Spring Training Online

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A Fan's Guide to Camelback Ranch
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Anyone visiting Vero Beach’s Dodgertown knows one of the joys of that historic complex was the ability to wander around and view the whole gamut of player development, ranging from scrimmages at bareboned practice fields to games at Holman Stadium.

That power to wander around in mimicked in the impressive new Camelback Ranch spring-training complex now shared by the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. And while there’s little at Camelback Ranch that’s a direct homage to Dodgertown, the same atmosphere of openness and transparency can be found throughout the complex.

Most fans will enter the ballpark at the parking lot located at West Camelback Road and 107th Avenue, west of the Camelback/I-101 interchange. (Those holding premium parking passes will enter at the opposite end of the complex, heading directly into the ballpark.) This 1,000-plus parking lot is in the southeast corner of the complex, with the ballpark on the northwest corner and the training fields in between.

To get to the ballpark, you will walk through the training complex. The main path goes from the lot to the ballpark’s center-field entry, with the White Sox training complex on the left and the Dodgers’ complex on the right. Each team has two MLB field and four minor-league fields, as well as a half infield and specialized areas for sliding and bunting drills. A three-acre-plus pond separates the two training areas; besides serving as a holding pond for reclaimed water destined for watering the grounds, the pond serves an aesthetic function: it’s ringed by a Walk of Fame where tribunes to legends from both teams are envisioned someday. Paths branch out from roughly the center of the complex to each team’s MLB-sized practice fields.

The 141-acre site isn’t purely symmetrical, reflecting each team’s approach to player development. On the White Sox side, you have nothing but training fields; the main MLB field has limited access, with fans kept a distance from the players. On the Dodgers side, the main MLB practice field is almost totally open to fans. While there’s seating (but no shade) in both practice fields, it’s pretty clear the Dodgers want to encourage players to interact with fans -- at least more than the White Sox braintrust does, for now.