*With the team slated to open the 2008 season March 25 in Japan, their final day in Ft. Myers will be March 19.

Schools in Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut are on vacation the week of President's Day. If you travel down then, you'll be able to see the pitchers and catchers, along with several early-arriving position players. Travel from New England is very heavy during vacation week, so if you don't have to go then, it's less hectic if you wait at least until the following week. (New Hampshire schools have their vacation the fourth week of February.)

Fly into Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers. Delta and JetBlue have direct flights from Boston. Southwest has connecting flights out of Manchester and Providence. Skybus Airlines offers direct flights from Portsmouth, NH, to Punta Gorda, FL, about 24 miles north of Ft. Myers. Other cities that are a few hours away: West Palm Beach (129 mi.), Tampa (129 mi.), Miami (152 mi.), Orlando (156 mi.).

In the week before the official reporting date for pitchers and catchers, there will be some activity at City of Palms Park. The Red Sox have put up dark green screening around the practice fields in the past few years, though, so you won't be able to see much. If you happen to be in the right place at the right time, the Red Sox occasionally let fans inside the complex to see the stadium and sit in the stands.

On the day that pitchers and catchers report, they are just required to come in, drop off their stuff, and take a physical, not necessarily work out where fans can see them. The real fun starts the day of the first pitchers and catchers workout. That's the day they move down to the minor league complex, which is 2.5 miles east of the stadium down Edison Ave. Workouts are free and open to the public, and are my favorite part of the spring. There's no public parking at the minor league complex, and cars that park in the surrounding streets are often towed. Instead, parking is available at City of Palms Park, in the grassy lot across the street from the souvenir store. Parking is free and there is a shuttle bus (only $2 for the round trip, and kids ride free) to bring you to the workouts at the minor league complex. This is the cheapest Red Sox event you will ever attend!

On most days, workouts begin at 9 am and run until noon. The buses begin boarding at 8:30 at City of Palms Park. (On a few days, the workouts will be held from 1 pm to 4 pm, with buses beginning at 12:30. Time changes are usually announced a day in advance or on the day itself, and all are subject to change, so keep your schedule flexible, just in case.)

Once you arrive at the minor league complex, stake out a good spot along the ropes or barriers that are set up, and wait for the players to come out. There are five practice fields. After their initial stretching excercises, the players rotate around, and you'll be able to wander around between fields, watching the different drills: batting practice, pitcher's fielding practice, infield practice, popup drills, bunting, etc.

Most players won't stop to sign anything on their way out to practice. The best time to get autographs is at the end of the workouts as they come back in. As long as you're not picky about whose autograph you get, you'll get plenty. There are always several players who sign tirelessly every day after practice. New players in their first year with Boston and young players are more likely to sign. Some of the stars do sign, but you usually have to be in the right place at the right time. Be patient and polite, and they'll stick around longer. Knowing first names of the obscure guys helps, too. Print off a roster before you leave, or ask at the souvenir stand at the minor league complex for a (free) copy of the latest roster. "Hey #75, can you sign?" won't work as well as, "Brandon, could you sign this, please?" to #75 (Brandon Moss) for example. I've had no problem over the years getting a wide spectrum of autographs from superstars like David Ortiz and Curt Schilling on down to Ramiro Mendoza and Cla Meredith.

There are small sets of bleachers in front of each practice field, but most people stand the whole time. There's not a lot of shade, so don't forget the sunscreen.

Concessions are available, but the variety is limited and the prices are typical ballpark prices. It's OK to bring a water bottle in with you, and I usually snag a muffin from the hotel to bring with me in case I want a snack. Bags and purses are inspected and tagged before boarding the shuttle bus, but I've never had any trouble bringing a water bottle and a snack.

Fully-functional restrooms are available at the minor league complex. (Up until a few years ago they were just port-a-potties, but they're real restrooms now.)

Most importantly, expect warm sunny weather, baseball as far as the eye can see, and lots of jealous friends back home!

Once the games start, they don't have public workouts at the minor league complex any more. (Players work out at the stadium in the mornings, but these are not open to the public.) Games at City of Palms Park (capacity 8,200) sell out as quickly as they do at Fenway. They do have standing room, and there are sometimes additional tickets available on the day of the game. Some players sign autographs before the games - occasionally some sign during the games after they've come out - but not as many as during the workouts.

2008 Spring Training Schedule

The Minnesota Twins also train in Fort Myers (Hammond Stadium, 14100 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers, FL 33912) and the Red Sox play two or three games there every year. Those sell out quickly too, and actually the Red Sox draw good crowds everywhere they play.

With all this baseball, who would need anything else? But since the workouts usually take place only in the morning, you will have your afternoons free. I recommend Fort Myers Beach, a long beautiful beach with plenty of public access and water warmer in February than we get all summer in New England. If you go during the first week of workouts (usually the week of President's Day), be sure to stop by the Pink Shell Beach Resort and Spa (275 Estero Boulevard, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931) at 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. That's when Comcast Sports Net (formerly called FSN) films their nightly New England Sports Tonight show from the beach behind the hotel. It's open to the public, and you can pull up a beach towel or chair and be part of the studio audience. The show is hosted by Gary Tanguay and Greg Dickerson, and features a Red Sox player or two every night. They also film their late night edition there live at 10:00 pm.

Sanibel Island is nice for shelling and spotting the occasional dolphin, but the toll bridge out to the island is kind of expensive. I don't have kids and prefer beaches to tourist traps, but there are plenty of other attractions in Fort Myers, like the Edison and Ford estates and the Shell Factory. A list of Fort Myers area attractions can be found here.

I've been going to spring training every year since 2003, and have a great time every year. Check out my photos and write-ups: