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PHILADELPHIA Perhaps at some point this year, the Phillies will have Citizens Bank Park nearly filled with fans.
But first things first, they must get through Spring Training. Phillies pitchers and catchers held their first workout in Clearwater, Fla., on Wednesday. The team left Clearwater last March, when the world shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Life has not returned to normal, but things slowly seem to be moving in that direction.
Here is a Spring Training FAQ for Phillies fans interested in following the action in Florida:
What s the new name of the spring ballpark?
The Phillies will play their home games at BayCare Ballpark, as the ballpark has undergone its third name change since it opened as Bright House Networks Field in 2004. After it shortened its name to Bright House Field in 13, it became Spectrum Field in 17.
It is a place every Phillies fan should visit at least once.
“Most of us feel like it’s a second home,” the late Paul Owens told The Tampa Tribune in 1996. “It’s always been a good relationship, and all of a sudden you look up and 50 years have gone by.”
Before the Phillies settled in Pinellas County, they trained in 20 different locations in 10 states from 1900-46: North Carolina (Washington, Southern Pines, Wilmington and Charlotte), Virginia (Richmond), Georgia (Savannah and Augusta), Alabama (Birmingham), Arkansas (Hot Springs), Mississippi (Biloxi), Texas (New Braunfels), Florida (St. Petersburg, Gainesville, Leesburg, Bradenton, Winter Haven and Miami Beach), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Hershey) and Delaware (Wilmington).