Baltimore Orioles Schedule: Early Report Date for Pitchers and Catchers
The Baltimore Orioles pitchers and catchers will report to spring training earlier than past years.
The Baltimore Orioles spring training in will commence with pitchers and catchers reporting to Sarasota, Florida on February 13. The rest of the Baltimore Orioles team will arrive a few days later on February 16 as the first official day of workouts begin the following day.
This year’s February 13 report date for the Orioles’ pitchers and catchers is five days earlier than last year. The motive behind the initial outset of spring training is due to the 2017 World Baseball Classic, which begins, Monday, March 6.
At the moment, four Orioles will represent their country by taking part in the World Baseball Classic and will be away from the team for most of March. Orioles’ outfielder Adam Jones will play for Team USA, while Manny Machado represents the Dominican Republic, and second baseman Jonathan Schoop will play for the Netherlands. Also, Orioles outfielder Hyun-Soo Kim will serve for Team South Korea.
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The World Baseball Classic, where players from Major League Baseball were included, originated in March of 2006. Kim, who played for South Korea in 2009 and 2013, will make this third appearance in 2017. This will be Schoop’s and Jones’ second time playing in the national tournament with third baseman Machado making his World Classic Baseball debut this March.
The Orioles first spring training game is Friday, February 24, as they visit Lakeland, Florida to play the Detriot Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. The following day, the Orioles will play in Bradenton, Florida against the Pittsburgh Pirates before hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates at Ed Smith Stadium for their spring training home opener.
Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida will be the home of the Baltimore Orioles for the seventh straight year in 2017. As members of the Grapefruit League, the Orioles will host an array of team at Ed Smith Stadium, including three games against Philadelphia Phillies, two games with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Detriot Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, and once with division rival, New York Yankees. The Orioles also will host World Baseball Classic’s Team Dominican Republic on Tuesday, March 7.
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Orioles spring training tickets go on sale Saturday, January 21 for those planning to watch the team in Sarasota as they prep for the regular season.