their southern home. You can also catch their local minor-league affiliates, the Clearwater Threshers and Dunedin Blue Jays . The spring training headquarters of the New York Yankees , Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles – in Tampa, Bradenton and Sarasota, respectively – are all easy to locate and great for catching afternoon or evening games. The Tampa Bay area has earned the affectionate nickname “ Champa Bay ” since its pro sports teams have mostly dominated the fields of baseball, soccer, football and hockey for the past several years. St. Pete is home to Major League Baseball’s exciting Tampa Bay Rays , who clinched their fourth American League East championship in the 2021 postseason and advanced to the playoffs again in 2022. Catch a Rays game at the gloriously air-condi-tioned Tropicana Field (aka “The Trop”) to escape the heat, avoid the storms and have a (base)ball. If you’re a soccer fan, you can’t miss a Tampa Bay Rowdies game at the picturesque Al Lang Stadium on the downtown St. Pete waterfront. The USL Championship pro soccer team recently advanced to the finals in the 2022 season, adding to the Champa Bay winner’s circle. 98 AMERICA’S BEST BEACHES
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