I have always said that if you’re a baseball-loving fan, you have to attend at least one Spring Training game in your lifetime. This is baseball in its purest form, up close and personal as America’s pastime used to be.

A trip to Port St Lucie is always a must whether you’re a Mets fan, or not. For example to day the Mets are playing the American League Champions, Detroit Tigers. For the price of a beer in, Lets say Yankee stadium, you could get a seat in Tradition Field (Mets Spring training park) and no matter where you sit you could still see Miguel Cabrera’s bulging biceps at home plate.

Tradition Field seats 7.000 and today in this brisk spring afternoon there must be more fans than seats if you also count all the people lounging in the right field picnic area blankets and all.

Everything from the drive into the park to the ushers and all security personnel make you feel invited and not like if you are potential threat. Everyone welcomes you with a smile and the cordiality that is so much missing from many big league stadiums is abundant in spring training.

The majority of the fans here today are seniors, but then again this is Florida where many retirees live and snowbirds from the north abound. Thus the atmosphere is much slower than the hustle and bustle of the big league and big cities making it a perfect atmosphere to bring your kids and baseball fans of all ages to watch what was once known as America’s pastime.

Oh yes, the Mets are losing 9-1 in the top of the 4th, but here even the score is not that important. Just enjoying a professional game with many of today’s superstars and players that might be tomorrow’s stars is a pleasure.