George M. Steinbrenner Field, 1/04/2017

John has been an avid Yankees fan since he was a child, so we wanted to catch a Spring Training Game or two while we are in staying in Lutz, FL. Their Spring Training games are played at George M. Steinbrenner Field. 

Steinbrenner was the principal owner of the Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. During those years, the team won eleven American League Pennants and seven World Series titles. His sons and other family members still own the franchise. Steinbrenner was also a great philanthropist with a personal philosophy that charitable giving should be anonymous without publicity or fanfare. Below is a sculpture of him outside the stadium.

We had checked various on-line sources to purchase tickets to the games and found the processing fees for each ticket to be quite expensive. On our way to explore the Tampa Riverwalk today, we decided to stop by the stadium as I thought the box office was open. 

There is a $40M enhancement project underway at the stadium, scheduled to be complete by opening day February 24.

All of the ticket sales windows were closed, so we checked in with a security guard at an entrance to the stadium to see if we could purchase tickets. He contacted the office and a very nice young man met us and took us to a conference room where we were able to purchase a bundle (tickets for three or more game). On the way, we walked through the team's exercise room (since there is construction all over the place in this part of the stadium). 

We selected three games and the seats we wanted (that were still available). I am a Phillies fan, so two of the games are Yankees vs. Phillies and the third is Yankees vs. Pirates. The Phillies Spring Training field is in Clearwater (which is farther from where we are staying), so seeing both the Yankees and Phillies play at this field is very convenient for us. We paid for them and all of the tickets will be sent to us at once, saving us a lot of money on the ticket processing fee and shipping charged by the on-line ticket services. We REALLY appreciated the fantastic customer service given to us here. 

As we were walking out, we passed by the Locker Room, where renovation work continues. 

While some of the outdoor area is blocked off due to the renovation project, we spent some time checking out this 9/11 Monument dedicated to those who lost their lives in the attacks. A small piece of the World Trade Center, donated by the Gene O'Kane Division of Retired Firefighters of NYC, can be seen in front of the sculpture of the Twin Towers. 

Tributes to some of the NY Yankee Hall of Famers are on display outside the stadium. Here are a few of them.

We are looking forward to our first game on opening day, February 24, in the afternoon! For additional information about the stadium click on this link: www.steinbrennerfield.com